The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-09-17
A NATIONS HONOR
Continued From Fifth Page.

Continued From Fifth Page.
high when there is an extensive demand
for labor. You cannot get 81 a day for
labor If there is any man willing to work
for 80 per day. When after the panic of
1878 wages sunk to 80 cents a day it was
almost impossible to obtain employment
anywhere, and the highways of this country
were lined with honest, industrious men
seeking a market for their labor, and re-
turning night after night unsuccessful to
their homes unable TO find an opportunity
TO sell their toll for even 90 cents or 81 a
day.
Now in this country since 1893 we have
passed through Il period of great stringency
and We We're on the verge of recovery as
every one before me knows, until about six
months ago this dark cloud appeared in the
sky. This threatened agitation for debase-
ment of the currency took shape and form
in the Chicago convention, and capital,
alarmed at the insecurity of investments,
fed from market places, trade has Ian
guished, employment is killed and the peo-
pie plunged into condition of distress
greater than any known since 1873
Now in order to get relief from this con-
dition Mr.. Bryan proposes TO cheaper that
dollar and cut down the rate of wages
aye, and the Democrats who believe with
me insist that the true policy is not to
debase the coinage, but to strengthen IT.;
not to coin bad dollars, but good dollars;
not TO destroy confidence, but to restore it.;
not to paralyze credit, but to invigorate it,
so that all men working together. aiding
each other. lending their capital to each
others enterprises once more the factories
may open, labor may be in demand, and
prosperity and activity go together hand-in-
hand into every home that thrives by Amer
lean labor throughout this country.
What Bryan Means
Well, let US see if we can understand
what Mr.. Bryan means, and l am not quite
sure that he understands 1t himself. You
must bear In mind. my friends, that since
this Populistic agitation took form through
out the United States there has been a new
and weird literature liberated over the
heads of men for the confusion of their
intellects and often for the perverslon Of
their Judgment. 1t deals largely with ex-
presSions which no living being can inter-
pref. We hear them talking of the crime
of 1913, about a battle of the standa rds,
about the parity between money and prop
erty about gold bugs who destroyed the
prosperity of the farmers crops by the
wicked money power that is tied up some
where In New York and breaks loose at
Intervals and causes absolute destruction
of the peace of mind of agriculturists In
Nebraska and Kansas. When they get
through | do not believe there is one of
them who knows what the orator means
1t Is hard to confess that you do not I'M
derstand what your neighbor says to YOU.
but desire to say to you here tonight
that you should not be discouraged if at
any time you find a Populist orator talk
Ing beyond your comprehension, because,
in the moment of your deepest mystifica-
ton, you are in exactly the position of all
your fellow citizens, including the orator
himself. There is little meaning, there is
little sense in the expressions with which
they have managed to keep the popular
mind agitated for the past four years; but
If they mean anything, Mr.. Bryan means
that he will enrich the farmer by increas-
Ing the price OF products and at the same
time he tells the laborer that his condition
will be improved. If there be any sense
In the first statement it must mean that
the cost of living will be raised to it. Now
wherever l have spoken l have made it a
point to ask Mr. Bryan to answer the
question which | propounded to him in
Madison square. He has never yet an
swored 1t, although it has been pressed
upon him by the newspapers and it has
been pressed upon him everywhere. and
that is. how Is he going to raise the rate
OF wages and improve the condition of
the laborer by cutting down his pay?
And as you may imagine, Mr.. Bryan has
observed upon that a discreet but q most
eloquent silence. 1t Is true he answers IL
after the manner of his kind by abusing
those who put the question He saws we
are the agents Of trust and syndicate; that
we are in communication with the money
power and that we are more or less In SYM
pathy with Lombard street whatever that
may mean Now you see that an answer