The San Francisco call., 1896-08-30


| just its bullion value and no more. That
was quite clear to any mans understand
| ing.
During the war the price of gold went
up to. So 85-that is, it took S2 90 IN the
| paper currency to buy dollar OF goia;;
| goes up. 1t is not true. Gold is the one
thing that is stationary in its value. 1t is
| the other mediums OF exchange or COM
| moditIes that fall. The fact is easily
proven by placing a bar OF gold against
any other money or commodity. Gold re-
| mains fixed-it is the quantity or quality
Of the others that 1uctuate.
| Just here the loud blowing of the tre-
alarm whistle drowned the speaker voice.
| He hesitated moment and then crled,
| between the shrieks of the alarm, THAT
is Bryan blowing his horn," which turned
| the laugh on the whistle. By. way OF
illustrating his point, the speaker said
| that in 1877 the Union Iron Works had
sold an ensine for $1,000 the exact counter
part of which they sell now at $400. yet
the difference in the wages paid was
scarcely material. The reason is that the
| money paid for it is good-a gold dollar
back OF every silver dollar to guarantee its
value and every promise OF the Govern
| ment.
Looking over the ground in 1878 the
men at the head of our Government saw
the trend of the nations with regard>to
| money; saw that Germany, Switzerland,
nearly all the countries of Europe, were de-
monetizing the silver dollar, and they in
their turn dropped that dollar from our
currency. There had been good many
babies born since then, babies that had
since become voters, and he would ask
them if there had not been long period
of prosperity, interrupted only by these
| four years last past.
Silver therefore could not be held re-
sponsible for the trouble. The reason was
to be found in blunder committed within
| these four years. This country had been
buying more than it sold. Anv man who
did that-bought more than his income
could pay for-would soon be in deep
| financial trouble.
The industries, and especially the man.
| ufactories, of the country had been
checked and interrupted by tie cut in the
tariff that permitted the importation of
goods manufactured in other countries by
underpaid workmen. That was the cause
of the trouble, and no men knew it better
| than those who live in the midst OF manu-
| featuring communities, as does William
Mckinley OF Ohio. [Applause.]
Under the Sherm an act the Government
purchased 100000 ounces OF silver a
| month, or 81, 600 900 year. Under the
free-coinage ratio that would amount to
$1,000, 900. Who would pay that money
if not the workingmen2
1t would be they that would have to
assume the tax created by the absurd law,
| putting double value on the metal. The
| owners of silver mines may grow rich, but
the man who works in the mines and
every other workman who receives wages
would grow proportionately poorer be-
cause of the depreciation in the value of
the coin which they received for their
| labor.
"For instance, he said, suppose the Gov
eminent made a law declaring that
double price must be paid for all the
| product of the Union Iron Works. Think
| of $8,000,000 for an Oregon, instead of
| 81, 600 900. Would not we increase the
| plant until it spread all over the Potrero?
Would that be any reason for an increase
| in the pay of the men? No. would say
| to them, | am willing to pay you a fair
price for your labor; this is an act of the
| Government especially for my own benefit.
| And yet there is more reason for a law
| of that kind than for doubling the price
of silver, for we have all the silver we
want, aud we have not as many warships
as we need to whip the world, as we should
| have.
"Our money now is good anywhere in
| the world, because 1t is redeemabe in
| gold. 1t should remain so. Back of it all
| is the honor and integrity of the country
| that must be aintained. Would you,
having loaned money, honor man who
atte mpted to repay You in deprecated
| coin-money worth half that that you
| loaned? l do not believe there is any
calamity coming. / believe in the.intelli-
gence OF the people. Confidence will be
! restored and with it better times will
| come. 1t takes time to restore confidence.
! You can harm a bank in single day by
run on it, such as it will take months to
overcome We are face to face with the
proposition. and the people will rally to
| the standard of the old party that pre-
served the Union and the integrity OF the
| Union through its sorest trial.
| The speaker described the difference be-
| tween this and other countries with regard
| to the condition of the working men. He
| said he had been in every part of the
| globe He had visited the vineyards of
Europe and seen how the vineyard st went
! about his place, on speaking acquaintance
with grapes on the vines, with knowl-
edge of every leaf. Bright boys and girls
labored among the vines without knowing
really the taste of the grapes or without
| ever tasting the wine. 1t was all too ex-
pensive for them. He had seen the
laborers cooking their breakfast of burned
bread, treasuring the bit of fire, and yet
they were parativeiy contented and
happy. He had returned to this land of
plenty to see the fruit scattered over many
acres unpicked, prodigal wastefulness
everywhere.
| The people were better fed, better
housed and every way better provided for
than in any other country, but they were
restless and discontented-they want still
better conditions. They demand protec-
ton against these others OF other coun-
| tries--the protection of the home, of their
| industry, and they will demand that they
be paid for their labor in honest money"
| [Applause.
Colonel Andrews, who sat in the front
row of chairs, passed word to the
| speaker as he sat down, and Mr.. Scott in
| terrupted the quartet about to begin a
| jubilee to announce that Il have con-
vert. A gentleman here who says he has
voted consecutively for twelve Demo-
cratic candidates for the Presidency will
this fall vote for William Nc Kinley, pro-
lection and prosperity"
This was greeted with a round OF ap-
plause.
The California Quartet rendered some
stirring Republican verses to the tune of
''Mah Angeline," for which they were up
roariously encored. and to which they re-
sponded with some more selections of the
same song.
General Robert A. Friedrich was the
second speaker. He was introduced as a
friend and comrade OF Major Mckinley.