davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Omaha daily bee., 1896-08-20
If TRUE THEN, WHY NOT Nows
Some Remarks of Candidate Bryan
Three Years Ago.


Speaking in the house August 16, 1898, w.
J. Bryan said:I 1--WE established bimetallic
standard in 1H92, but silver, being over
valued by our ratio of 10 to /, stayed with
us and gold went abroad where mint ratios
were more FAVORABLE"
If that was true then. what has occurred
in the historyNof the world since to justify
Mr.. Bryan in saying, as he did at Madison
Square: "It VIII be easier to obtain the
gold to meet-a gold contract when most
of the people can use silver, than it Is now
when eyeryoneHis trying to secure gold"
In fact, everyone is not trying to secure
gold" and the people are using silver freely,
every dollar OF lit being worth 100 cents on
the existing gold standard.
Mr.. Bryan does not pretend that the real
ratio of gold and silver today is not 32 to I.
He admits that the ratio OF 16 to is, there
fore an generalization of silver Is 1t not as
inevitable by the free coinage OF silver now
at an generalization as compared with gold
that all the gold will go abroad as he says
it went on account of the generalization OF
silver In 1927
Can the country AFFORD to lose $500, 900 900
OF gold?
Before he delivered his Madison Square
speech Mr. Bryan should have looked up
the speeches he made before he became a
presidential candidate. Currency laws are
immutable. They will not alter to suit the
exlgencies OF an office-seeker, even when the
office sought is the presidency OF the United
States.
Omaha daily bee., 1896-08-20

The High school cadets are without
a military instructor and request will
be made of General Coppinger to aid
in the effort to have regular army
officer detailed for the service of train
ing the boys of Omaha in the art of
war. 1t will indeed be fortunate if an
officer can be found who will inspire
the boys with that degree of enthusiasm
in the military drills which rewarded
the untiring efforts of Lieutenant Penn.
Perhaps General COppinger can put his
finger upon just such man.
Omaha daily bee., 1896-08-20
Whnt IL Frost Will Do.

Things done in hurry or under impulse
are not apt to be- we'll done. Enthusiasm is
always beautiful and it sometimes supple
ments cold reason in a very useful way.
But in choosing a president the most nee
essary quality after patriotism is common
sense. The most essential thing to wise
decision is the sober second thought. The
infammatory heat of July, the torrid and
humid waves Of August, even the golden
splendors of September, are not conducive
to calm thinking and sane decision. 1t is
the October crispiness and frost that clarity
both the air, and the mind. BY November 3
the American people will have had ample
time to decide whether they wish to change
their monetary system to conform to that of
Mexico, Japan and China.
Omaha daily bee., 1896-08-20
Lanon,s acnowS or rnonss.r
That Which nrynn Helped 10 PIt
ON the Brow of workinrmen.

The report OF the commissioner OF Ia
tor the United States covering the per y
from 1881 to June 80, 1894. shows that a
Ing the year and a half under the Will
law the loss OF wages to employees
Sl59I9.O93 more than under two fun ye
OF Mckinley protection, and that 2i2., /
more employees were made Idle by stril
and lockouts under Wilson tariff than unt
two years OF protection. Five MILL
spindles In New England are idle. Statt
tics from ffty-seven trades In New Yo
City, August 4, 1893 showed that 361T7 we
out OF employment In these trades alon,
Returns from 100 manufacturers In the stat
OF New York show that where 90. 026 peopl
were earning wages during 1892 there wer
only 17,4S0 persons employed during 1898
decrease OF 81 per cent. Coming down [,
1894, steady work was given to only 1885,
persons, decrease OF 42h per cent from
1892
During the last year of the McKinlo,
tariff Europe bought s700,ST0,722 OF on
goods, while we purchase goods to the valu
OF S295 o. ,S65 In Europe. leaving balanc
OF SiO5, ,957 In favor OF American labor
During the first year OF the Wilson Law
we sold Europe s6S4, 500, ,492 worth OF good
and bought European products to the valu
OF S43l ,5l4O2i, leaving a balance of onl
S2O2.9S9 46S in our favor. The difference be
tween the balance under the Mckinley la
and the balance under the Wilson law
S2O2, ,SO3, ,4S9 one OF the "crown OF thorns
that have been pressed down upon the broN
OF labor
Exports OF all agricultural products hav
fallen off in 1895 at the rate OF $3.50 900. 90
year as compared with 1892. America,
farmers captured 20 per cent less OF the mar
kets OF the world in 1895 than they possessed
In 1892 In the latter year. under protection
tho products OF the farm represented 1876,
per cent of our total exports, The proportio
for 1895 was IL, 13 per cent less.
From the most reliable statistics obtain
able 1t is estimated that for the twelv,
months previous to the abrogation Of Mt
kinley reciprocity treaties with Cuba an
other Spanish American countries there weri
shipped from America about 3.250. 900 bar
rels of flour, equivalent to 10, 900 600 bushel
of wheat. This trade is now entirely aban
doned, the duty on American -four havin
been raised from 92 cents per barrel {
IS per barrel
In 1892, under the Mckinley tariff
exported 161 ,399, ,132 bushels Of wheat. II
| 1895. under the Wilson law, we exported
only 4O,S9S, ,547 bushels of wheat.
Live stock that was worth nearly s., 500
100000 on January l. 1892, under McKinle
protection, was worth S733, 500 594 less none
to the farmers exactly four years later, un
der the Wilson law. The annual loss to tn,
farmers on crops for the same period |,
estimated at s72S, ,721, ,S79, making total losl
to the farmers Of 81. .i62, ,551 473.
This gives but a faint suggestion Of tn,
size and weight of the "crown OF thorns
that has been pressed down upon the bro.
Of the farmer.
thorns" that will be cast aside by American
labor next November is the one that wa
fitted upon the brow Of labor by the Fift,
third congress
Omaha daily bee., 1896-08-20
A PERTINENT OUESTJOy

When Mr. Bryan was making one of
he was interrupted with the question
"Iow are you for the workingmen %
1t was Il pertinent and proper inquiry,
but Mr.. Bryan did not answer it. He
evaded the question. His response was:
you take what | have said and what
l have done and let the worSing people
decide Here was lost an excellent
opportunity for the popocratic candi-
date to have said something that might
have been favorable to his cause among
workingmen. Why did he not improve
it? Obviously because Mr.. Bryan had
nothing to say that could have been
satisfactory to his questioner. His
quick wit told him that he might find
1t embarrassing to attempt to show that
free silver would help the wage Garner
while reducing nearly One-half the pur-
chasing power of his money. Had he
undertaken to discuss the matter thus
suggested he probably would have had
other disagreeable questions propounded
to him. He might have been asked, for
example, how free silver would revive
the industries of the country, promote
new enterprises and create n better
market for labor. Also how debasing
the currency with which labor is paid
would improve the condition of the
working classes.
Therefore Mr.. Bryan lodged the
question and referred to his record,
Well, what of that? Has he ever done
anything for the American wage
Omaha daily bee., 1896-08-20
patronage?

The railroads have put fiat rate
of So to and from the state fair and
available at any station in Nebraska.
This, in connection with reduced rates
east of the river, will swell the crowds
materially. 1t is now possible for every
prospective visitor to the fair to COM
pute the cost of his trip, for the Com
mercial club has arranged to feed people
and to secure lodgings at reasonable
rates. The club does not expect to make
a cent by this means, nor does it propose
to compete with the hotels. The idea
simply is to provide for the overflow
and to see that everybody is properly
cared for and entertained. State fair
visitors this year may rest assured of
fair treatment by everybody in Omaha,
for it is conceded that no man will want
to spend more than is necessary to see
the show.
Omaha daily bee., 1896-08-20

The Chicago Chronicle is sound on
the currency question, but when it tries
to read Nebraska election returns it
wears unmatched spectacles. 1t is try
ing to tell its readers that there We're
1000 democrats in this state in 1890
and that there were $1,000 populists in
this state in 1894. Such statements
may afford fanciful reading for Chi
cago people, but they are extremely
ludicrous to people who are familiar
with the facts.
Omaha daily bee., 1896-08-20
The Board of Education is reckless

The Board of Education is reckless
enough in resembling the small meas
ures of retrenchment it promised last
spring. But where is the board to get
the money to meet its obligations ?
drawing interest for lack of money to
the credit of the funds upon which they
are drawn. Does the school board pro-
pose to go still deeper into the mire of
floating debt? Are not the interests of
the taxpayers to be consulted once in
n while?
Omaha daily bee., 1896-08-20
CAN BRYAN BE TRUSTED?

Less than ten months ago, when VIII
liam j. Bryan was the responsible
editor of the Omaha World Herald, the
leading democratic club of Nebraska
made public declaration regulating
Mr.. Bryan and his paper as repre-
sentatives of democracy by the adop-
tion Of the following resolutions:
Whereas, publication known as the
Omaha World-Herald assumes to speak for
the democratic party of Douglas county, and
for many years past has received some
recognition and patronage therefrom; and
Whereas, Said publication has proved itself
recreant to every trust reposed and an in
CRATE to every favor shown, and has wan
tonly and stupidity betrayed the party and
its nominees therefore be it
Resolved, By the Jacksonian club of Ne
braska, that this sheet does not represent
the democratic party of this county and has
forfeited all claims to it's confidence that
democrats should beware of its libels and
falsehoods, and should know to certainty
that it belongs to the tribe and speaks the
language of the dervishes and defaulters
1t is not for republicans and least
of all for this paper to impugn the mo-
tives of the Jacksonians or to arraign
them for a change of front since the
editor they so scathingly condemned
has been made the presidential candi-
date of the democracy. Suffice it to
say that this is part of the official rec
ord of the clubs proceedings that has
never been eXpunged. There are, how
ever, democrats in Omaha, Nebraska
and in other parts of the United States
who will not be able to reconcile them
selves to the idea that the man who
has been stigmatized by representative
democrats as 'recrcant to every trust
repOsed and an migrate to every favor
shown" has suddenly become the apos-
tie of pure and undefiled democracy
and the repository of all its sacred
traditions. If he was an migrate in
1895 for all the numerous favOrs that
had been showered upon aim, what
assurance is there that he will not be
an migrate in 1897 If he were placed
| in position to ladle out the federal
| patronage?
Omaha daily bee., 1896-08-20
Postal Reform at Cane Colony.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 19.-The government
of the Cape of Good Hope, one of the recent
acquisitions Of the Universal Postal union,
is taking prompt steps to organize we'll
equipped postal system in It's domains. Its
postmaster general asked for the co-opera-
tion of this government with a view to the
better protection of regular mail matter
posted for delivery there, and for mail pass
ing through the colony in transit 1t is
seeking information about the equipment Of
the postal system of the United States and
has just submitted a request for full set
of registered packages and registered tag
envelopes, registered pouches, in registered
sacks, brass lock pouches, and international
tell-tale locks
Omaha daily bee., 1896-08-20
cocKRANs SPEECH.

The speech of Hon. w. Bourke Cock
ran at Madison Square garden was ad-
dressed to the conscience of the Amerl-
can people. 1t is an appeal TO those
who hold the sacred right of suffrage
to oppose cause which involves public
and private dishonesty. 1t Is an ex-
hortation to democrats especially TO re
nounce a platform and candidates who
represent everything that is hostile to
democratic principles, as well as to re-
publican institutions and sound govern
ment. 1t is an earnest declaration by
a lifelong democrat against the false
and dangerous doctrines enunciated at
Chicago. the triumph of which would
be menace to social order and de-
structive of established rights. 1t is
q patriotic protest against delivering
this government into the hands of men
who are actuated by class hatred and
sectional prejudice and who seem to
put no value upon integrity and fair
dealing.
1t is also plea and very strong
one for the protection of labor against
the injury that would inevitably result
to 1t from debasing the currency. Mr..
Cochran recognizes the fact that in
dustry is the basis of prosperity and
that the absolutely infallible test of
prosperity is the rate of wages paid to
labor. "Where the rate of wages is
high there must be prosperity" he says;
"where the rate of wages is low there
must be Distress" The advocates of
free silver offer nothing to show how
their policy would increase the wages
of labor. They cannot do so. Their
scheme involves the opposite result by
depreciating the purchasing power of
the currency, so that the dollar with
which labor Is paid would buy only 60
per cent or less of what it will now
buy. What Mr.. Bryan and his support
ers propose is to cheaper the dollar
and this means, in effect, to reduce
wages. Is not Mr.. Cochran justified
in characterizing this as conspiracy
against the wage-earners of the country
Mr.. Cochran very clearly exposed
some of the sophistries and fallacies
of Mr.. Bryan's notification address and
1t is to be regretted that he did not so
farther in this direction, for the ma
terial is abundant. The chief purpose
of his speech, however, was to show
how fatal to the interests of labor-ol
the great wage-earning claSs-wOuld be
the success of the free silver, currency
debasing policy, and in this he was
most successful. No intelligent work
ingman, we confidently believe, can
read this speech without being per
suaded that his interests and welfare
could not be promoted by the success
of the policy championed by Mr.. Bryan.
That policy offers no promise of more
employment or better wages. 1t would
open the mints of the country to the
silver of the world, but not the mills
to American labor 1t would bring
panic and disaster, not industrial ac-
tivity and prosperity. 1t would increase
the army of the unemployed instead of
creating work for the idle. 1t would
intensity the bitter experience of the
last three years of financial distrust
and business depression. 1t would
check national development and start
the country on a course of retrogreSsion
1t would be an almost irreparable blow
to American credit and American honor
Omaha daily bee., 1896-08-20
News BuIIetins from Nicaragua.

WASHINGTON, Aug 19-Consul O'Mara
at Bluefelds, Nicaragua, has transmitted to
the State department a number of clippings
from the Bluefields Recorder, paper which
seems to be keeping up with the times in
Nicaragua. One report says that arrange
ments have been made to cut through
Pearl lagoon canal, greatly benefiting Blue
fields; another announces the arrival of a
new steamer plying between Bluefelds and
Cape Garcia Adios. Her owners are to re-
ceive 81 ,775 acres of land on the Atlantic
coast as subsidy. Another report states
that the Hamburg American packet would
touch at that point if the Bluefelds harbor
was made safe,
Omaha daily bee., 1896-08-20
August is almost gone and

August is almost gone and no reports
have been received indicating that
early estimates of the corn crop in Ne
braska must undergo revision. 1t will
be the heaviest yield in the history of
the state. But there is not so bright n
prospect of material advance III the
price Farmers must feed their corn
to stock in order TO make best profits.
1t Is said that when hogs sell for $50
the farmer may realize 40 cents bushel
for the corn he feeds the porkers, How
ever this may be, everybody knows
there Is immense profit in fat stock
and the chances are that this winter
an unusually large amount of stock
will be fed on Nebraska farms
Omaha daily bee., 1896-08-20
SOME OFFICIAL FIGURES.
A Brynnism Out of Harmony wit
Accepted Facts.

Washington Post
In his speech at Madison Square garde
last Wednesday night Mr. Bryan said thi
while the gold standard raises the purcha
ing power of the dollar. it makes 1t MOI
difficult to obtain possession of the dollar.
II this were true it would not inevitabl
be a good argument against the gold dolla,
or a strong plea for a cheaper dollar. Th|
value of the latter, measured by it's pun
chasing power and the labor required to oil
tain it, as compared with the former, migI
make it a bad bargain. But Mr.. Bryan
statement is not in harmony with acceptt
facts. 1t Is his misfortune to have collide
with the census tables, and either he or tn,
must give way.
During the decade between 1880 and 1Sl I
this country was, as 1t Is now, under Il
gold standard. The census shows that Il
that period, the average yearly wages
workers in all kinds of factories increasdI
from 1924 to S4SS The number of such en-
ployes increased in that time nearly III
per cent, rising from 2,732595 to 4712,62
The total amount Of their wages more tina
doubled In 1880 the wage-earners in o.
manufacturing industries received $947 1853
1876. In 1890 they received $2,2S3, ,216,62!
All these dollars were as good gold, an
their purchasing power was steadily I'M
creased by the decreased cost of productioDI
due to the progress of invention and thl
opening up of vast areas OF farming landl
Between 1880 and 1870, and Tor TWO year
thereafter. the wage earners got dollars wit !
less difficulty, and got more for each dolla
than at any previous time in our nationi
history.
Mr.. Bryan on the same occasion said thu I
railroad rates have not been reduced
keep pace with falling prices. The farmt
has thus found it more and more dificu
to live"
The official statistics. as published by Il
generaI government show that in 1872
shin bushel of wheat from Chicago to II
seaboard by rail cost 1880 cents. In 1Ss
it cost 1917 cents BY lake and rail route
it cost 2S cents in 1872, and 695 cents
1895. By lake and canal routes 1t cost 24.4
cents in 1872, and All cents In 1890
Omaha daily bee., 1896-08-20
THE MILLS, NOT THE MINTs.
Opening the First the Real Want of
Work Egmen.

NEW YORK tribune.
The popocrats dwell much upon the hard
times as an excuse for asking the country
to make an experiment. They say to the
voter you're hard up, anyhow, and you
might as well risk this. You can't be
much worse off if it does go wrong" This
is the kind of an experiment they ask him
to make:
1--WE demand the free and unlimited coin
age of both silver and gold at the present
legal ratio of 16 to 1, without waiting for
the aid or consent of any other nation"
The republicans also see the distress that
has come to the people, and their idea of
the remedy as expressed by Major McKin-
ley, is this:
"It is a good deal better to open up the
mills of the United States to the labor Of
Americans than to open up the mints of the
United States to the silver of the world"
It is for American workmen to judge
whether they want 53-cent dollars for the
work that they do now, or 100-cent dollars
for the work they might do If our mills
started up again.
Omaha daily bee., 1896-08-20
The True Definition.

Prof. j. W. Burgess, one of the most
prominent instructors of Columbia uni
versity, joins those who insist that there is
too much loose phraseology in defining the
issue of the campaign. He says the free
in connection with Silver" and Silver
coinage is misleading, and is calculated to
hypnotic many persons. The plain ques-
tion at issue as he defines it is: "The un-
limited coinage of 53 cents worth Of silver
into a dollar on private account" This
defines the issue presented by the Chicago
platform and it's candidate with clearness
and precision. By adhering to this defini-
tion the hesitating student of affairs will
be saved from many a false impression.
Omaha daily bee., 1896-08-20
MAKE 1T ALL PoPocRATIc.
Why Think of Democracy When DEM
Gratis Are Not in Its


crats Are Not in Its
New York Sun (dem)
1t is said to be part of the popocrat pro-
gram to erase from the list of members of
the national committee the names of those
who do not show any inclination to exert
themselves in behalf of Mr.. Bryan. In
place of the men removed stanch populists
will be appointed.
This should be done. The national COM
mittee of the popocrats should be as free of
democratic admixture as the Chicago plat
form is
1t is true that authority to effect the
change is wanting. The representatives of
the states on the committee are not respon-
sible save to those whom they represent.
But what of that? 1t is as simple to steal
the national committee as 1t was to steal
the Michigan and Nebraska delegations at
Chicago,
What have the precedents or traditions of
democracy to do with the popocrats? They
threw them away, and democratic princi-
Piles with them, at Chicago, 1t is easier for
them to go on than to stop Give the re-
Iudiatlon party reputation committee.
Omaha daily bee., 1896-08-20

In local amateur sporting events, the
pending Interstate Tennis tournament
will rank among the very first of this
season. The tournament has already
proved success, and its regular re-
currence as one of the features of
Omaha summer sports is assured. Not
only do the visitors who have responded
to invitations TO participate deserve
Acknowledgements, but the local mana
gers will come in also for credit.
Omaha daily bee., 1896-08-20
|HOW THE UNITED STATES WOULD LOOK TIED TO MEXICO
AN UNHOLY ALLIANCE.


(Bryans ma wo Herald Augusts
'front.' is
fall should
a
fall
he
shondb A
] NATION ON
FACE OF EARTH THE
AMERICA WOULD TIED UP in
BEEN RUINED FREE COINAGE OF THAT METAL