Evening star., 1896-08-21
The Money Question Discussed From Df:
f9rGlt Points Of View,
Vice Chairman Stevens An
sWers Mr.. Bourke Cock
rams Madison Square
Spec h.

The speech of Bourke Cochran continues
to excite talk among the politicians of all
yartics. Vice Chairman Stevens of the
national silver committee today gave the
following to Star reporter:
Had Mr. Cochran been employed to de-
liver a speech which would really benefit
the silver cause he could not nave done
better than in his hired gold speech at
Madison Square Garden. To call 1t an
answer to MIR. Bryans speech Is an insult
the intelligence of the American people
The one was a clear. logical, comprehensive
and able argument. the other was a bonn
Lastc explosion of attenuated ideas and
empty words. Were Mr.. Cochran to under
take TO deliver such Jargon of rot before
a miscellaneous audience in any other part
of the Union than In New York city, he
might well expect the audience to resent
mis- reflection upon their utter lack of d
mental being With three millions of work
ing people out of employment in the United
States. Mr.. Cochran implores the laborer
TO maintain the existing conditions for the
benefit of the 'toilng masses With mil
lions cking out miserable existence IN
dens ani novels, living a strip of bacon
and a streak Of sunlight. Mr.. Cochran be
seeci;es them to maintain present condi-
tions and The ripened civilization which
they enjoy
var. SOckTnn LOHic.
"A specimen of Mr. Cockran's beautiful
logic may not be amiss. 1t is the gold logic
of the time<. after spending an hour in
arrayins the labCrer against the farmer
and trying to demonstrate that the pros
psrity of the laborer is wholly Independent
OF that of the farmer, and in showing that
the low price of farm products is owing to
improved machinery, he breaks out Into
this kind of political economy: The farmer
who scatters seed upon the ground by that
act starts into motion the wheels of the
factory: he shGrpenS the tools OF the car
IenJer. he stimulates the construct ton OF
railroads: he causes the engineer TO plan
new bridges crossing currents. new tunnels
under rivers. new canals joining oceans
and separating continents So. Mr.
Cochran is right back to Mr.. Bryan's own
argument in Chicago and in New York,
that the basis of all genuine prosperity
Must of necessity be the prosperity of the
farmer. He evidently remembers Mr.. Bry-
ans eloquent and forcible reference to this
subject i'll his Chicago speech, for he un-
consciously and weakly undertakes TO i'm
itate it.
MIR Eryfn there said that you might
burn down your cities and your farms. and
TIE cities would spring up again as ny
magic. Butt destroy your farms and leave
your cities. and ere long grass would grow in
the streets of your cities. But there
be no prosperity for the farmer when he
gets 81 per acre for his grain. and 1t costs
him so per acre to raise it. That has been
the condition of the American farmer for
over three years; in fact. ever since the
-civlizing gold standard was fastened upon
the country in 1893. That condition of af
fairs is shown by the facts. and also by
the sequence of Mr.. Cockran's premises on
the question. There have not been any vast
numbers of wheels OF factories started dur
ing the last three years. but thousands
nave been stopped entirely. The carpenter
has not sharpened many new tools during
the past three years. but many thousand
TOOLS and carpenters both have dropped
eff from the rust of unemployment New
railroads. new tunnels under rivers, new
Canals joining oceans are as tales that are
told under our golden civilization. If Mr.
COCHRAN IS right and the basis of all pros
perity is the prosperity of the farmer and
THAT rothing was ever invented to so alb
soiat"ly insure that prosperity as the gold
standard. then why is ii that not only the
farmer. but the laborer, the merchant, the
manufacturer have not fairly reyeled in
wealth and prosperity since the full adop-
non OF the gold standard in 1898?
Waiting for Prosperity.
How long must have this blessing
from heaven before we are to feel its be-
n.sn influence? How long will it take. under
the kind of prosperity We have had for the
past three years. to start in motion Mr.
Cockran's factory wheels, to build his rail-
roads. canals. culverts and bridges to
sharpen the idle tools of the mechanic and
to gladden. the heart of the unwilling iGlere
In all that vast wilderness of words and
desert OF IDEAS called a speech. we fail to
md one reason given for the existence az
the present hard times or one raw of hone
that they will be different until prosperity
1s restored TO the American farmer which
where the price of his products will exceed
the fixed costs of producing them
Mr.. Cochran also undertakes to show
that the value of savings bank deposits
Ing fofn
under the free coinage of silver. That
is enc OF the stock gold argumepts Of
the campaign 1t is inspired by the saw
iEgs banks and the insurance Companies.
Their profit is derived and TIE enormous
salaries paid their oficarS are obtained from
leaning money. OF oCurse, no money Ioaner
wants more nl9pey in circula ton. 1t is
easy now for Sne money ioaners to cover
the present supply of money, as they have
done an1 are doing, and make 1t immense
~ Valpabie and profitable to them.
? Money LoaninE Profitable.
THE only profitable business left in the
country today is that of loaning money 1t
is easy method Of making money, and
the owners of the present money supply
are NO; going to spend much of their casn
In making IL possible to injure their bust
ness or course the statement that de-
posltorj of policy holders would be injured
is false. Under free coinage with the sill
> NeT dollar made Unit of value along with
tire gold dollar. 1t would buy relatively as
muC'h of everything dollar will buy
now. And the adoption of free coinage
would make the business enterprises profit
able besides money loaning. 1t would make
IL Impossible for d few money ma 1ipula tors
OF tire world to control the life blood of
. the nation, its circulating medium. 1t
would stimulate trade. put these factory
Z wheels in motion. build these railroads and
canals. and bring employment to millions
of Men now seeking wCrk in vain.
-"lf We really desire to serve tbs. ciyiIiza-
ton ABOUT which Mr.. SQckran so eloquent
ly speaks, Vs os!fainly can best do SO by
making it possible for all communities to
49, prosperous and happy. Human ex-
istence does not serve its highest purpose
by getting only enough to maintain physi-
cal life. A book. a pain ting, a sweet strain
gladden. the hearts in the cottage quite as
much as in the palace Our civilization
should embrace the equal advancement of
all our people. That cannot be accomplish
ed h. one-half luxuriating in the wealth
running from the life blood of the other
half.
"Our highest civilization was never
meant TO be typified by the emblem of a
pawn shop"
>&SF>&>(A&>(
Fh0ann<h