The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1896-09-03
COMMON SENSE TALK.
THE WALDO HILLS FARMER MAKES
AN ABLE ADDRESS.
Logic That Is Logic-A Brilliant Speaker
With a Brilliant Record In Old Marion
County.

SALEM, Or., Aug. 2I.-dOn. i. 1. Ge6r,
republican candidate for presidential elec-
tor, delivered an address here tonight un-
der the auspices of the Workingmen' S
Republican club, and greater enthusiasm
within the rank and file of the party
dates from this occasion. The large
armory hall was filled with workingmen
and others anxious to hear their fellow
countryman discuss the political situation.
The speaker talked with the earnestness
of man in sympathy with his hearers,
and the audience was responsive, listen
ing with rapt attention for two hours,
breaking into outbursts of applause fire.
quent1y. The speaker was piled with
questions at intervals, and, assuming the
character of teacher, good naturedly an
swered all and invited more. The speech
was as follows:
We are all complaining of hard times,
and Justly so. Although there are half a
dozen. parties in the fccld, with two candi-
dates for-the presidency, everybody
agrees that the one thing needed, first and
moss, is remedy for the present indus
trial depression, and there is a unani-
nous agreement that we want it now.
The question is, What shall we do for a
remedy? Times began to get hard with
the first appearance of the populist party
on the political horizon of this country,
but. its effect was not more than mere
undertow in public concerns until it be
came strong enough to put the demo-
cratic party in power in 1892, since which
time the condition or the country has
been growing from bad to worse, with no
possible chance for relief or respite, save
in the success of the republican party at
the end of this campaign. If our party
does not triumph in November, then the
populist party will, and to expect four
years dose of populisn to cure the effects
we are experiencing from similar dose
of democracy, inspires about the same
degree of hope you might find in the
bosom of man who upon finishing a
term in states prison for theft discovered
himself facing an Indictment for murder
in the first degree.
And that the prospective success of the
populist programme should make all
kinds of business tremble is as plain as
that two and two make four. Although
/ admit that the populist belief that gov
ernments can make something from
nothing, and that so cents make dollar
if the law only says SO, would be as likely
to make FIVE the sum of two and two as
any other amount.
We are all complaining because money
is not in circulation, and we all agree
that times will be no better until some
body begins to employ it in industrial en-
terprises. Now, when that desired condi-
ton comes abont, who is going to employ
capital-men who have got it, or men
who haven't7 The present aggregation
of heterogeneous isms that is trying to
down the republican party, is based on
one chief declaration, that it is bitterly
hostile to millionaires (unless they own
Silver mines( and bankers, and the rob-
Der baron manufacturers, and every other
class of men or association of men who
have at their command any considerable
sum of money.
Indeed, their chief complaint is that
the money of the country is in the hands
of the rich-as though it could be any
where else! If there is any man pres
ent who can name any country on earth
where the money is in the hands of the
Join this crusade of Mr. Bryan's against
the only men in the country who have
got any money to circulate and see what
we can do to induce the poor to employ
our idle men; but wish to say in ad-
vance that belong to the poor class my
self, and I am just contrary enough to
insist that no kind of coercive legislation
is going to persuade me to start either a
woolen mill or iron foundry, not this
year, aud possibly not next. Of course,
could as well as any other poor man,
but ,don't feel bit like it.
Now, the absurdity of the workingmen
of this country, whose first desire is
aiding party which is
in bitter hostility to the only
men who can ever afford them relief, is
apparent to every man who troubles him.
self with second thought. As long as
a CLUB is held over the heads of men who
have money, one end of which threatens
to patronize. foreign manufacturers be-
cause they furnish cheaper goods, and
the other end says we are going o intro
duce fuctuating standard of money
that will make investments uncertain and
business calculations impossible, just that
long win men with money keep it with
drawn from the channels of trade. And
they will do it in self defense, as the only
sensible thing to do.
The present crusade against capitalists
would appear "money power" "pluto-
and .bimetalism and cheap money! on
the other, though about as heavy an ar
gument as I have heard on that side is
when an opponent is called ''goldbug."
z And yet the gold standard was practic-
ally established in 1884, more than sixty
years ago, when congress first made the
ratio of Is to I, and undervalued silver
by so doing. From that time until after
the "crime of 49," there was virtually
no silver used in this country. But in
1883, in order to induce at least the silver
half dollars and quarters to remain in the
congress passed a law to reduce
the amount of silver in them and make
them less valuable for other purposes
than for money circulation. The chair
man of the house committee on ways and
means, in reporting the bill, gave the
following reasons:
eve intend to do what the best writers
on political economy have approved;
what experience, where the experiment
has been tried, has demonstrated to be
necessary and proper to make one stand
ard of currency, and to make all others
to it. We mean to make
gold the standard coin, and to make
hose newe.,per coins applicable and con-
venient, not for large, but for small