The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-08-20

to put up the price of certain commodi-
ties.
"NIr. Bryans language is that he is
going TO improve the conditions of the
people of this country. | do not suppose
he claims he can multiply the amount of
chairs on this platform or upon this floor
L although he has shown his capacity to
empty them. If he is going to work any
change in the condition of men he must
increase the material possession of some
part of the community. Now if he got
possession of the government tomorrow
he would not create one single thing of
value by any exercise of governmental
power in the world. No power ever yet
exercised by tyrant or by constitutional
monarch can cause Il barren field to be-
come fruitful, can cause two bushels of
wheat to grow where one grew before:
can bring together the stones that COM
pose this building and raise them into Il
temple dedicated to political discussion
Not that it REQUIRES the labor of man to
create wealth. If Mr.. Bryan is going to
enrich somebody the thing which he
from somebody else. Who is to be de-
spoiled and who is to be enriched by the
exercise Of this new scheme of govern
ment? CA cry of "Silver Mine Owners.")
''In my mind the silver mine owner will
get cheated with the rest. A government
can never be generous, because if it is
generous to one it must be oppressive to
another. But this financial scheme con-
templates an increase i'll the price of GER
tain commodities. We are coming now
pretty close to the woodnle behind which
the African is concealed. Could every
thing in this world or this country. in
Guiding labor, be increased in value to-
morrow in like proportion not one of us
would be affected at all. If everything
be increased 10 per cent in value we
would pay 10 per cent addition for what
we would buy and get 10 per cent more
for what we sell and we would be exactly
in the same place we occuDied before.
Therefore it is fair to assume that it is
not an impotent occasion which this pO-
ltical revolution cOntemplatcS. What,
then, is it? 1t is an increase in the price
of all commodities and allowing labor to
shift for itself. If the price of commOd-
tiles be increased and the price of labor
be left stationery why that means Il cut
ting down of the rates of wages. Instead
of Il dollar which consists of a given
quantity of gold equal to 100 cents any
where in the world with the purchasing
power of 100 cents. the labor is to be paid
in dollars worth 80 cents each. He can
only buy half as much with days wages
as he buys now. Wage earners. Mr.. Bry-
an says. know that while a gold standard
lar, it also makes it more difficult to OBJ
tain possession of that dollar. They
know that employment is less permanent,
loss of work more probable and re-em-
plOyment less certain. If that means any
thing. it means that a cheap dollar would
give him more employment. more fire.
quent employment, more work and more
chance to get REIMBURSEMENT after he
was discharged. If that means anything
it means that if the laborer is willing to
have his wages cut down he will get more
work.
But a diminution in the rate of wages
does not increase the scope of employ
ment. The more abundant the product
the higher the wages. There can not be
an abundant product unless labor is eX-
tensively employed.
"Mr. Bryan would have you believe
that prosperity is advanced by cheaper
ing the rate of wages, but the fall in the
rate of wages always comes from a mar
means there is little demand for abOr in
the market. When. after the manic of
1873 the price of labor fell to 80 cents a
day. it was harder to obtain labor than
when the rate of labor was -. and the
difference between the populist who seeks
to cut down the rate of wages and the
democrat who seeks to protect it is that
the democrat believes that higher wages
and prosperity are Synonymous and the
populist wants to cut the rate of wages
in order that he may tempt the farmer
to make war on his workingmen.
"NIr. Bryan leads the van in saying
that it is the creditor he is after. In
order that you should understand just
how a change in the standard of value
enables men to cheat their creditors, you
have to consider the function which mere
ly pays in measuring debts. If had
paid so for ten yards of cloth to be de-
livered to me next week. and in the in
term the government should pass Il law
declaring that hereafter the yard meas
ure should consist of eighteen inches and
that all existing contracts should be set
tied in that system of measure. l would
be cheated out of half the cloth for which
| had paid. If. on the other hand, | owed
the cloth merchant for ten yards of cloth
which he had delivered to me and which
was payable next week. and in the mean
time the government would change the
standard of value and cut down the unit
of coinage one-half, then | would settle
the debt in 50 and the merchant would
have been cheated. Now. the populist
loves to say that the creditor is a person
who Expresses the western farmer. The
creditors of this country are not the bank
ers: they are not the so-called capitalists:
LUpN are llOJ Inp llDOIbrS, anu III Is at TIE
expense of labor that this change is made.
Labor is always creditor for ut least
one days work. When any man can
show me a laborer who has been paid in
advance for days work | will show him
laborer who is debtor. The laborer,
by the very law of his being. is creditor
for at least one days work and is gen
orally a creditor for a weeks work or
two weeks work. Every great industrial
enterprise has for its chief creditors its
own laborers.
"The pretenSe that the farmers of Ne
braska is bending under the weight of Il
mortgage contracted under metal which
had steadily increased in value il but a
populist metaphor. Two-thilds of the
farmers have no MORTGAGE debts what
ever. | do not believe there is > per cent
of them that owe a mortgage over three
years old during which time there has
been no change in the material value.
They are waiting to cut down the wages
of every man who works in cities, who
tolls at the bench, who digs in the mine.
who manages the train. in homes that he
can ride into power under the weight OF
cupdity and greed
But my friends, it is a triumphant
vindication of American citizenship that
this attempt to lead the farmers of the
country into this conspiracy has failed
miserably. utterly. absolutely. Every