Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-08-19

cents of value from it. Wherever
present it its value will be unquestione1
and uncha.lenged.
1t is perfectly clear that the purpose Of
the Populists IS to put up prices Of GER
tain commodities Mr.. Bryan's Ian
guage is that he is going to improve
the conditions OF the people Of this coun-
try. Now, if he got possession of the
government tomorrow, he would not
cheat 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 a barren field TO become fruit
ful, can cause two blades of grass to
grow where one grew before, can bring
together the stones that compose this
building and raise them into stately
temple dedicated TO political discussion.
No; it requires the labor of man, and
the labor.of man alone 10 create wealth.
If Mr.. Bryan Is gong TO enrich some
body the thing which he means TO be-
stow on him he must take from some
body else. Who is to be despoiled and
who is TO be enriched by the exercise Of
The new scheme Of government? (Cries
OF silver nine owners.O
My ic.ends. the silver mine owner
will gec cheated with the rest.
A government never can be generous,
because if II be generous to one it must
be oppressive to another. Now, if every
thing in th.s world or in tbs country,
including labor be increased in value to-
morrow in like proportion, not one or
us would be affected at all. II every
thing be .ncI &sed ten per cent. in value
we would pay ten per cent. in addition
for what We would buy, and get ten
per cent. more for what we would sell,
and We would be exactly in the same
place we occupied before.
Wage earners, Mr.. Bryan says know
that while a gold standard raises the
purchasing power Of the dollar, 1t also
makss it more difficult TO ob,a.n posses
sion of that dollar. They know that
employment is less permanent loss of
work more probable and unemployment
less certain. If that means anything.
il means that ch ap dollar would give
him more employment, more work ana
a chance to ge5 re-employment after ne
was DISCHARGED. If that means any
thing it means that if ths laborer Is
willing to have his wages cut down ne
will get more work. But a dimnutlon
in the rate of wages does not increase
the scope of employment The more
abundant the product The ngher the
wages. There cannot be an abundant
product unless labor is extensively en-
p.oyed.
Mr.. Bryan leads the van in saying it
is The creditor he is a,,er. In order tnat
YOU should understand just how
change in the standard OF value enaDies
men 10 cheat their creditors you nave
to consder the function wnicn money
plays in measuring debts.
If 7 had paid $40 for ten yards oil
cloth 70 be delivered to me next week,
and in the interim the government
s1onld pass a law declaring thai nere-
rf,er the yard measure should consls0
of eighteen inches, and that all eX-stlns
contracts should be settled in mai sFs-
fsm Of measure, | would be cheated ou'
of half the cloth for which | had PAID
II on the other hand, | owed cloIh
merchant for ten yards OF ciotA, "n4cH
he had delivered TO me and which was
,,,,--T1o next week. and in the mean
t;r,a the government would change the
slansdard of value and cut down the unit
of co. mage one-half, then i wouId setue
tbat dsbt in So and the cloth merchant
would have ben cheated. - No
IT. nrstense that the farmer OF Ne
r,as,,o &c suffering under the weight o1
,,,,-ro,aoe contracted under metal Whlch
49,. staodilv increased in value is but
ran,,Iist metaphor. Two-thirds of the
farmers have no mortgage debts "h"'eN
or do not believe there Is hVe per C''''
of them that owe mortgage over 'I' -
,oars old. during which time there mas
hoo, no change in the value OF the metal
Rut by friends. it is triumphant VIM
dic,tion Of American citizenship lhal '''i9
ottempt to enlist the farming ana asrl-
o,,i+,,ral members of this community INTO
mis- conspiracy has failed, miserably Ut
torlv absolutely Every western state
,,.ricb in 1890 and in 1892 fell into the
tords of the Populists and went into the
I-or,rers' Alliance. before their real pur-
noses were executed, were purihed ana
The Populistic forces scattered out ol eN-
istence when the farmers of this country
,,rdarstood precisely what the PopuIists
,,,,,,,+ for his welfare was really Tor MS
r,,ir The farmer. who. when this country
x,.as IN danger. shoulders his musket TO set
&, osida when the last shot had been fired
-, the southern battlefield. whose mod
,,tior prevented the political warriors at
Washington from pursuing n policy OF
discrimination and punishment III lhe
southern states-that farmer who made
tho nolicv of the North policy OF con-
o,iiation of forgiveness of reunion, whose
hand it was that made ruin OF her cities
o,d ashes of her homes, received her once
- ond said. Live in peace and sin no
moro " That farmer to-day is the main
stov of order and of property as he was
+ho uainstav of the Union. There was
ponplistic delegation from States that
,,.oro Democratic. but it is signihcant
f,c+ that every northern State in which
80, ,,as chance OF electing Demo-
cratic Governor or of choosing democrat
:. .lectors with the exception OF Mis-
souri and Indiana. stood boldly ana hrhiy
for the gold standard at Chicago ana
tho, we're submerged by wave of Popu-
Usn from the south.
Mon of New York, toilers of America,
Guardians of your own homes. Will you
allow YOUR rate Of wages to be ahected
l.rioe of ..neverr "never") by any man
who never has paid wages at all If he
could get out of it? Will you submit TO
This conspiracy? Mr.. Bryan representing
+bis theory is like drop Of water on the
cres+ of the wave. more conspicuous but