The San Francisco call., 1896-07-31
THE WAGE-EARNER's FIGHT.

The wage-earners of the country are
more interested in the issue of this year s
campaign than in any former struggle for
political suprem acy. To be sure all classes
are vitally interested, but it so happens
that the Democratic party's declaration
| is a direct attack upon working people.
The inventors OF that party's platform
did not seem to appreciate the strength
ana influence of the laboring men OF the
country when they made what is the
equivalent of declaration OF war upon
them. The impetuous appeals of orators
to labor to join in the revolutionary
movement are better calculated TO make
labor suspicious than submissive. In fact,
so antagonistic to the best interests of la
bor are the purposes of the Democratic
and Populist com bine that the campaign
might be called the wage earner's battle
for home and opportunity TO earn wages.
1t is mistake 10 suppose that capital,
that rich people would suffer most were
the economic yagaries of the Bryans
adopted for the rule and guide of the Ma
tons affairs. The rich can always adjust
their holdings to new conditions. In fact
they can retire altogether from the activ-
tiles of the business world, but not so with
wage-earners. When their hands are idle
their income ceases, and if they have put
by little money for use when the rainy
day comes it has to be drawn upon for cur
rent expenses. But that is not all the mis-
fortune that would come to the wage
Garner were the principles of the Bryans
practically applied in the public concerns
of the country. He would have to deal
with an uusoInd and treacherous none
tary system which would deprive his
wages of purchase power, stability and
certainty.
The wage-e -earners of the United States
are The principal supporters of building
associations. They have more than $780,
600, 900 invested in them, and every dollar
of it is worth leo cents anywhere in the
world. Wage-earners together with other
classes have over $4,000, ,000 900 placed in
life insurance companies, to cay nothing
OF the millions that are invested in fra
ternal life insurance associations. A great
deal of this money will be due and pay
able in the not very distant future, and it
is a matter OF the greatest importance
that it retain its present purchase power
for in proportion as it is paid in unsound
money will the insured be loser.
hS A@bSSb otab4obiCS olOM bndb JHStC dEc
1017 savings banks and institutions in this
country with individual depositors aggre-
eating nearly 100000, with total de-
posits reaching the enormous sum of, In
round numbers, 81, 900, 600, 600. OF course
these banks and institutions keep the
money loaned for the most part on real
estate mortgage security, and it is payable
n money worth 100 cents to the dollar,
but how many cents to the dollar would
these savings OF wage-earners be worth if
Bryan's wild, uncertain and huctuating
fat dollars were TO become the circulating
money medium of the country? These
are matters which wage-earners cannot
think about too seriously. Bryan says if
his plan should fail it would be an easy
matter to try another, and keep on try
ing, but are wage earners ready to have
their wages made subject to experiment
at the hands of theorists? Every dollar in
this country is as good as its face value in
gold, and it is Mr.. McKinley's purpose to
maintain that parity. 1t is his purpose,
too, to make gold and silver interchange
able on their own merit, but by agreement
and not by the fat of martial law.