The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-09-11
souRke COCHRAN ON BRYAN.
The Eloquent Ex-Congressman Exposes the
Free silver Fraud on Workingmen.

The Eloquent Ex Congressman Exposes the
Free silver Fraud on workingmen.
In his great speech in Madison Square
Garden, New York city, ex. Congress
man Bourke Cochran said in reply to
Presidential Candidate Bryan:
II everything in this world or in this
country, including labor, be increased
in value tomorrow in like proportion.
not one of us would be affected at all.
If that was Mr.. Bryan's scheme, he
would never have Populist nomination
to give him importance in the eyes of
this community. If that were all that
he meant, he would not be supporting
il, and / would not be taking the trou-
BILE to oppose il. III everything in the
world be increased o per cent III value,
why, we would pay 10 per cent in addi-
tion for what we would buy and get 10
per cent more for what we would sell.
What, then, is il? Ii is an increase in
the price of commodities and allowing
labor TO shift for itself. II the price of
commodities be increased and the price
of labor be left stationary that means a
cutting down Of the rate of wages.
If, instead of n dollar which consists of
given quantity of gold equal TO a hun
bred cents anywhere in the world, with
the purchasing power Of a hundred
cents, the laborer is TO be paid in dol
lars worth 80 cents each, he can only
buy half as much with days wages as
he buys now. If the value of this POpu-
list scheme, then, is TO be tested, let the
laboring men of this country ask Mr..
Bryan and his Populist friends simple,
common, everyday question, Where
do come in?''
Mr. Bryan himself has q glimmering
idea of where the laborer will come in,
or, rather, of where he will go out.
There is one paragraph in his speech
which-whether it was the result of an
unconscious stumbling into caDdor or
whether it was "a contribution made in
the stress of logical discussion l am ut
terly unable TO say-that throws a flood
of light upon the whole purpose underly-
ing this Populist agitation. Wage earn
ers, Mr. Bryan says, know that while a
gold standard raises the purchasing
power of the dollar il also makes it
more difficult to obtain possession of the
dollar. They know that employment is
less permanent, loss of work more prob
able and unemployment less certain.
If that .means anything, it means
that a cheap dollar would give him
more employment, more frequent en-
ployment, more work and a chance to
get re employment after he was dis.
charged. If that means anything in the
world TO sane man, 1t means that II
the laborer is willing TO have his wages
cut down he will get more work.
If it were true that reduction in re
rate of wages would increase the chance
of employment, / would not blame Mr..
Bryan for telling the truth, because,
however unpalatable the truth may be,
/ conceive it the duty of any man who
attempts to address his fellow citizens
never TO shrink from statement Of the
whole truth, whatever may be the con.
sequences TO himself. But, as a matter
Of fact, diminution in the rate of wages
does not increase the scope of employ
ment.
There cannot be an abundant product
unless labor is extensively employed.
You cannot have high wages unless
there is an extensive production in ev-
cry department of industry, and that is
why / claim that wages are the one
sole test of country's condition-that
high wages mean abundant protection,
and abundance necessarily means pros
perity. Mr. Bryan, on the other hand,
would have you believe that prosperity
is advanced by cheapening the rate OF
wages, but the fall in the rate of wages
always cnmes from Il narrow produc'
ton. and narrow production mean:
there is little demand for labor in the
market. When, after the panic of 1878,
the price of labor fell TO 80 cents a day,
il was harder to obtain work than wher
the rate of labor was 81. and the differ
ence between tho Populist, who seeks
to cut down the rate of wages, and the
Democrat, who seeks to protect it, /:
that the Democrat believes that high
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 upon his OWL
workinpmen