The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-09-06
WHAT BRYANISM MEANS.

So far as Bryan is personally concerned
there is no doubt that this is campaign
OF education. He is learning new ways
every day how 10 contradict himself and
to otherwise expose his ignorance - or
something worse. The other day he rallied
against the railways of the country for
combining against the public in the way
OF maintaining high traffic tariffs when
there mas heen large decrease in the mar
ket price of all kinds of commodities
Without ever trying to justify railway
charges that are higher than the traffic
should be made to bear, it is but fair TO
refute Bryan's untruthfnl declarations by
showing that no commodity has decreased
in value as much as railway freight rates
have been lowered.
In the last report of the National Board of
Trade, which is a non-partisan body of
business men, there may be found table
devoted to railway traffic tariffs since 1865
The table averages the rates on thirteen of
the principal roads, and the results OBJ
tanned are upon the basis of the rate for
carrying one ton one mile. In 1865 the
rate per ton per mile was 3.0S cents; in
1870, Isl cents; in 1875, 1.36 cents; in $780,
1.01 cents; in 1895, O.S3 cent; in 1890, 0. II
cent; in 1898, 0.76 cent. In 1865 freight
rates were over cents for hauling
ton a mile, and now they are practically
three-quarteTs of cent for the same num-
Der of pounds and distance.
1t is not honest of Mr.. Bryan to try to
set the farmers against the railways by
such gross perversion of facts, the more so
because not many farmers try to post
themselves concerning changes in railway
traffic tariffs. A man who would DELHI
erately distort facts for his own political
gain is hardly tit man to trust with the
affairs of the people. If Mr.. Bryan is
ignorant of the great reductions in freight
rates in recent years all the more does he
prove himself demagogue by talking
learnedly about things he has no knowl-
edge of. 1t is very clear that he is dis
honest or ignorant.
He also tells his farmer audiences that
"Our opponents are trying to throw upon
providence the faults of your condition.
Ii the farmer complains he is not making
much on his potato crop they tell him it
is due to the potato bug. II he is not
making much out of his corn they tell
him it is due to the chinch bug. If he
is not making much out of his wheat they
tell him it is due to the army worm. But
let me tell you the gold bug is destroying
more crops than all of them"
It is hard to understand how an honest
man would employ such language, but it
is easy enough to understand how one
who was trying to inaugurate war
of classes would try to make it appear
that ''goId bugs" as Mr.. Bryan calls all
who are opposed to silver monometallism,
are more hurtful to the farmer than po-
tato bugs or chinch bugs, for if such talk
means anything it means that farmers
should no more hesitate to kill "gold
bug" than they would to kill potato bug
or chinch bug.
We are not willing to believe that the
people will take kindly to Mr.. Bryan's eff
| forts to inaugurate a civil war We do
not believe Mr.. Bryan reflects the senti-
ments of any considerable number of his
own party, but it is the fact that he has
the sympathy and backing of those who
would dominate his administration. and
consequently the people may be assured
that 1t will be his aim to put his un-Amer-
lean theories Ill practical operation If he is
elected. 1t is unfortunate for the peace
and dignity of the country that it should
be confronted by an effort TO create feel
ings of hatred in the hearts of the people
the one hating the other-for it will end
in political and social chaos unless the
people rise up in the majesty of their
sovereignty and forbid il.
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