The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-10-05

any which could be found in any city of
the world: piles of merchandise were on
iheir counters; they were brilliantly
counters dealing out wares to active pur-
cnasers. Do you suppose that one of these
places would have been erected. that one
or these great structures of trade would
have been founded. would have grown and
prospered, II any one man in that store
suspected the honesty Of the measures by
winch the wares were measured, either IN
weight or in length? DO you suppose If
there was the slightest doubt as to the
honesty by which every contract between
the purchaser and seller was to be kept
that any man could prosper In such an
atmosphere of distrust?
The history of this country proves con-
clusively that the whole Bryan mystifca-
Applause) 1t needed but exa animation to
show what a tawdry empty, senseless
have boiled it down to its last analysis, and
We find it's proposal is to the laborer to i'm
prove his condition by reducing his wages.
(Laughter.) That is what it is. Bryan's
own language justifies that statement. i
am attributing to him no words except
what he has uttered. And, consequently,
the farmer is to benefit by this reduction
in the rates of wages, he says to the la
borer. You can do business in two differ
ent coins, selling for a good coin. paying
debts in a bod one. And all this proceeds
upon the assumption that such a state of
affairs is compatible with the existence of
civilized society. There is where the Popu-
list loses his bearings; there is where the
fOpulSt QecelyeS himself. He issues an
appeal TO cupidity. He thinks when he
asks a farmer to repudiate his debts he
asks the farmer to 90 something he will
want to do himself, and there he misun-
derstands the character of the American
citizen. whether he works in the field or
whether he works in the store. applause
Wherever an American citizen is found.
without exception. We are pretty sure to
md an honest man. Applause) And an
appeal to dishonesty and dishonor cannot
nnd favor with the citizens of q country
who have created such a history as that
OF which we boast. (Applause)
BRYAN BLOWS o AND COLD.
MY friends, let us examine this matter a
little further. Let us consider the whole
Of this Populist programme as it has been
expounded by Mr.. Bryan. When we chal-
lenge him with the assertion that his pro-
gramme is a programme Of dishonesty he
says all he wants to do is to remonetize
silver. He talks about the dollar of our
fathers. He talks about bimetallism; ana
TIE more he talks about it the more clearly
he shows that he understands nothing
whatever of it. I don't think any man
could give a more complete refutation of
Mr. Bryan's theories upon that than he
furnishes himself. Follow his speeches and
you will invariably find that one speech is
a omplete REPUTATION Of a position assumed
In another, or. rather. one part of his
precedes it or follows 1t. When he talks
about the accommodating of silver and says
1t Is simply using silver in our currency he
IA I lit ddtottCH. , III
the same breath he will declare the cur
rency was contracted by the demonetiza-
ton of silver, when a moment before he
bafd the coin was at a premium and there
fore could not possibly have formed any
part of the circulation whatever. When you
ask him whether it is honest to settle d
debt contracted in a dollar worth 100 cents
With d dollar worth 50 cents he evades the
question. TIL question Is as to change OF
standard of value and to force a settlement
of existing debts upon a debaSed standard.
Applause,3 If, as | have said, the State
nj Indiana GhauId change rha nJlmhfr nf
inches in a yard measure and the change
were made applicable to future contracts
1t would concern the majority of US very
little. But if I had paid $40 for ten yards
of cloth under the existing standard, and
lature of Indiana should say that hereafter
the yard measure should consist of eighteen
inches and existing contracts should. be
measure, / would be cheated of half the
cloth for which | have paid. 1t is a change
in the standard while contracts are pend
ing and undischarged. and the charge made
applicable to these undischarged contracts,
that we protest against as an act of dis
seems plain and self-evidenl Mr.. Bryan
says the silver in a dollar will be worth
he says. 4 believe it. (Laughter.) Any
man who is working to-day for, say, 81 "a
day, will be paid in good dollars, and when
the laborer asks how he will know that the
81 paid under silver coinage will be worth
as much as the money he receives now he
tells him he believes it, and you can take
his belief home with you,. and if there
should be a. difference between the purchas-
ing power of the new dollar and the pur-
you can take his belief home with you and
feed upon it and grow fat. daughter and
spplause.)
You will find out when the Pbpulist
starts out upon his scheme of benefcence
and reform to enrich the farmer that the
man whom he robs is the helpless laborer
who has no commodity but his toll to offer
In the market. tApplause.)
NO FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE.
al Az +la fLa dow 4 thinI ~ r,o
this morning. in the Cincinnati Enquirer a
telegram from Mr.. Bryan in which he said:
The meeting last night in Cincinnati con-
WINGED me that the people were aroused to
the necessity of establishing the financial
independence of the United States And
wherever ne has talked we have heard him
hold forth upon the necessity of adopting
an American financial policy. But when he
speaks of the financial independence of the
United States he is talking pure bimetal-
ism. and that means pure nonsense. There
cannot be complete financial independence
of the United States so long as the United
States trades with foreign countries. We
are dependent upon foreign countries to
give our ships dock room when they enter
foreign ports. We are dependent upon
foreign countries to receive our consulS AID
oaths so that trade can be carried on with
them. We cannot be independent of coun-
tries with which we trade any more than
independent of his customers or his Gus
toners independent of him. The whole eS-
sence of trade depends upon the inter
change of commodities. The welfare of my
customers, If / be in business. deeply con-
Germs me, as my welfare will concern the
men from whom I buy. If Mr.. Bryan by
financial independence means financial
domination. then / can understand him and
1 am prepared to discuss his programme
with him. Anything like a debasement of
the coinage, SO far as it concerns main
tanning the financial independence of the
United States. will absolutely blight the
prospects of the American conquest of the
industrial world. which every American
cherishes In his heart. (Applause.)
Prior to 1886 England was not a great
financial power as she is to-day; she was
not as important in a commercial way as
France was. Prior to 1856 the coinage of
almost every country was brought into con-
fusion by the practice of the kings and
monarchs taking part of the metal out of
each coin when it was brought to the mint.
This is the origin of the word seigniorage.
Senior means lord, and when the metal was
brought he would tax out a portion as
his royalty. Some kings took more. some
took less. but generally more. daughter
Whenever a man got hold of q good coin
he took a piece out of it. and so on till it
reached such a degree of debasement that
no one could know what was meant by q
shilling. Commerce was finally at u stand
still. distress entered upon the country.
and as usual there was an agitation such
as We have in this country. And ii was
claimed that England would make herself
the richest country iii the world by simply