The morning times., 1896-08-13
It Win Be a Political Boomerang.

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laration would have been made Possibly the silverte
managers attempting force the fight that line.
expecting that labor generally will rally to their sup
port but surely the issue is made the contest will
prove political boomerang that will bring about victory
for sound money without injury to labor, which is
most desirable result In reality there is nothing upon
which to create division between labor and capital
their interests closely welded that it would
be folly for either to attempt to destroy the other
The question be decided next November is whether
the business OF this country is to be transacted
on deprecated or a sound money basis whether
OR not we are to drop to silver monetary standard
For that there be consistent struggle be-
tween labor and capital but the issue is to be made
let which party will be victor and how it to be
done.
The avowed cause for the PRONUNCIATION of this
traordinary order to divide labor and capital political
lines the hold which sverite managers say that cap
tai has the country They alege that under exist
ing circumstances labor prosper and that free
silver alone will improve its condition. Wage
in the United States paid higher wages
independent and prosperous than in any other country
and that alone should demonstrate the unwisdom of
bringing harmful struggle. Mr.. Bryan says
that the grip of capital will be unoosed by the flood of
money that will with free silver because every
will be able to purchase silver bullion and take it
the mnts to be coined when increase of circulation
needed. Inasmuch capital is in control Of the pur-
chase money and labor rule, is not in position
to bay up silver bullion for coming purposes it is diff
cult to see where wage earners would be benefited.
Money itself species of capital and matter what
monetary standard it will always be controlled
by the element the sverites propose to defeat the
polls and the argument of Mr. Bryan and his followers
unreasonable and faacious considered from stand
point of benefit to the masses.
In order arrive at the real result of struggle
the polls between labor and capital let briefly auayze
the situation. The of 1890 gave 16 940 211
the total potential voters. This number has doubtless
been increased but for the sake of fact will adhere to
the report basis for this argument. The
number of heads of families which all of voting
age about 80 per cent of the entire voting popula
tion Forty per of these voters 00O 00O
male adults live in mortgaged homes and subject to-
the influence of capital and matter of sefnterest
would support sound money. The total vote cast in
1892 II $50 274 which gave the Democratic party
plurality of 3e3 6eS. Were it ordinary campaign con
Quoted we-known political principles party lines
could be drawn and the result predicted accordingly
But it is to be contest between capital and labor df
ferent calculations necessary Under a vigorous
leadership and Influenced by passion and prejudice
fourth of the Republican labor vote might be influenced
Join the silver party. In that event
tain how the loss could be counteracted The that
elected President Cleveland in 1892 $3.50 562 Con-
seqEenty the sound money party would be compelled to
least fourth that number from other
achieve at the polls Returning to the
find that the total mortgaged real estate indebtedness
of 1890 Sc O19 67e e85, which represented by
IT. 6e6 separate and distinct mortgages given by nearly
that number of Individuals Controlled by the fear of
panic should adopt debased monetary standard,
of the voters among these mortgages would support
sound money, especially large proportion of the
debt they would become due before free silver pol
icy could be put force and the debtors would be
mercy of both panic and capital The added
sound money party from the business interests
with Democratic employers and supporters of true Dem
ocratic principles would than make up the number
Republican labor voters who espoused the cheap
cause. Therefore it is plain that attempt carry
the election by arraying labor against capital will prove
an acceptable failure.
Before the polls opened next fall there will be
general regret that the financial question brought
into the campaign. A vivid of the distress and
ruin brought by the inevitable panic together with
the folly of exchanging sound financial principles for