The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-30
FARMERS AND NINE OWNERS.

1T Is very plain that Mr.. Bryan is not
! dealing fairly with his own followers His
opponents have long since abandoned ali
| hope of fair treatment from him But a
| man ought to be fair with his disciples
| At any rate, he ought to make an effort
| to be honest with them The men whose
! interests Mr.. Bryan has taken under his
special charge are the farmers He has
discovered that they suffer from many af-
fictions and entitled to peculiar con-
| sderation. They are the only men who
rave escaped the flashing of his vituper tive
tongue. The men who manage large en-
terprlses are grasping tyrants and those
who work for them are pusillanimous
slaves. Only the farmers are truly good.
and they are dreadfullv afflicted They
should be favored by the government. He
would make the wage Garner in the cities
pay so a barrel for his flour in order to
give the farmer a better price for his
wheat.
Nevertheless. his mode of helping the
farmers is an extremely circuitous one 1t
lacks directness and it does not sauarely
meet their case. While he processes that
their interests are paramount with him.
they occupy a secondary place in his plan
FOR their improvement. He proposes TO in
crease the price of wheat by increasing the
price of silver. The price of wheat is to be
increased as one of the results of an in
crease in the price of silver. An increase
in the price of wheat is wholly contingent
upon the increased price of silver The
farmers are invited to vote directly for an
increase in the price of silver and trust
the future for an increase in the
price. of their wheat. If you will double
the price of silver by making it wort,.
sl29 an ounce, he says to them, the
price of wheat will be doubled after
wards: but you must vote first for doubling
the price of silver and make sure of it be-
fore anything is done about tie wheat.
1t really looks as if the silver mine own
ers had warmer place in the affections
of Mr.. Bryan than the farm ers and we are
forcibly reminded by his proposition to
them of a game of bunko which is said
to be played in those parts of our cities that
are never visited by them and with which,
they are, therefore, personally unacquaint-
ed. Silver and wheat are both commodi-
ties, and what may be done by legislation
or administrative policy, for of them
may be done for the other. If the market
value of silver can be doubled by its pass
age through the minis of the government
there is no reason why the market value of
v heat should not be doubled by its passage
through the hoppers which might be pro-
vided by the government for it, If the
mere act of coinage and the stamp of the
sc vernment the silver of the mine owns
dc so much for him. the government,
can certainly do as much for the farmer
by grinding his wheat and putting its stem
ell plate on his barrels of flour II can also
bale his hay for him and put all the rest of
ltis products in marketable condition, ana,
by inscribing upon them it's certificate OF
their weight and quality, dc utle their value
in the markets everywhere. Instead of the
opening of new minis for the free coinage
of silver, Mr.. Bryan ought, therefore, to
be advocating the opening of government.
Touring mills for the free grinding of
wheat, if he really believes that something
fair to them to propose that they shah
make a feast for the rnire owners and wait
for the second table to stay their own appe-
tites. 1t is cruel when the mine owners
are already we'll fed and acco- ding to Mr..
BRYAN the farmers are furnishing.