Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-08-26

have not been exceptions to the rule.
I do not mean to say that you have
not found among the masses. at all
times those who are ready to betray
those who toiled with them if they
could see some chance Of personal
elevation.
"Nor do I mean to say that those
who have got beyond the ranks of the
common people are entirely unmind-
full of the claims of brotherhood upon
them. But say as general rule
that the common people here and
everywhere have been the support
and the only great support of every
measure of reform. [Applause.]
Again:
"You know that if the worlds crop
next year of a certain article is very
much greater than the crop this year,
that article will fall in price; if the
crop is much smaller than this year,
the article will rise in price. You
know that the law of supply and de-
mand reaches and controls money, as
we'll as other forms of property. 1t
reaches and controls all sorts of prop
erty.
Increase the amount of money
more rapidly than the demand for
money increases, and you lower the
value of dollar decrease the euanti-
ty of money while the demand for it
increases and you increase the value
of a dollar. When you understand
that you understand the essence of
the money question. When you un-
derstand that, you understand what
its effect is on you; and then you can
tell where your interest lies. When
you understand that principle, then
you understand why the great cru
sade in favor of the gold standard
finds its home among the holders of
fixed investments, who, by such legis-
lation, raise the value of the property
which they hold.
II am not giving you my authority
for it I can quote authority which
our opponents dare not question. I
have called attention, and shall con-
tinue to call attention to remark
made by Mr.. Blaine in congress on
this subject.
"He said that the destruction of sill
yer as money and the establishing of
gold as the sole unit of value must
have ruinous effect upon all forms of
property, except those investments
which yield fixed return in money |;
that these would be enormously en-
hanced in value and would gain dis
proportionate and unfair advantage
over every other species of property.
[Great applause.
"There is statement that no man
who has respect for his reputation will
dare to dispute that the establishing of
gold as the sole unit of value through
out the world and the destruction of
silver as standard money means that
you shall destroy the value of all
property except money and invest
ments that call for q fixed amount of
money.
n \
"I have known some Of our oppo-
nents to use this sort of argument:
Why, they say, if the free coinage of
silver makes silver dollar equal to a
gold dollar it will be just as hard to get
silver dollar as it is to get gold dol
lar. Do you know what they over
look? They overlook the fact that
when we bring silver into competition
with gold and increase the supply of
standard money that, while silver
dollar will be worth as much as a gold
dollar, it will be easier to obtain, with
the products of toll, silver dollar or
gold dollar than it is today. Ap-
plause.
"Our complaint is that the same hos
tile legislation which has destroyed
the demand for silver and driven
down the price of silver when meas
ured by gold, has also increased the
demand for gold and driven up the
price of gold when measured by 9th
er forms of property, and that the
opening of our mints to the free and
unlimited coinage of silver will oper-
ale to bring more money into circu-
lation, and thus lessen the strain that
has existed for gold, and that by in
creasing the demand for silver we
bring silver up until silver and gold
melt at the ratio now fixed by law,
and a silver dollar and gold dollar
will be of the same, value here and
all over the world" Applause.
Although the crowd was for the
most part friendly, in it were few
Republicans. One of these was an
aggressive fellow who sought to throw
damper on the meeting. Just as
Mr.. Bryan made a point that stirred
the crowd to enthusiastic applause,
the Republican broke in with:
care You a Democrat ?"
II think the principles I represent
are Democratic" replied Mr.. Bryan,
resuming his argument. But the man
was not satisfied and repeated his
question:
care you Democrat ?"
Mr.. Bryan looked straight at the
man and there was fash in his eye.
His voice took higher, clearer note,
30 that it could be heard on the far
outskirts of the crowd. 81 call my
self that" he said, with an upward
gesture. "You may call me any
name you please. You cannot swerve
me from what I believe to be for the
good of the people,"
The crowd was delighted with the
answer, and there was whirlwind of
applause. It had been the object of
the uuestioner to raise discord. He
hing his head and skunk away un-