Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-10-15


Bryan Bimetallic Club hall at Martins
Ferry to hear James Brettel, a steel
worker at the MingO Steel works and ex-
Vice President of the American Fedora.
ton of Labor, discuss the silver ques-
ton. The meeting was called to order
by w. B. Francis and Ross McGlenn
made chairman. He in few wei chosen
words introduced Mr.. Brettel amidst
applause.
After a few preliminary remarks Mr..
Bret-el entered in upon a sound and
earnest discussion of the great ques-
lion now agitatiug the minds Of the
American people.
l have been advocating this principal
of free coinage of silver for a great
many years and in years gone by have
worked with the Republican party for
ii but they have fooled me so many
times that l have made sure they are
not going TO fool me this time At the
Cochran meeting at Wheeling Mr.. COch-
ran said: If l was walking down the
step up TO me and say, Mr.. Cochran |
can tell you how you can make $500
easy, l would call the police and have
that man arrested as confidence man.
Now Mr.. Cochran is being paid for going
out among the people and imploring
them TO vote the gold standard. think
II Is about time for the people to call
the police for that man is a confidence
man.
When you crush the working men.
EAe producers Of wealth, on which all
BUSINESS rests, then the business is des-
troyed. Agree with him on that. Now
nave always been taught that the Crea-
LOT Is greater than the thing created and
should have power over that created.
But 1t doss not look that way lust at
present and this is the time that we
should all pull together and put things
to rights. ''-''-9'
"A philosopher once said, Show me the
laws OF your country and | will show
you the condition of your people" and
am forced TO believe that the laws of
our country are not justifable and eouaI
among men. Now, to change this. we
VIII nave 10 get at those who make
Jhe laws, and put in those who will work
Ior our interests in the halls of Con-
gress.
Here Mr.. Brettell dwelt for a short
time on the injunction plank in the
Democratic platform and the interest il
would be TO the American workingman.
while the Syndirates and corporations
have more fear of it than of free silver.
Reference was made to the great rail-
road strike in Chicago, and how it could
have been of interest to the striking
l3boring man.
Two years ago | was in Washington.
sent there by the American Federation
OF Labor in regard to the immigration
question. One afternoon l heard a dis
cussiOn as to the cause OF this great
commOtion over the country by the pro-
ducers of wealth. One gentleman. point
ing TO the Capitol, said: That damned
Wilson bill Here Senator Allen. of
Nebraska, introduced me, and | asked
the gentleman how it YVES going to hurt
the country. | asked him what the
price Of steel was here and in England.
and he did not know | told him that
steel per ton IN England was 500 and
here it was SIS. Under the Wilson bill
it was protected by so per ton tariff.
Now, how is that going to hurt the steel
trade in this country?
One thing | hear every day; Mckinley
breaches il and ii makes me tired: that
is, If we can have high tariff good times
will return to us. Look in '93. under the
Mckinley law, at the three straight re-
auctions at the Homestead mills, and
they were not the only ones, either.
Clippings from Pittsburg papers, show
ing the orders for steel rails that have
been shipped byk the Carnegie Com
pany to England, and sold for less there
than they are being sold for here.
These people tell you men when you
ask for more money or will quit work.
they say, why, that is nothing to me.
| can get other men to work in your
place. If / can't get them here, why
our agents over the waters can ship men
over here to us" They preach protec-
ton to you men, but they have a free
trade policy for themselves.
Referring to Bourke Cockran's asser-
ton that a government cannot leg.slate
value TO anything. Mr.. Brettell said if
government creates uCuldLu lOA d
thing. is not value legislated into THAI
article by having a demand for it
created? He also said value cannot be
legislated out of a thing, and if that is
the case how in the world are they going
TO make SO cent dollars out of our
money?
The history of the country's money
ND to 10. when silver was demonetized
and not a man knew anything about it,
except the man that done the dirty
work: when the currency was contracted,
hard times began TO appear and thous-
ands of business men became bankrupt.
Once or twice the coinage of silver was
taken I'D again, and in 1892, when
Cleveland entered upon his term hard
tines began to appear and not many
knew the reason why. l will tell you.
REPRESENTATIVES of the banking houses
GOT together and the currency was again
c Contracted and hard times began 10
ensnn again. The volume OF money Is
- dunn and as il goes down the