Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1896-10-16
RIGHT OF CONTRACT.
TO BE ABRIDGED BY BRYAN AND HIS
PARTY.

| ~ Dc NDntCSGO o. on nv NV i'iO
PARTY.
Attempt 10 Make Illegal Contracts Pay
able In Gold an Attack Upon Freedom
of Contract Would Hamper Business
and Commerce and Compel Resort to
Antique Methods Of Barter.
The COrdage Trade Journal Of Oct.
discusses a part Of the Chicago platform
which has not thus far received the at
tention which it merits-that part
which proposes to take away the right
of private contract The Journal says
that mo industry Of any size can exist
without the use of contracts, agreements
for the purchase sale, delivery of and
payment for goods. 1t is hardly neces-
sary to point out what this means in
the cordage business
1t then explains how rope manufac-
turers make contracts with brokers, and
brokers with foreign growers Of MANILA
OF sisal. for their raw materials. Hav-
ing made these contracts, they are in a
position to make contracts with large
jobbers and rope dealers: Continuing,
The Journal says:
Contracts are necessary to the sue
cessful transaction n business upon any
scale above that Of tie very small retail
trade, where goods and money pass be-
tween buyer and seller simultaneously.
Mr.. Bryan would, if president give his
approval to laHs which would prohibit
business men from specifying what they
shall sell goods for or what they shall
pay for goods, thus seriously restricting
the right Of contract His first nomina-
tioD-in Chicago-was based upon his
acceptance Of platform which con-
tanned the following plank:
Eve demand that the standard silver dollar
shall be q full legal tender, equally with gold,
for all debts. public and private, and we favor
such legislation as will prevent for the future
the characterization Of any kind Of legal tender
money by private contract.
"His Populstic nomination in ST.
Louis carried with it this plank:
eve demand such legislation as will prevent
the decentralization Of the lawful money Of the
United States by private contract.
Possibly the United States supreme
court will uphold such legislation-it
sustained the validity Of the legal ten
der act-and-what? Mr.. Bryan does
not tell the people whom he'addresses
tridaily. When he gets near the sub
ject, it is only TO say something like
this:
"Whon any one tries to give you an object
lesson with q Mexican dollar, tell him that the
Mexican dollar is not legal tender In this coun-
try, and that our silver dollar is, and under
free coinage win continue to be, and no one
will be allowed to contract against it.-W. J.
Bryan in Newark Sept. g.
"This not only shows the purpose of
the man, but also gives an intelligent
man a very clear conception Of Mr..
Bryan's skill as a logician. If he knew
anything at all about commerce-the |
lifeblood of which he so glibly talks Of
interfering with-he would know that
the execution of his plan would cause |
an instant cessation of commercial ac-
tivity, which would be followed by a
resumption upon a restricted and an
tique basis. Methods which the COM
mercial world discarded generations ago |
would have to be brought into use for |
carrying on business under the cOndi-
tions which the adoption of Mr.. Bryan's
two absurd propositions would Impose.
"Where would the hemp come from
for next years binder Irvine to tie the
farmers wheat? The United States,
where silver dollars worth less than 100
cents would be legal tender, could not
furnish the material All prices now
quoted are for gold. No matter how
much farmers wanted Irvine, when it
was no longer possible to make a con-
tract TO pay gold or its equivalent for
hemp, they would have to go without it
until some cumbersome method Of bar
tering was devised to get around the
law. OF course, in time the hemp would
be secured and the farmers supplied,
but the new way of doing business
would be more costly. In the end the
consumer pays all costs. Hence the
farmers would have TO submit to higher
prices for binder Irvine, as for every
thing else they buy. And yet Mr..
Bryan claims to be the particular friend
Of agriculturistsl
ut is 10 be hoped that the business
men Of the country will carefully con-
slider what the proposed interference
with the right to enter into contract
to pay any kind Of money would result
in and then vote for a candidate for
president who will preserve the freedom
Of commerce. -