The herald., 1896-09-11
THEY CHEEREO FOR BRYAN
Until the Efficient Finest Stop.
ped the Fun
THEN POWDERLY TALKED
Expounding His Ideas Of the Free Silver
Doctrine
len POWDERLY TALKED
One Lonely Labor Leader Insists That Pro.
lection Is the Issue, and That
Silver Doesn't Count
Associated Press Special Wire


NEW YORK, Sept. 10.-A mass meet
ing was held in Cooper Union tonight
under the auspices of the campaign
committee of the Mckinley league.
Terence V. Powderly, late master
workman of the knights of Labor, was
the chief speaker, and was followed by
ex-senator Warner Miller. The meet
ing was planned for wage-earners, and
very large audience was present early
and when the speaking began the large
hall was crowded
Several Bryan men were present and
made their presence known by loud
cheers for their candidate. This inter-
ruption was speedily stopped by the
police, after which the program Of the
evening was carried out.
Mr. Powderly said:
Mr.. President and Friends: Did I
believe an apology for my presence on
this platform necessary, l would say
that 1 am here because L believe the
right of the American wage-earner to
receive the highest rate of compensa-
ton for service rendered, and the right
to claim and receive the best kind of
money in exchange for his labor should
not be interfered with.
Mr. Powderly then took up the Chi
cago platform and compared it with
previous platforms of the Democratic
party, saying: 1.-THE Democratic plat
form Of four years back pledged the par
ty entering into power to overthrow the
American system of protection, and with
all his and their power, with all the
influence at his and their command, the
man and party upon which the power
was conferred labored to place the for
eign workingman on higher plane
than his American competitor, and that
platform was anything but meaning
less. Four years ago the pivotal point
around which the Democratic platform
swung was free trade.
When that congress assembled there
was no deficit. The revenue was am
ply sufficient for the needs of the gov
ernment, and there was no income tax
law upon the statute books of the ma
ton. The income tax law was an after
considerations; it was no part of the
Democratic platform of 1892. and was
only thought of when it became mani
fest to it's originators that they had
sawed off the revenue limb on which
they had been sitting, in their mad at
tempt to undo what their Republican
predecessors had so well planned AND
so faithfully executed. To make amends
for a blunder they would perpetrate
crime-and the income tax law was no
less than crime. I may be charged
with opposing one of the cardinal prin-
ciples of the knights of Labor, which
demanded that a graduated income tax
be levied. That section was adopted
by the Knights Of Labor in opposition
to my earnest and emphatic protest.
never believed in 1t, and have always
opposed it.
When congress assembled in 1898
there was no income tax law upon the
statute books. Under the provisions of
such a law no revenue accrued to the
government, and it is unfair as well as
dishonest to charge falling revenue to
something which had no existence when
the agitation for a change in our eco
nomic law began. Does it not appear
inconsistent in the defenders of the Chi
cago platform to assert that they are
opposed TO English rule in America on
the financial question after they have
opened our ports to the products of
English factory and mill? Our chief
competition in the domain of manufac-
ture is England, and he must be an ig-
norant man indeed who will demand the
abolition of our tariff laws and not
know that the gamer by the abolition of
these laws will be England. They tell
us that the manufacturers are robber
barons, and that the tariff which pro-
tects them and those who work for
them is a robber tariff. Well, what of it
If workingmen will not organize, as the
window-glass trade and railroad work.
men are organizing, to unite with en-
ployers in protecting other trades and
callings, they have themselves to blame
for not securing all the advantages of
protection.
The fact that $3.50, ,0OO, 900 worth of ag-
ricultural products was imported to
this country in one year, and that it was
bought and consumed by Americans,
proves most conclusively that, to that
extent at least, the agriculturists of this
country were the losers, and had they
been protected in their industry by a
judicious tariff law, the consumers of
the land would have bought that prod
uct of their hands, instead of that which
came from foreign hands, and that vast
sum of money would be circulating
among the people of the United States,
paying taxes and debts in the United
States instead of enriching the produc-
ers Of foreign lands-the ''robber bar
ons'" of Europe. The farmer is told
that the cause of his ills is because he
has not been blessed with free silver.
But whoever tells him that deceives him
to his own injury. Those who advocate
free silver tell the farmer that 1.-The
crime of '73' is responsible for the ills
he bears.
Since 1873 farming in the United
States has undergone a radica, an al
most total change, and causes other than
the decentralization of silver have COM
bined to cheaper his product.
Mr.. Powderly then compared the work
possible to be done with modern imple-
ments with that under the old methods
and said: "Is 1t any wonder that the