Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1896-10-01


he spends little effort in trying t
prove that free silver would not bene
fiji the mine owner. but maintains tina
the present standard i, for the sole adj
vantage Of the Belmonts and Morgans
lie works largely on the passions
and preiudices. lie claims TO have
c poused the cause of the people. Iii
effort is to show how badly of he al
leges the common people TO be under
the gold standard, how it profits only
the rich. This done, he PUSHES his AIT
dience to his conclusions by one Of
those striking periods that he is easily
master of. Having tainted the peo-
( pie with what he claims to be their
misfortunes, having pictured the mon
ey holders in the blacklist co,ors, he
takes a step or two forward, raises
himself maiestically and with broad
sweep Of his arms hurls invectiye up
on them in the name Of the people
until his powerful voice is drowned
in the wild hurrah of an excited
throng.
We presume this Brooklyn address
was a typical one. The audience was
made up Of the middle and lower
classes, il such terms can be used with
out exciting our Populistic friends.
There were few men OF refinement
present. intellectually seemed to be
at discount. Prosperous-looking,
well-ordered citizens were not there
in large numbers The long-haired
and whiskered gentry were out in
ce,though all were not long haired.
The common workingmen were fully
represented. There was also a liberal
sprinkling from the slums 1t was an
enthusiastic audience and howled it.
self hoarse dozens OF times. Ii need
ed only such speech as Bryan's TO
produce such an effect. The audi
ence was on terms OF familiarity with
the speaker from the start. Such re-
marks as "Billy. you're a peach :"
Give it to en-" "Soak en-" were
frequent Instead OF troubling Bryan,
this rather pleased him and lac smiled
benign'y.
And yet, with all his unsurpassed
gifts OF oratory. Bryan is not con-
vincing speaker to the sober citizen
seeking after the truth. His sophis-
tries are TOO apparent, his reasoning
too transparent, ibis venecring too thin
to carry conviction 10 the unpreiu- |
diced, well balanced, well informed /
mind. In place Of the final argument [
that would clinch his case, he substi-
mtes a flight Of eloquence and after
the cheering has subsidized the hearer /.
finds himsclfstill cropping in the dark. (
Bryan alleges that the country is on
the brink OF ruin because Of the gold .
standard, though the discovery Is very /
recent on his part for only four years .
ago il was the tarilrthat was to blame.
Now the tariff Is so unimportant as 10 (
be beneath his notice.
In tile West Bryan breaches the
benefits of cheaper dollar such as
free silver would bring but in the East
he tells us that as a matter of fact free
coinage would raise the price of silver
so that we should have no cheaper dol
lars than at present, though he insin-
yates that somehow. they would be
easier to getr-iust how he doesn't ex-
plain.
He falsely assumes chat the present
money standard is 10 blame for the
heavy bond tissues, from which the
home and foreign banking syndicates
have proiited 50 incrdinately. The
lefcit-producing tariff is the cause.
md Bryan Is toe smart man not TO
know it. lie is therefore dishonest in
MS logic. Instead of the Republicans
being responsible for the advantage
gained by these syndicates. it is the
Democratic party that should be
brought TO account. The Republican
party never issued bonds in time of
lcece.
Such points as these Mr.. Bryan dis
reetly avoids. Perhaps it is wise that
le does SO from his point of view. The !
more ignorant of his hearers NAV not
discover the fatal weakness in his ar
nor If he fails to point it out.
Ii is our honestsopinion that Mr.
Bryan will get more votes for the
residency than any other man whom
he Democratic party could have nom-
mated. He Is inst fitted TO-, ,l,s...1 n