The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1896-10-23
FROM BRYAN'S HOME.
Political Notes and Observations
from the Popocrat Candi-
dates Own City.

question. Mr.. Bryan mas seen 1t "
tell his audiences over and over again
that the business men of the country are
against free silver partly because they
don't know anything about the question
and partly because they are dishonest
In this Mr.. Bryan misleads his folloW-
ers and misrepresents the business men.
It may be true that what is called free
silver agitation started first among the
farmers rather than among the business
men, but later the business men have
read the free-silver literature, have read
both sides of the question, until at the
present time the business men OF the
nation are thoroughly informed from a
business standpoint and from nonpar-
tisan standpoint on the money question.
It is probably true that the politicians
that oppose silver are moved by prejudice
and self-interest to certain degree just
as the politicians who favor free silver
are moved by self-interest to certain
degree; but the business men. the men
who are managing the business concerns
of the country, the bankers, and the
hnanciers have made it a part of their
business to read up on the money ques,
tiou to become thoroughly Informed. and
they have passed upon the question from
a business and not from a political stand
point. Mr.. Bryan. recognizing the NOR
al force of the business judgment OF the
country and knowing that this business
Judgment condemns free coinage as a
dangerous thing. seeks to dlscredit the
business mind of the country by denounc-
ing it as ignorant and dishonest on the
money question. Mr.. Bryan processes
to desire a restoration of the industries
of this country. At the same time he
denounces the business men of the coun-
try and proposes plan which he knows
they are afraid of.
The threat of free trade in the cam
paign of 80 and in the election of 80,
frightened the business mind of the coun-
try, first into distrust and doubt and then
into a panic. the effect of which is still
ON. The question above all others at
this time is how to remove this business
depression from the business mind. Mr..
Bryan says that free coinage will revive
the industries. but at the same time he
admits that the business mind is against
It and is afraid of it. The effect of this
threat of free coinage is to make every
capitalist hide his money, to make every
banker afraid of investments. to make
every dollar creep into the darkest corner
of the safety vault, and by this process of
money hiding and money boarding which
is now going on all over the United
States, the circulating money of the
country is disappearing from active use
faster than all the government mints
could coin new money if they were now
under free coinage law.
Laboring men are crowding around
Mr.. Bryan to hear his speeches and
many of them appear to be pleased
with what he says He talks kindly to
the laboring man and his words are as
sweet as honey. But the thinking labor
ing man knows that so long as industry,
that is. the mind force which is man.
aging industry. is afraid of free coinage,
that all plans for the enlargement of in
dustry or the employment of labor are
suspended, pending the discussion of
the money question, and that these plans
viii be taken up and carried into execu-
tion only when the business mind of
the country is assured by the election of
Mckinley that there is to be a sound
business policy i'll the government of this
nation.
George Groot. chairman of the Nation
Al Silver party: speaking at Lincoln.
Neb., on September s, from the steps of
the state capitol building. with Mr.
Bryan sitting near him. denounced the
bankers as the enemies of society and
declared that the fnanciers of Wall
street should be hung to the telegraph
poles. On the evening of September {,
In front of the Hotel Lincoln, in Lin
coin, Neb. lgnatius Donnelly of Min
nesota denounced the bankers and the
hnanciers of this country as the enemies
or the people. enemies of prosperity
and declared that their influence upon
this country ought to be set aside. Now,
what do the followers of Mr.. Bryan ex-
pect to happen to the laboring men and
to the farmers of this country. when
they, by reason of their superior num-
Der, have voted ont the banker and the
business man and have voted in this
new system of finance? What force
viii take the place of this business
mil hon, h.,
When the country has struck down its
present bankers. its present financiers,
Its present business men. its present
managers of Industries and commerce
when the common people by a majority
vote have paralyzed this business power,
what other force will take it's place
and form plans for the employment of
labor. for the. carrying on of commerce
and for the management of all the indus
trial forces which give vitality to the
material body of the nation?
On the afternoon of September in
front OF the state capitol building at
Lincoln, Mr.. Bryan. after deuouncing
the business element of the country he
cause it is against him in this contest.
congratulated himself that the Iaboring
men of the country believed in him and
that enough of the farmers believed in
him that these two elements united in
this election would enable him to sweep
the country in November. This he char
acterizes a victory of the people. because
1t will bring them better times. 1t NAV
be very pleasing to Mr. Bryan when he
looks out into the faces of laboring men
and farmers who applaud such speeches
as this, but what reason have these la
boring men and farmers to expect bet
ter times through the election of Mr..
Bryan, when he himself admits that the
business men of this nation regard his
election as a menace to business and
prosperity? Can you revive business by
doing that which paralyzes the hope and
courage of business men? When the
Industries of the nation revive, there
must be some mind force in the country
to bring it about. There must also be
capitalists who believe in the future and
who are ready to invest money. There
must be banks and these banks must not
only have funds, but they must be will
ing to invest these funds, and they must
believe and have confidence before they
can consent. Mr.. Bryan admits that
they are not consenting now; will they
consent after election?
When Ignatious Donnel1y was de-
nouncing the bankers and the fnancicrs
n tbs enemies Of thar country, In his