Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-09-14

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struggle and the world would stagnate.
our opponents went about doing just
what Mr.. Bryan is endeavoring to do
today, that is, to stir up one section of
the people against the others. While
ACKNOWLEDGING to the workingmen that
the Republican policy of protection had
gwen them SOLID prosperity they prom
lSed them unprecedented good times un-
der the policy of free trade. The people. in
an unfortunate hour, gave up the good
| which they already enjoyed; they
reached for that which was promised
them: they found it like the tabled
apples upon the Dead Sea shore. beam
| tful to the sight, but ashes to the touch
| and taste. We have now been three
and half years living upon the Fruits
| of free trade, or a tariff for revanue
only, which is the only practical FREQ
trade on the globe. How do you like if >
| Who of you has fattened upon itp
| What avocation in the land has afforded
better profits to the employer or hatto,.
wages to the workman than they ra-
ceived under Republican protectiono
Then your mills We're running on fun
| time, your mines were worked, every
| industry was active, the merchant sold
| his goods and the farmer his product at
| a fair price. and employment was Seek
| ing labor and offering a fair reward for
| its toll.
| Today labor is idle, our mills are shut
down. our manufacturers are running
their factories without profit. the farmer
is finding a poor market for what he
raises, ana loss. ruin and suffering is
on every hand.
The same policy of free trade which
| has devastated our industries has
starved the government of its revenues.
and the nation is forced to live by Dor
rowing
Now, what is the wise course to pur-
sue? To try new experiment. to try
| the free silver policy al the urgency of
our opponents, as we so foolishly tried
free trade. or return to the policy and
party which gave unprecedented pros
perity for nearly a generation?
This is the question which we have to
settle next Monday, so far as our good
state is concerned. That we shall vote
by an oVerW helming ma iority to return
TO the policy and party which raised
our people to the highest mark of prog
ress and national welfare that any
country has ever reached. | entertain |
no shadow of doubt 1t is because the |
Republican party has regarded the earn |
ing power of the American people to be |
the prime consideration. and has ad- |
hcred TO a protective policy calculated |
to enc hanco Our earning power. that it's |
y years of ascendancy in the nation |
was marked by our country's growth |
the nations of the earth to a degree
that has been the wonder of mankind |
We know that We have but two sources
of wealth. the resources of the country |
and its labor, which. applied to its re-
sources. converts them into available
property for the use of man And a
policy which causes our labor to be en-
ployed to develop our own resources
keep our money at home to be paid to
our own people, instead of sending it
abroad to buy what we should produce,
can alone cause our people to give such
and at the same time do much to pre-
vent a shrinkage in our circulating
currency.
But our opponents have raised the
question of the free coinage of silver at
the rate of Is ounces of silver to / of
gold. when the real ratio is 81 to l. This.
or some other subterfuge. becomes nee
essary to them. They did not dare to
go to the country upon the fearful
record which they have made since they
came into control of the governments
ON their record they knew they had
been condemned by the people. who
were waiting only till they could re-
cord their verdict in November next
But do not fail to realize the fact that
if we take free silver. we must take
free trade with it.
Mr.. Bryan is as arrant a free trader
as he is Il free silver man. He was
member of the committee on ways ana
means which formulated the Wilson
bill. He voted for that bill both in the
committee and in Congress- He made
speech for it. most bitterly denounc-
ing protection, and threatened that they
would not cease their warfare upon il
until they had swept the last Vestige of
protection to American Industries from
the statute books of the nation. Now
they seek to treat the people as
mother treats her child when she
wishes it to take little pill. She
sugar coats it. They gave us the pill
of free trade in 1892 1t has phySicked
the wealth from the nation, the money
from your pockets. a market from the
farmers, employment from labor, and
yet they hope to make you take il
again for the next four years by dis
guising it with a coating of free silver
But the same old poisonous pill is in ;
side, and viii You be so easily deceived
into taking a second dose of it, If you
do. what will be your condition at the
end of another administration, judging
from the effect of the present one?
And fail not to remember, too that it
is sought to be administered by the
same set of quack doctors who gave us
free trade in 1892.
But our opponents declare that n |
great crime was committed against sill
Yer by its alleged decentralization i'm
1913. What is the truth about that?
The first decentralization of silver was
by Thomas jefferson in 1906 We hear
nothing about that from our opponents s
In 1879 the silver dollarof 12i% grains