The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-09-06


DECEPTIVE APPEAL.
1 must confess, of all the deceptive
appeals resorted to by the silver ora
tors, that addressed to the wage-earn-
ers seems to me the most heartless and
damnable. And of all the instances of
reckless credulity we witness, that of
wage earners who actually permit
themselves to be persuaded that free
silver coinage will be a. blessing to
them is the most fncomprehensible and
the saddest. There Is something pathe-
tic IN their delusion. OF all things
human labor is the one that has dur
ing the last fifty years in this country
largely and almost steadily risen in
price. Average wages have nearly dou-
bled since 1S40 and have risen more
than go per cent since 1860 The steady
rise has been owing partly to organic
alton, In greater part to the larger ave-
rage productiveness of human labor in
connection with machinery-in one
word, to the progress of civilization.
AS civilization has served to multiply
ana cheaper labor's products, 1t has
at the same time served to enhance
iabor's earnings 1t has thus secured
to the iaborfng man, especially in this
republic, double advantage; a greater
number Of dollars by way of wages,
and for every dollar more of the things
which the laboring man has to buy for
the necessities and enjoyments of him
self and his family
This is one of the greatest achieve
mentS of our age, at which every true
friend of humanity will heartily re-
'Jotce, but which more than all others
the workfngman himself should appre-
ciate. That the workingman should be
called upon, by the exercise Of their
right to vote, to aid In despoiling them
selves of this combined blessing, looks
like a satanic mockery. And when we
see pretended labor leaders Join the
silver-nline mfllionaires, the silver pol
itieianS, and the nebulous silver phil
osophers in an effort to seduce the
workingmen into an act of self-des-
truction so supremely foolish, there is
good reason for warning these Of
treason in their camp. If there is any
body in the wide world who should
fight to the last gasp for money of
true value that does not lie to him, and
who should curse and Spurn, as his
worst enemy the dema gogues seeking
to beguile him with deceitful currency
juggles, it is the man who earns his
bread by the sweat of his brow. This
is emphatically the wage-earner's bat
tie Alas for him if he should desert
his own cause!
The silver orators pretend that they
have the toiling masses greatly at
heart and that free coinage is to be in
troduced mainly for their benefit.
How do they take care Of the toiling
masses IN this case? BY bringing us
down upon the silver basis they simply
cut down the thousands of millions of
invested savings of the poor people to
to about fifty cents on the dollar And
for whose benefit is this done? For
the benefit of the debtors of these poor
DGOnlP oil
on the dollar. And who are they?
Aside from the United States, and the
states and municipalities, those debt
ors are railroad and other corporations
and more or less rich men, whom our
silver friends profess to abflor very
much as belonging to the money pow
er. Thus will the silver standard
bleed the poor creditor for the benefit
of the rich debtor. May not the toll
ing masses pray heaven to deliver them
of the free coinage friends?
1t is not my habit to boast Of a warm
heart for the poor and suffering. But
my sympathy is no less sincere be-
cause do not carry my love and solicit
tude for the common people constantly
at my tongues end. If there be those
who are satisfied with everything that
exists, am not one of them. There
are few, If any, who abflor that which
detest the arrogance of wealth more
heartily than I do. I know. also, that
the industrial developments of our time
have brought hardship to some classes
or people which only the more saga
cIOus, active, and energetic among,
them have been able to counterbaIarlce
prof1tably with its benefits. There are
laws and practices which, had I. the
power, l would promptly change, in
the interest OF common Justice and
equity. But because l am so minded,
l must oppose to the utmost a policy
which, l am convinced, will imneasur-
ably aggregate existing evils 1 also
know full well that a large majority
OF those who support free coinage are
ho:-est and well-meaning citizens
wishing to do right But because I
know this, my blood stirs with indig-
nation when I see the INSCRIPTIONS ef-
FORTS made to goad them on to their
destruction. l have witnessed in nv
long life ten presidential campaigns.
but never one in which the appeals to
prejudice, passion and cupidity were
so reckless and the speculation upon
assumed popular ignorance or rascal
fty so audacious and wicked. Some of
the silver orators actually speak. as IL
they believed the American people to
be born fools or knaves, or both.
MR.. BRYAN'S CASE.
Mr.. Bryan is certainly remarkable
man, being still SO young. I wonder
how he found time to accumulate so
enormous store of INSTRUMENTATION,
ana to develop so mature an ineapac-
ity for understanding this subject. T
say this in all seriousness, compelled
by my respect for the exalted office
to which Mr.. Bryan aspires Consid-
ering that for years the discussion of
these questions has been mis- only
business, and that he has remained so
entirely unacquainted with the most
rudimentary of economic principles and
with the most conspicuous of business
experience. we must conclude that he
not only does not know, but is unable
to learn Imagine such ignorance cou-
pied with such assurance clothed with
great power. Imagine him, as presi-
dent of the United States, parading
such childish absurdities in his mes
sage! 1t would make us the laughing
stock Of the world, and every self
respecting American would hang his
head in shame.
But more. Resorting to that cheap
est of all hackneyed tricks of dema-
gogy, the excitement Of American
feeling against England in particular
and Europe in general, they tell US
that, like conquered race" we are
paying tribute" to the foreigner
What has Europe done to ''subJugate'
US? Nothing, absolutely nothing, but
lend us money. She did not force her
| money upon US, but lent it when we
asked for 1t and were glad to receive
| it. She lent US money when we needed
it to maintain the Union and were in
dire distress. She lent us money when
we wished 1t TO develop the resources
Of our new country. and now what does
Europe ask for? Nothing but what we
promised to pay when we took what