The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-10-01
Mr. Bryan So Characterizes the
Gold Standard.
His Speech Was at Hartinsburg
West Virginia.
THE TEETER BOARD.
He Uses 1t to illustrate Dear
er Dollar.
When Price of Money Rises
Products Decrease.


Cumberland. Nd, Oct. At Martins
burg. Mr.. Bryan said in part:
i announce to you that a foreign
financial policy has not only invaded
our country, but has gained a foothold
mere, and great national Jarty, the
Republican party, has declared that
foreign policy shall remain here until
foreigners themselves shall consent to
Its retirement. Great applause-)
The gold standard idea is an i'm
ported idea, (Applause) and, my friends,
II you attempt to restrain it by a high
tariff or a lower tariff 1 shall be con
tent This contest upon which we are
entered is not a temporary fight. Some
Of our Democratic friends who have
worked with US in the past tell us that
IN this campaign they will either work
with the Republicans or stop half way
between our ranks and the Republicans
until they summon enough courage
TO go the other half and declare them
serves republicans. (ApplauSe-)l want
them to go understanding that they go
never TO return until they come back
in sstckcloth and ashes. Great applause)
II these men who have gained their
prominence through the hOnors given
them by the Democratic party have an
idea that they can withdraw in the
face Of the enemy and then be invited
back to take command they are mis-
taken. (Applause.)
This is not temporary disa greement
Those who leave the Democratic party,
leave Democracy and can never excuse
themselves hereafter. Great applause.)
My friends, the very man who is intel
hgent is presumed to know that which
IS the natural and logical consequence
of his own act. In this campaign, when
on the one side are arrayed the great
common people and on the other side
all those trusts and combinations and
syndicates which prey upon the peo-
pie, there is no middle ground. Those
who are not with US are against us, and
my friends, l want to say TO you that
no matter how distinguished a Demo
crat may be the party is better OFF
without those who believe in Republi-
can1sm. (Great applause)
You have here a farming commuuni-
ty. understand that many of those
who are gathered here earn their living
by the cultivation of the soil. I believe
now what Mr.. Mckinley said six years
ago but has forgotten in the six years
which have elapsed since that time.
(ApplauSe.) Six years ago, after we
had had 80 years of his kind of tariff
policy, he stated, in his report which
accompanied the Mckinley bill. that
agriculture was depressed and that
without prosperity among the farmers
there could be no prosperity among the
people. fGreat apDlause.) That de
preston of six years ago has continued
in spite of high tariff or low tariff and
must continue in spite of any kind of
tariff legislation, as long as the dollar
goes up and the farmers products go
down. (Applause.)
Our opponents are inclined to dis
pute the ability Of the people generally
to understand the money question. The
money question is not a complicated
| question. The money question can be
solved by the application to 1t, of the
PRINCIPLES which are familiar to every
man who does business. The money
/ question is simple When we We're
young we used to play upon the teeter
/ board, and even in our childhood days
we knew enough to know that when
one end Of the teeter board went VI. the
1 other end went down, (Applause) and
yet our hnanciers are not as wise in
4 their discussion Of the money question
as they We're when they were children
and played upon the teeter board. CAP
/ plause.) Because they seem to think
! that you can make money dear and still
4 have good times. You cannot do it.
/ The dearer you make money. the lower
you make prices generally and falling
/ prices make hard times. Now when
i the teeter board IS changing ard when
4 one end IS UP and the other down, you
/ can understand how it is that those
i who own money rejoice when it goes
/ up. But my friends, if those who own
money and profit by its rise like to see
I money rise, why don't they tell US that
4 they want gol1 standard that is good
for them and not play the hypocrite
and pretend they want it because it is
] good for the rest of the people.
IF you want dollars dearer than they
are now you can have them by making
| dollars scarcer than they are now, if
/ dollars could be much scarcer than
! they are now. (Applause.) If there
/ is any Republican farmer here who
/ feels that when he sells his oats for 10
/ cents a bushel. he is getting too much
for them. all he has got to do is to vote
| the Republican ticket and keep gold go
| ing up, and after a while he will not
/ be troubled with spending more than
/ cents. (Applause) If 10 cents today
| buys a bushei OF oats, 5 cents will buy
| Q bushel when you make money twice
| as dear as 1t is. and when the time
1 comes when a man does not want to be
| annoyed with spending as much as 5
| cents as the proceeds of the sale of a
| bushel of oats. he can keep on voting
| the Republican ticket until the amount
/ is so little that it will not trouble him
at all. (Applause)
IF there are any Republicans in this
| audience I want them to consider just
one proposition. If our big Democrats
are willing to leave the party in order
to advance their pecuniary interests,
why will not a Republican farmer or
| Republican laborer OF Republican bust
ness man leave the Republican party
in order to protect his home, his family
and posterity from the distress conse-
quent to a foreign financial policy
wild applause and cheering.) Just
ask those Republicans why it is that
the Republican who ignores the vel