The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-09-29
TO THE woRKrNcmEN VINO HEARD

We understand that there were num-
te, OF men who toll with tbeir hands
and at the expenditure OF sweat from
the broy for their income, who laid down
their tools snd took a recess from work
in order 10 see and TO hear BILLY BRYAN
yesterday.
We suppose that in many cases the time
thus taken was taken at some cost TO
them but we are prepared to believe that
Whatever the loss ty deduction from
their wages II was time well speut.
They saw a iaqn who was we'll worth see
ting and IL they had any delusion as to
the virutes of the free silver doctrine we
should think that what they heard
would have undeceived them and that Is
of distinct advantage to them. The OK
pense OF that half days. wage may have
so influenced them as to decide them t.
contribute their votes to save themselves
and their fellow citizens from loss OF
90 per cent. In the purchasing power OF
their money all the year round, which,
had they not seen and heard the advocate
of high prices and cheap money, they
might perhaps have voted for.
For the advocate OF poverty money
and luxury prices omitted entirely TO tell
hs
teneiited directly or indirectly by the
free and unlimited coinage OF silver at
the ratio of 10 10 ]. He omitted to do
this, perhaps, for a hundred reasons but
as one OF the reasons is that he couldn't
do it, the others are not worth mention
ing. lie presented to their consideration
an explanation of free and unlimited
silver in which the words 'coinage
valuep and "bullion value" were fire.
quently spoken, but these are familiar
distractions that had little to do with
the case. "if any OF you held silver
bullion" supposed BILLY BRYAN,
''would you sell IL to anybody for half
the market price and let the purchaser
make the pront?" And then answering
his own question the orator declared with
yehemenoe "of course notl' indeed,
''of course notl And yet again, "of
course notW But what interest had the
thousands crowded there on Exchange
Place III silver bullion? Did any OF them
have any silver bullion in thoir pockets?
Or do they ever expect to have any to sell
at half the market price or double tie
market price? What earthly interest was
silver bullion to anybody In the audience?
"if any OF ycu hold silver bullion, "for-
soothi Who of US ever expects to hold any
silver bullion
"Hurrah for Nebraska" cried some
lody in the audience. "Hurrah fer
Colorado" would have hoen more to the
point. Bu, how about Rhode Island?
BILLY BRYAN spoke more TO ihe/ Iur-
pose, however, when he said: "This is
question whether the people have a right
to govern themselves, or whether these
great corporations and trusts own this
Government and have a right to use it,
To rlunder 1t and every body else to en-
rich themselve'." That is exactly the
qu stion. We do not know anything
about great corporations and trusts that
may al present cwn this Govsrnment, but
IL there are any such we say, down with
'eml We do know, howe er, that the silver
mining corporations and the silver trust.
representing We don't know how many
millions upon millions Of dollars, of
which billy BRYAN Is the aut thorized
spokesman, is conducting national
campaign under he name OF great poll
tical party for The sole and single pur,
pcse of owning this Government and us
ing t"to plunder it aud erybody else
TO enrich themselves" And we have no
doubt that many OF tho Rhode Islanders
in that big Exchange Place aud will
vote to confound the outrageous plot and
sgainst the man that is the instrument
OF II.