The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-10-21
he blessings q profitable trade before

the blessings Of profitable trade before
the Christmastide comes around.
The Morning Journal" that uncom-
promising organ of silverism. made the
free confession only the day before yes
terday that, if Bryan was elected, all
values would instantly undergo a drop of
20 per cent. On the other hand, If Nc
Kinley be the winner. it said, they would
Immediately go up 10 per cent.
To go no further than this, we ask
the w-orkingnan which thing does he want
"a drop of 20 per cent or an increase OF
10? Out Of which viii work and pay pro-
coed? Which affords him the better pros
pect Of a livelihood? We appeal to his
ordinary common sense. 1t is not a
question which calls for any deep thought
or scientific knowledge of finance.
Silver or gold, It matters not which is
On top. the workingman can only get
money by working for it. He cannot work
unless some one win employ him, and no
one will employ him who has not the
money TO pay lin. Then is his chance
of getting work better when the employ
ing element is impoverished or when it is
enriched?
Can common sense hesitate eve for q
as to the answer to these ques-
tons?
But, the siiverites say, the panic will
pass away and then work will become
plentiful.
It is true the panic, properly so called,
VIII pass away. Things win in the course
of weeks. or months. or years, readjust
and bloodshed may intervene-or they may
not-it must be admitted that the panic
will sooner or later cease. But with the
passage Of the panic, will the depression
pass away? If It does, it viii belle all
history of the country for many years.
1t is within the recollection of a majority
Of living voters that the -onsequenc
of the panic of 1873 were felt until 1878.
and that it was only in 1879 that business
really revived. If there should be a drop
in values of 20 per cent. on November A,
next, even if the resulting panic should
extend to an entire readjustment of
values on the basis of silver's commercial
value-as we contend it would-still the
effects of that drop would take years to
efface. The loss would not be regained, to
Judge from previous analogies, earlier than
the year 1906. even If then. Is it after
such a lapse OF time as this tina the
are to look for employment
If so, It is rather a will-o'-the-wisp sort
Of promise Mr.. Bryan is holding out.
Vote for me-" he says, .'and let us have
panic" The rich will be the heaviest
losers and times will be good for the
poor-in 1901
But what is there in the free coinage
Of silver to make work more plentiful,
anyway? If the silver dollar is to be a
full value dollar, as good as gold, how is
it to alter prevailing conditions? obvi-
ously, it cannot It will be just as hard
to get, and people will be just as loath
to part with 1t as in the case of gold. If
it is to be more freely circulated, it must
be because it is a cheaper dollar. If it
is to give more employment to labor, it
must be because it makes labor come
to the employer.
Is this what -workingmen want? Are
they willing to take more work at the
of taking it on cheaper terms?
Be the reduction 10 per cent. or so per
viii be 90 per cent.-is the work.
ingman prepared to accept it on the
mere expectation that work will be a
little more plentiful?
What do Mckinley and Palmer and the
of gold offer them on the con-
trary? They promise thai the revival of
confidence will so stimulate business as
to create a demand for labor. The law
of supply and demand will therefore
make labor dearer. More dollars will be
paid for a weeks work; and every dollar
will be a full value dollar, gold or as
good as gold.
Now. which do the ~workingmen want?
W-ALsH-MNULTY.