Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-08-27

Ntnloh AiAeit IL Il eau tlkt /
teu-,iolar gold piece and ] can defy all
the power of all the governments of this
earth TO take five cents Of valne from ii.
Having earned IL by the sweat Of my
brow. having earned ii By the exercise of
my brain, having earned it by the ex-
change of my commodities, can go TO
the uttermost ends Of the earth, and
wherever present it its value will be un-
questioned and uDchallenged. That gold |
dollar this meeting, the Democratic party, |
the honest masses of this country, with
out distinction of party divisions, demand |
shall be paid to the lahorer when he earns
II, and that no power on earth shall cheat |
him of the sweat of his brow.
1t is perfectly clear that the purpose of |
the Populist is to put up the prices of |
certain commodities. Mr.. Bryans Ian
guage is that he is going to improve the |
conditions of the people of this country. |
| do not suppose he claims he can multi
ply the number of chairs upon this plat
form or upon this floor, although he Inns
shown his capacity to empty them. If he
is going to work any change in the cond-
tons of men, he must increase the ma
terial possession of some part of the com
munity. Now, if he got possession of the
government Tomorrow he would not Gre
att but stHEIt IItUE Oh value pN any tAtT-
| else of governmental power in the world.
| No power yet exercised by tyrant or by
constitutional monarch can cause u bar
rem field to become fruitful. can cause
| two blades of grass to grow where one
| grew before, can bring together the stones
that compose this building and raise them
into stately temple dedicated 10 politi-
| cal discussion. No, ii requires the labor
of man, aud the labor of man alone, to
create wealth. If Mr.. Bryan is going to
enrich somebody, the thing which he
means to bestow on him he must take
from somebody else. Who il to be de-
| spoiled and enriched by this new scheme
of government? "a cry of silver mine
owners My friend, the silver mnc-
owner will get cheated with the rest
A government never can be generous,
| because if it be generous to one it must be
oppressive to another. But his financial
scheme cOnteInplates an increase in the
price Of certain commodities. We are com
ing now pretty close TO the woodpile he
hind which the African is concealed. Now,
if everything in this world or in this coun.
try, including labor, be increased in value
tomorrow in like proportion. not one Of
US would be affected at all. If everything
be Increased ten per cent in value, we
would pay ten per cent in addition for
what we would buy, and get ten per cent
more for what we would sell. and We
would be exactly in the same place we
occupied before. Therefore, il is fair 10
assume that is not the lame and impotent
conclusion which this Populst revolution
contemplates. What, then. is it?
1t is an increase in the price of colnmo-
dities and allowing labor to shift for itself.
| hn fNrtf f.f ia.
and the price of labor be left stationary,
why that means a cutting down of the
rates of wages If instead of dollar
which consists of given quantity of gold
equal to one hundred cents anywhere in
the world with the purchasing power of
, hundred cents, the laborer is to be paid
, in dollars worth fifty cents each, why he
, can only buy half as much with a days
, wages as he buys now. Wage-earnprs.
/, Mr.. Bryan says, know that while gold
, standard raises the purchasing power of
the dollar, it also makes it more difficult
, TO obtain possession of that dollar. They
. know that employment is less permanent,
loss of work more probable and re-employ-
ment less certain. If that means any.
thing, it means that cheap dollar would
, give him more employment, more FIRE.
quent employment, more work and q
r chance to get unemployment after he was
4 discharged. If that means anything, il
a means that if the labOrer is willing ia
n have his wages cut down he will get more
work.
!, But diminution in the rate of wages
, does not increase the scope Of employ.
4 ment. The more abundant the product tho
= higher the wages. There cannot he nm
4 abundant product unless labor is extern
a. sively employed. Mr.. Bryan would hay,
Z you hclieVe that prosperity is advanced b,
r. cheapehin@ the rate of wages. hut the fal
4. III the rate of wages always comes from 4
n narrow production and narrow production
- means there is little demand for labor ir
: the market. When, after the panic nj
!. 1888, the price of labor fell 10 9t cents /
<, day, it was harder 10 obtain work thar
- When the rate of labor was 50. and IN,
q difference between the Populist who seek,
10 cut down the rate of wages and til,
A. democrat who seeks to protect il. is thu
n 'he behbcrat believes that high wage
l. ahh prosperity are synonymous, and tn,
Is iopuiist wants to cut the rate of wage
=, III order that he may tempt the farmer II
/; make war upon his own wOrkingmen.
IT Mr.. Bryan leads the van in saving tbn
80 II Is the creditor he is after In ordc
No that You should understand inst how
N | N"hs' IA 'ht stdlHlhrn OF value enable
le men 10 cheat their creditors. Won have +
5; consider the function which money ploy
Ne III measuring debts. If had paid $40 fo
A. ten yards of cloth to be delivered to m
ID next week, and in the interim the poy
Sc ernment should pass law declaring thu,
It, hereafter the yard measure should cor
slst OF Is inches, and that all rXistin
" contracts should be settled in that sv,
Y TEN of measure, | would be cheated on
In OF half the cloth for which | had mi,
* IT, on the other hand. | owed !; eliot
q merchant for ten yards of cloth, which Ii
lie had delivered TO mt, and which was pa,
es able next week, and in the meantime III
d. government would change the standar
/ of value and cut down the unit of coiI
" Agr onc-half, then I would settle til;
IS debt for So, and the cloth merchant woul
us have been cheated.
Ill Now, the POpulist loves to say that IL
creditor Is a person who Expresses III
oS Western farmer: the creditors of tn
es country are not the bankers, they are n,
p. the so-callca capitalists. they ARE the Il
OF h1rers. aud il is nj the expense al lnbt
ne that this change is made. The lahorrr
We always II creditor for at least one dny
W work, When any man can show me Il Il
y horer who has been paid in advance for
W days work, ] will show him labor,
he who is a debtor. The lnborer by evel
!. law of his being is creditor for mt lea
Nv one days work, and generally n credit,
II for weeks work or two weeks wnr