The Oskaloosa herald., 1896-12-31
Mr.. BRYAN'S VIEWS.
The Democratic Leader Talks %
Nebraska Travelling Men
REVIEWS THE BUSINESS SITUATION.
He Quotes Freely from the Dun OOmner-
cial Agency Reports, and Declares rs
pablieans Have Failed to Keep
Their Promises OF Relief.

Lincoln, Neb., Dec. 29.-The large din.
ing-room of the Lincoln hotel was taste
fully decorated Monday night when
the It's invited guests of the Lincoln
Travelling Mems Bryan club sat down
to q banquet which was given in honor
of William j. Bryan. In addition to
the address delivered by Mr.. Bryan,
Gov. Holcomb, Senator w. ". Allen and
other prominent men of the state spoke.
In introducing Mr.. Bryan, Toastmaster
Hitchcock proposed the following toast:
"0ur candidate that was, our leader that
is, and our president that is to be, Will
liam jennings Bryan, of the United
States" In responding to the toast, Mr..
Bryan said:
Mr. Bryan's Speech.
81 am so glad to nave the travelling men
interested in bimetallism, because they are
always able to defend any position taken
and are travelling missionaries In behel OF
any cause which they espouse I expect
them to be OF great service during the
next four years In presenting the merits of
free coinage to the business men Of the
country. The travelling men are In q posi-
ton to measure the promises made by the
republican party with the fulfllment Of
those promisee-in other words they are
prepared to compare the goods delivered
since the election with the samples shown
during the campaign. The public was told
that republican success would restore oon-
fdence and that confidence was the onIy
thing lacking.
Quotes from Dun's Report.
ain Dun's review of November Z, We find
these words: a great revolution has been
effected this week in the conditions which
control business. 1t could not be In any
fair degree reflected, as yet, In transactions
or In records, but there is ample evidence
already nat a crushing weight has been
lifted and rolled away. and the business
world has begun to adjust itself to g state
of freedom and security which It has not
known for years. Dread of immeasurabIe
disaster no longer locks up and
paralyzes industry and new contracts in
volving many millions ave become bind
ing since the election The following week
the same review says: NC one now doubts
that the brighter day Is oawning and 1t Is
common remark hat never before has bust
ness shown so great q change for the bet
ter within q single week On the following
week the review starts out with the state
ment: The gain In volume of business
continues entirely without precedent
Confidence or Prosperity Not Restored.
by the fourth week disappointment be-
gan to manifest itself and / find, according
to Dun's report, that five of the eight re.
ports since the election show an increase Of
weekly failures over the corresponding
weeks of last year. For the eight weeks
since the election the reports show 75 bust
ness failures more than for the correspond
ing eight weeks of 1896. / call attention to
these figures because they show either that
confidence has not yet been restored or
that confidence, II restored, has not re-
stored prosperity. Every failure among
the wholesale houses means a loss Of en-
ployment to travelling men and every fail
ure among retail establishments the
loss of a customer.
"Bimetallists have contended that hard
lime are due mainly to the rise In the pur-
chasing power of money. They have con-
tended that prosperity must begin with
the farmer and lahorer and afterwards
reach the commercial classes. The repub-
Leans have promised to restore normal
conditions without increasing the volume
Of currency. What they may do hereafter
remains to be seen, but 1t IL evident that
they have thus far failed to bring relief to
tina MANILA