The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-02
THE ORIGINAL HOY ORATOR.

The Hon. VIM. ]. Bryan, Popocratic cam
didate for President, was first introduced
to the acquaintance of the American people
as the Boy Orator of the Platte. Previous
to his introduction in this capacity he had
served a term in Congress and done some
work on an obscure Omaha paper. but was
practically unknown. The speech by which
he nominated himself at Chicago was his
first introduction in the arena of national
politics. Since his nomination he has trav-
eled extensively, made a great many
speeches and shown an evident anxiety to
maintain his reputation as an orator.
Whatever the popular verdict on this point
may be, it cannot be claimed that he is the
original boy orator. He is a follower and
imitator of COINS Financial School"
When the author of that book of fallacies
and falsehoods set out to misinform and
mislead the people on the money question
he assumed the guise of a boy lecturer.
Professor Coin was represented as a boy
who COMPOUNDED all the financial and
monetary experts by the extent of his
knowledge and the force of his arguments
on the money question. Mr.. Bryan draws
all his wisdom and inspiration and most
Of his arguments from Coins book. In all
his speeches there is scarcely a point that
is not made by the boy professor.
Mr.. Bryan constantly appeals to Americans
to declare their independence of British
domination in finance. Coin says:
This was in 1892. in the days of Washing
ton and Jefferson and our revolutionary
aprei AT fnfim wh nc k nad = haere ef 6 6f Edn as,sna
on this country. They had fought eight
long years for their independence from Brit
lSh domination in this country, and when
they had seen the last red-coat leave our
shores they settled down to establish a
first things they cid was to make 314
grains of silver the unit of values.
Mr.. Bryan says something very much
like this in nearly every speech he makes.
Another favorite assertion of his, repeated
many times, is that the free coinage Of sill
Yer, by creating a demand for it, will bring
the price of silver bullion to the old stand
ard. Coin says:
All commercial values are regulated by
supply and demand. The commercial value
of any commodity depends on supply and
demand. When the minis of the world are
thrown open and the governments saw: we
will take all the gold and silver that
comes an unlimited demand is estab-
and a limited supply there is nothing to
stop the commercial value of the two met
ais going up in the market except. etc.
Mr.. Bryan has repeated this argument re-
peatedly, and in almost the exact Language.
Coin says: You do not enrich the people
of the silver States one cent by the remon-
citation of silver" Bryan says: BY re-
monetizing Silver you only restore what
was destroyed by demonetizing it" Coin
says: BY the reconciliation of silver you
make it possible for the debtor to pay his
debts" Bryan said in his speech at Pitts
burg: Sixteen to one means this: That if
you owe a debt you can go into the market
and buy silver and have it coined and use
that silver to pay your debts" Bryan says
if you restrict the volume of money you re-
strict the value of property. Coin says: IF
the quantity of money is large, the total
value of the property of the world will be
correspondingly large las expressed in dol
lars or money units. If the quantity of
money is small, the total value of the prop
-erty of the world will be corre%spondingly
by Bryan. Many other examples might be
cited of identity of views between the au-
thor of the Financial School and the free
silver candidate. 1t is evident that the
original Boy Orator was Professor Conn.,
and that Mr.. Bryan got his financial ideas
from Coins book.