Morris tribune., 1896-09-16
souRkE COCHRAN ON BRYAN.
The Eloquent Ex-Congressman Exposes the
Free silver Fraud on Workingmen.

The Eloquent Ex-Congressman Exposes the
Free Silver Fraud on Workingmen.
In his great speech in Madison Square
Garden, New York city, ex. Congress
man Bourke Cochran said in reply to
Presidential Candidate Bryan:
II everything in this world or in this
country, including labor, be increased
IN value tomorrow in like proportion,
not one of us would be affected at ALL
II that was Mr., Bryan's scheme, he
would never nave a Populist nomination
to give him Importance in the eyes of
this community. If that were all that
he meant, he would not be supporting
1t, and / would not be taking the trou-
bic to oppose it. If everything in the
world be increased 10 per cent in value,
why, we would pay 10 per cent in addi-
ton for what we would buy and get 10
per cent more for what we would SELL
What, then, is it? 1t is an increase in
the price of commodities and allowing
labor to shift for itself IF the price of
commodities be increased and the price
of labor be left stationary that means
cutting down of the rate of wages.
If, instead of dollar which consists of
a given quantity of gold equal to hun
dred cents anywhere in the world, with
the purchasing power of a hundred
cents, the laborer is to be paid in dol
lars worth so cents each, he can only
buy half as much with days wages as
he buys now. If the value of this Popu-
list scheme, then, is to be tested, let the
laboring men of this country ask Mr.
Bryan and his Populist friends simple
common, everyday question, Where
do / come in:''
Mr.. Bryan himself has glimmering
idea of where the laborer will come in,
or, rather, of where he will go out
There is one paragraph in his speech
which-whether it was the result of an
unconscious stumbling into caDdor or
whether it was a contribution made in
the stress of logical discussion am ut
terly unable to say-that throws a food
of light upon the whole purpose underly-
ing this Populist agitation. Wage earn
ers, 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 the
dollar. They know that employment is
less permanent, loss of work more prob
able and unemployment less certain.
If that means anything, it means
that cheap dollar would give him
more employment, more frequent en-
more work and a chance to
get re employment after he was dis
charged. If that means anything in the
world to a sane man, it means that if |
the laborer is willing to have his wages
cut down he will get more work.
If it were true that reduction in the !
rate Of wages would increase the chance
Bryan for telling the truth, because,
however unpalatabIe the truth may be,
I conceive it the duty of any man who
attempts to address his fellow citizens
never to shrink from a statement Of the
whole truth, whatever may be the con-
to himself. But, as matter
of fact, a diminution in the rate of wages
does not increase the scope of employ
ment.
There cannot be an abundant product
unless labor is extensively employed.
You cannot have high wages unless
there is an extensive production in ev-
cry department of industry, and that is
why I claim that wages are the one
sole test of country's condition-that
nigh wages mean abundant protection,
and abundance necessarily means pros
oerity. Mr.. Bryan, On the other hand,
would have you believe that prosperity
is advanced by cheapening the rate of
wages, but the fall in the rate of wages
always Comes from a narrow produc-
ion. and narrow production means
here is little demand for labor, in the
market. When, after the panic of 1878,
he price of labor fell to 90 cents day,
t was harder to obtain work than when
he rate of labor was So, and the differ
'nce between the Populist, who seeks
10 cut.d0wn the rate of wages, and the
Democrat, who seeks to protect it, is
hat the Democrat believes that high
wages and prosperity are synonymous,
md the Populist wants to cut the rate
# wages in order that he may tempt
he farmer to make war upon his own