The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1896-09-03


This idea that the volume of money reg
ulates prices is simply an antiquated su-
perstition, but on account of the effort
made to deceive farmers with it, requires
some attention. IF the proposition were
true, then prices could never decrease, be-
cause every year sees more money added
to the total volume of money, than the
year before. Now, whether you assume
that prices are determined by the total
amount of gold and silver, or whether
you concede the popocratic claim that sill
yer is not g primary money" and admit
that prices are based on gold a1one-still
the fact remains that every year sees an
enormous increase of gold coin. So, if
the "basis for determining prices is
steadily increased, how on earth can
prices ever become lower any year than
they were the year before
If this absurd hallucination were true,
that prices are estimated by the amount
of primary money in existence. and
not by the amount that is going to be
used IN the business. then the popocratic
wheat-buyer could snap his fingers at
Rothschild and all the other .s sShylock !"
demons, for his countless millions now
"locket up" could be used for t" estimat-
ing" Just the same. and prices would go
up in spite of " enemies of the people" :"
The fact is, the quantity of money cnts
little or no figure in determining the
price of an article, but the quality of the
money does, and it is for this reason, and
this alone that the tendency of free COIN
age of silver would be to increase prices.
Men with articles to sell would increase
their selling price in proportion to the
decreasing value of the money they took
their pay in, and there would be no profit
in it to any body.
And, next to the wage-earner, the
farmer would be the last man to realize
even that delusive "rise in prices" for
the reason that now, when he goes to the
store with butter and eggs. the merchant
fixes the price on the butter and eggs and
also on the shoes and cloth. the farmer
buys. This system never will be changed,
and the farmer would be virtually as help
less as the wage-earner to " fix prices I"
on anything.
It may be they will have to try to be
satisfied, but / still have an abiding faith
that the farmers of the country will vote
for Mckinley, protection and sound
money.
But everything cannot be said in one
speech. am opposed to the free coinage
of silver by our country alone because
am bimeta1ist, favoring the use of both
gold and silver among the common
people at an equal purchasing power
with each other, and no free coinage
country on earth has such system; we
have it now, and l believe in letting
we'll enough alone. am opposed to the
free coinage of silver for the further rea-
son that have been hard workingman
all my life, and SO far as can see, there
is no prospect for any change in my yoca-
ton. My sympathies and associations
are all with the 1aboring classes, and l
see by study and observation that where
tta crown of thorns is pressed down upon
the brow of labor it is always pressed
harder and more hopelessly where there
is free coinage of silver or free trade.
Mr.. Bryan stands for these and advo-
Gates a system that would speedily Cruz
city labor, not, perhaps, on cross of
gold, but what would be infinitely worse,
on cross of deprecated silver, worth
only so cents on the dollar.
am in favor of the election of Major
Mckinley because he represents the
great principle of protection to American
industries, and the upbuilding of Ameri-
can markets.
favor his election because he is typi-
cal American statesman, who is safe,
sound and d-ttfied, while his opponent is
unsafe, unsound and untfied
During all my life have been a riisslrn-
Der of the republican party, and at no
time in its history have felt myself un-
der stronger obligations to yield to it
whatever support Il can command, be-
cause in no previous campaign has it so
fully represented the best thought and
aspirations of those of our people who
constitute the foundation of American
enterprise and industry.
Z Deeming the reasons have given good
and sufficient and capable of being main
tanned and defended before any audience
in the United States, / take pride in EN-
phasizing my allegiance to the republic
can party.
/ believe the Endorsement of the prin-
ciples laid down in the Chicago platform
and the election of its candidates would
be industrial and financial suicide. With
the history of mankind protesting in
earnest eloquence, it would be burlesque
on craftsmanship, an outrage on logic
and a travesty on common sense. 1t
would be unfair, unjust, unnecessary, un-
justifable and unpatriotic, and may the
Lord have mercy on the souls of the
thoughtless men who, with the history
of their own and other countries to guide
them, persist in voting blindly and arbi-
trarily to perpetuate and aggravate the
depression which even now threatens to
engulf themselves and their fellow-citi-
zens.
"The Republican party stands
for honest money and the chance
to earn it.
WILLIAM MCKINLEY.