The record-union., 1896-08-19

| qucuCS lIldy nave Deen Teuuceu, lWO
things for which he stands remain un-
| altered.
On this platform he defends the most
revolutionary plank of the Chicago
Convention in speech less vehement but
not less earnest than that in which he
supported their adoption On this plat
form he defended the Populistic pro-
/ gramme of overthrowing the integrity
of the Supreme Court. (Applause) If
there be any fruit which has grown for
the benefit of all mankind out of the es-
/ tabllshment of our republic it has been
| the demonstration that it is possible by
| the organization of an independent tri-
| bunal to safeguard the rights of every
| citizen and protect those natural privi-
leges against any invasion from what
ever source, or however powerful might
| be the antagoniZing elements. Gap
| plauSe)
| 'The very existence of that power pre-
| supposes the existence of an independ-
ent tribunal. Yet we have this Populis-
tic convention, because a Populist meas
ure was condemned as unconstitutional,
proposing not to amend the Constitution
in the ordinary way prescribed by that
instrument itself, but proposing to
| pack the court, to reorganiZe it Che used
the language of the platform itself, so
that it will pronounce those laws to be
constitutional which the Constitution
itself condemns; proposal to make the
| courts of law instruments of lawless-
ness; to violate that sacred pact be-
tween the States on which the security
of this Nation rests; to profane the tenn
| pie erected for its protection by the
hands of false priests, who, though
sworn to defend it, will be appointed to
destroy it. Great applause)
I'm the time to which I must confine
myself tonight I can do nothing but
examine that one question which Mr..
| Bryan himself declares to be the over
! shadowing issue of this campaign. l
am a little puzzled when 1 read this
| speech to decide just what Mr.. Bryan
| ina gineS will be the fruit of change
| in the standard of value throughout
this country. do not believe that any
man can follow wholly with the speech,
because if he dissents from one set of
conclusions he has got to read but a
| few paragraphs and he will find an
| other of a different variety.
! But l assume that it is fair In a dis
cussion of this character, independently
of what Mr.. Bryan may say or what Mr..
| Bryan may think himself he stands for,
| to examine the inevitable economic
effects of a debasement of the coinage,
of a change in the standard by which
existing debts are to be measured in a
baser measure of value. Now 1 will
! imagine that Mr. Bryan himself may
believe that in some way or other he is
ha fnil of hic n
try. He says he is, but declines to show
us how. daughter and applause.) For
my part 1 am willing to state here that
| if Mr.. Bryan could show me that by any
means known to Heaven or known to
earth, any means revealed to the COM
prehension of man that wages could be
increased, will be ready to support him
here and now. Great applause and
cheers)
Il do not make this statement
through any pretense of special affec-
tion for the man who works with his
hands. Such a pretense in political
canvass would merely insult and dis
credit the intelligence to which it is ad-
dressed. (Applause.) l repeat that I
would support any measure calculated
to increase the rate of wages, because
know of no test of prosperity absolute
ly infallible except the rate of wages
paid to laborers (Applause) Where
the rate of wages is high there must be
prosperity. Where the rate of wages is
low there must be distress.
IF, then, Mr.. Bryan can show me that
by the enforcement of any portion of
his programme wages will be increased
in this country l will not only support
him. but | will recognize him as the wis
est orator that ever opened his mouth
on a platform since the beginning of
the world daughter) I will be ready
to confess that the rhetoric which / do
not understand is really the language
of inspiration. Uaughter) 1 would
regard his administration of the Presi-
dency as the kindling of a great light
before the footsteps of man, showing
him broad pathway to endless happi-
ness and measureless prosperity. But
in searching through his speech, in
reading through whole reams of Popu-
listic literature with which this coun-
try has been flooded for four years,
have never yet yet found one syllable
W hich showed me how Populist ex-
pected to increase the rate of wages.
daughter and applause.)
When we come to find out just how
Mr.. Bryan expects to increase the
wages of labor we find ourselves lost
in a maze of contradiction and in
haze of obscure expressions. No man
can tell how or when the wages Of work
ingmen are to be increased; but anyone
who examines the scheme can see that
the inevitable tendency, the inevitable
consequence of a debasement in the
standard of value must be a reduction
in the raN of wages-and that is the
conspiracy in which the Populist is
engaged. Applause) Mr.. Bryan tells
us that he wants to cheaper the dollar;
that he wants to increase the volume
of money.
Nothing is more common in Populist
oratory than the statement that the
volume of currency must be increased
for the benefit of the people-which
means that part of the people that runs
and manages and addresses Populist
meetings. daughter and applause
Nothing is more common than the
statement that money and property are
Identical They are not. A redundancy
of money does not prove any prosper
ity. There may be very large volume
Of circulating medium, and very great
poverty The issue of paper money sim
ply is no more an increase of wealth
than the issue by an individual of his
promissory note would show an in
crease of his property" (Applause.)
Continuing these illustrations at some
length, Mr.. Cochran continued: Money
never can circulate freely and actively
unless there be absolute confidence in
its value (Applause.) If a man doubts