The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-09-28


probabilities are he would not have
done this. The fact that he owns prop
erty in a territory which would for a
| time at least experience benefits from
free silver does not justify the conclu-
| sion that he now deliberately advocates
| the election of Bryan from selfish mo-
tives. On the contrary, he is undoubt-
edly sincere and imagines himself dis
interested as well. But the little cir
cumstance of his having years ago gone
west to Denver instead Of east to New
York or Boston, or north to Philadel-
phia, Cleveland or Chicago has quite
certainly biased his opinions. whether
| he realizes 1t or not.
We are led to make the few Observa-
| tions by sight of a piece of campaign
| literature which Mr.. Walker has pub
| lished in aid of Bryan. 1t consists Of
| a cartoon showing by means OF pro-
portionate human figures that whereas
| there are 100000 farmers, 100000 me-
| chanics, 100000 men engaged in trans
portation, 100000 domestic servants
and 100000 miners In the United States,
| there are only $4,000 bankers and brok-
ers and 1000 millionaires. The import
| of this cartoon is enforced by the fol-
| lowing words addressed to the work
| ingman: Let him call the rolls Of
I the trusts or the rolls of those who
| have bought or sold legislation. in or
| der that special interests might be
| benefited. Let him call the rolls Of
those who have controlled financial leg
| islation, so as to cause eleven great
| business men of the country have fall
en- in bankruptcy. Let him call the roll
of those who would have money issued
| by bankers instead Of by the govern
ment, the purpose being to divert the
| interest paid by the people from the
national treasury to their own pockets
| Let him call the roll of those who have
| fought labor unions with words and
with bullets. Let him call the rolls of
| those who have hired Pinkerton police
| in defiance of the laws of their country
Let him call these names, and to
| each name will come the answer Here,
| and each time the answer will come
| from a man who is a leader in this
| one army. Which army? do not need
| 10 answer. Let the workingman him
| self answer"
One would not like to accuse a man
| of Mr.. Walkers standing of being a
! demagogue, but his campaign leaflet
| comes pretty close to answering dema-
| gogism's description. What bearing
have the facts which he cites upon the
question at issue? Would free coinage
| abolish banks. close up brokers' offices.
end bankruptcy, beat down opposition
| to labor unions. or put an end to the
| Pinkerton detective agency? Would it
terminate poverty, abolish coveteous-
ness, do away with human greed or re-
ture upon millennial principles? Has
| it done any of these things in any coun-
| try where the free coinage of silver al
| ready prevails? Has it done so in
Mexico, in South America, in China or
japan? If not. why try to excite the
| false expectation that it would do so in
| the United States? Is this honest argu-
| ment? Is it the kind of campaigning
which is safe and wholesome in it's ten
| dencies? Docs it tend to establish
| business security and promote a wise
observance of law and order?
| Unquestionably it is true that a great
majority of the bankers, the brokers,
and the capitalists of miscellaneous de-
| gree are opposed to Bryan and in favor
of sound money. But why? For the
same reason that intelligent working
men are also opposed to him-namely.
because they don't want a business
| revolution. Some of these capitalists
are scamps. but not all. Some are
cheats and frauds, who are constantly
Oh the lookout for chances to do the
community; but the changing by the
country of its monetary standard
would not transform their natures nor
| render them oowerless to work future
mischief That being true, is it not
grossly dishonest on the part of men
, like Mr.. Walker to put before weak
and excitable minds statements calcu-
| lated to lead to deceptive conclusions? :?
Is 1t not low and unscrupulous form
of campaigning. which deserves the re-
buke of all voters capable of appreciat-
ing the dangers to good government
| involved in it?