Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-08-14

asserting that tho convention at chi
cago was a Democratic convention
that its platform is a Democratic plat
form. AS MI. Bryan, only last March
stated in q public speech. ~ am not T.
Democrat" perhaps his definition w
Democracy Is at least no better than
the definition Of those Who have long
fought its battles, through good ana
evil report, ana who now object "a be-
ing crucihed Oh gold or silver crosses
or being i1bbed into bramble bushes
But MIR. Bryan should b. careful Ht
admits that all along he has consid-
erred the monetary condition IF iii
country in greater need Of relief than
/the tariff condition. that he held this
view four years ago. H. must hav,
forgotten that four years ago this
Democratic party declared the pro-
tcctive tariff to be the "culminatiue
atrocity." Ana Yet. all the while, Bry
an knew the eliminating atrocity was
something else.
But when it comes to assumption.
Mr.. Bryan appeared perfectly at home.
He assumed that free coinage at 16 to ]
in this country alone will bring about
bimctallism; he takes from Mr.
Blaine's famous speech on that sub.
jcct enough to show that Mr.. Blaine
was a himetallist. He then concludes
and states in effect, that Mr. Elain,
would approve of the first premise.
Has Mr. Bryan read that speech? II
he has he knows that it was one Of tho
strongest arguments against his kind
OF free coinage that could he made:
that Mr. Blaine argued that free coin
age at the ratio of 16 to l in 1873. whcl
the silver in a dollar was worth 4,
cents more than it is now. would not
give us bimctallism but would bring
on all the disaster of silver monomctaI
lism. If he has read that speech. anC
if he has not he is wofully ignorant fo
a statesman. he knows that he CAV,
an utterly. contemptibly false impress
sion of Mr.. Blaine's position But thi.
is not all he stopped to in that address.
He goes on assuming false premises
Webster defines a premise as "a prop
osition anteccdently supposed OF
proved" He evidently supposed them
for arguments sake. but not single
one of them has been proved or is sus-
ceptiblc of proof. For instance, he as
sumes that the currency has con
tracted and paints dolorous conclu-
sion therefrom: when he knows, on
ought to know, that since 1873 the cur
rency has expanded more than one
third. He assumes the premise that
free silver would be for the we'll being
of the toiling masses, on which he con-
cludes the we'll being of civilization de
Ponds. But he does not show how So
cent dollars would be for the wen be
ing of the toiling masses, although he
tries 10 ny dHOlHcf 1aISc premise, ana
consequently wrong conclusion. when
he says in substance that the need of
free silver is lessening employment.
and consequently he would make the
money cheap enough 50 employers
could employ their help all the time
for the same as they pay them now
part of the time. But he does not
show that there weren't dull times be-
fore 1873; he does not show that there
is any more lack of employment in pro-
portion to the size of the country now
than there used to be; he does not
show that the .toiling masses are not
living better today, having more of
the luxuries of life as well as more of
the necessities of life than they were
during times of depression before 1873.
lie cannot. He does not show how II
could be that the prosperous times of
1892 were due to that ''cuiminatinp
atrocity.' d protective tariff, and that