The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-10-08
Ns,ter to Open the Mills.

MIR, Bryan. In almost every speech he
makes, propounds the following pro-
found(D proposition:
Our opponents say. "opcn up tho mills
Instead OF tho minis" Yes, my friends,
you can open up the mills ns much ~ yulI
want 10, hut II people can't buy what tho
mills again.
The point Is hardly worthy OF even II
boy orator" llavc not tho people been
able to buy the products Of the mills IN
the good times OF the pnst. for instance
In 1891 and 1899. when we reached our
highest degree of prosperity? Wage
enrners received wages that enabled
them to provide for their wants and the
needs of their famllIes. They bought
more of the farmers products and the
farmers In turn bought moro OF the pro-
ducts OF the mills; capital and labor was
more generally employed. and all under
the gold standard and Mckinley pro,cc-
ton at that.
the American manufacturer had no
trouble selling his products and there
was market, n home market, for crops
1t IL only since the assault on our pro-
tcctire system began, and since the
organs, the Stewards, the Altgelds and
the Tillmans captured great party or
Sanizotlnn and began their most active
assault on our monetary system, that
things have been different. Summing
up the effects OF. the reduction OF the
tariff, contemporary makes this show
Ing, which Is OF equal interest to the
farmer and the mechanic.
When the Wilson law went into effect
cheap forCiSn-madc goods were admitted
into our market to compete with AmCrI-
can products. American mills and fac
tories instantly found that they could
not do business except ut Il loss. Some
OF these establishments shut down en-
tirely: others OF them reduced their work
Ing time or the wages that they paid.
Tho loss to our wage-carncrs was more
than $5O0.O0a.cCO n year. Now, the wage
elrners deprived In this way OF the pur-
chasing power which they had possessed
In the years OF the Mckinley law were
unable to buy ms much as they formerly
mad bought, for the simple reason that
they did not have the money with which
TO buy: therefore the farmer could sell
less OF his products than before, and even
the merchant who was Offering for sale
imported goods which cost him less, per
hars. than formerly could not sell them
rendlly. because American wage-earners,
having !9O,N0.0O n year less TO spend,
were able TO buy just that much less.
therefore. every one In this country suf-
tered from the Wilson lGw-thc manu-.
facturer with the merchant the farmer
with the wage-carner. and every one with
US all.
When Mr.. Bryan, or any other free
silveritc. says that the mills will be
opened by opening the minis to the free
and unlimited coinage OF silver at the
ratio OF l6 to l. he says what cannot pos
sibiy be fact. The mInts will not coin
silver dollars and distribute them free
among the people. Every man who
would get dollar would have to work
for 1t just as he does now.
With the restoration OF confidence and
adequate laws 10 encourage Industry,
the idle money which Is not now In cir
culation will be employed. 1t has been
so In the past and It will be so in the
future. The free coinage OF all the ST.
yer in The world will not open 4 single
mill or factory.
When all the mills are running there Is
plenty OF money. There Is no scarcity
OF 1t now. 1t simply needs an incentive
to bring it into distribution. Mr.. Bryan
has never YET been able to tell how open
Ing the mInts in order that the bullion
owner may have his bullion worth 50
cents stamped dollar is going to make
employment for the Idle wage-workcrs
or increase their wages.
Dollars. especially dIshonorcd dollars,
do not make business. 1t is not the
want OF dollars that - the matter with
this country, 1t Is the want OF work to
earn dollars. The wage earners OF the
country know that under Republican
protection they could get work and they
did not complain. as Mr.. Bryan does.
that the gold standard dollars We have
had all along bought too much.