The Green Forest tribune., 1896-11-05
BOURKE COCHRAN ON BRYAN.

the Free Silver Fraud On W orking men.
In his greats 'ch in Madison Square
Garden, New York city, ex-Congressman
Beurke Cochran said in reply to Presi-
Dental Candidate Bryan:
If everything in this world or in this
country. including labor, be increased
in value tomorrow in like proportion,
rot one of us would be affected at all
If that was Mr.. Dryan's scheme, he
would never have a populist nomination
to give him Importance in the eyes Of
this community. It that were all that
he meant, he would not be supporting
it, aud would not be taking the trouble
to oppose it. If everything in the world
be increased ten per cent. in value, why,
we would pay ten per cent. in addition
for what we would buy and get ten per
cent. more for what we would sell.
What, then, is it9 It is an increase IN
the price Of commodities and allowing
labor to shift for itself. If the price Of
commodities be increased and the price
Of labor be left stationary that means
cutting down Of the rate of wages. 1t.
instead of q dollar which consists OF
given quantity of gold equal to 100
cents anywhere in the world, with the
purchasing power of 100 cents. the Ia
borer is to be paid in dollars worth so
cents each, he can only buy half as much
with days wages as he buys now. II
the value of the populist scheme, then,
is to be tested, let the laboring men OF
this country ask Mr.. Bryan and his
populist friends simple, common,
everyday questions where do come
imp
Mr.. Bryan himself has glimmering
idea OF where the laborer will come in,
or, rather, Of where he will go out.
There Is one paragraph in his speech
which-whether it was the result Of an
unconscious stumbling into candor or
whether it was contribution made In
the stress of logical discussion am ut
terly unable to say-that throws food
of light upon the whole purpose under
lying this populist agitation. Wage
earners, Mr.. Bryan says, know that
while a gold standard raises the pur-
chasing power of the dollar it also
malces 1t more difficult to obtain pos
session of the dollar. They know that
employment Is less permanent, loss Of
work more probable and unemployment
less certain.
If that means anything. it means
that cheap dollar would give him
more employment, more frequent en-
ployment, more work and o chance to
get unemployment after he was dis
charged. If that means anything in the
world to a sane man, 1t means that II
the laborer is willing to have his wages
cut down he will get more work.
If 1t were true that reduction IN the
rate Of wages would increase the chance
of employment, I would not blame Mr..
Bryan for telling the truth, because,
however unpalatable the truth may be,
l conceive it the duty of any man who
attempts to address his fe1low-citizens
never to shrink from statement of the
whole truth, whatever may be the con-
sequences to himself. But, as matter
of fact, q diminution in the rate OF
wages does not increase the scope Of en-
ployment.
There cannot be an abundant product
unless labor is extensively employed.
You cannot have high wages unless
there is an extensive production in
every department Of industry, and that
is why I claim that wages are the one
sole test OF a country's condition-that
high wages mean an abundant protec-
ton, and abundance necessarily means
prosperity. Mr.. Bryan, on the other
hand, would have you believe that pros
perity is advanced by cheapening the
rate of wages, but the fall in the rate of
wages always comes from q narrow
production. ard narrow production
means there is little demand for labor
in TIE market. When. after the panic
of 1874, the price OF labor fell to 30
cents day, it was harder to obtain
work han when the rate of labor was
two det.ars, and the difference between
the ropul.st, who seelzs TO cut down the
rate Of wages. end the democrat, who
seeks 10 protect it, is tilat the democrat
believes that high wages ard prosperity
are svnoryulous. and the populist wants
to cut the rate Of wa ges in order that he
may tempt the farmer to make war
upon his own werkingInen.
Property ana Industry.
Property is the fruit of labor. Prop
erty is desirable. is a positive good IN
er.-, - - -.,l1 l,,.