The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1896-09-19
BRYAN ANALYZED.
Thomas II. Bryan. of Chicago. on the
Free silver Candidate.

|
especially concerning w. j. Bryan. tbs
Chicago convention nominee:
Chicago. Sept. 10.-very many times. In
the Office. on the street and through the
mail. come to me such questions as are
thus condensed In "a few words, addressed
to me by a workingman:
PLEASE excuse our questions. We knew
you In the worlds fair and for many years
before. and always rs our friend. You
seem tovake no part In politics. But while
We know that you are not an office-seeSer
and don't ask for our votes. we want to
hear from you all the same. What's the
matter with w. J. Bryan? Is he not q
kinsman of yours? What do you think OF
him and his cause?'
well. my friends. II is true that have
taken no active part In politics, though
warmly interested. deeming It best that the
rostrum should be held by younger and
| better equipped speakers. But the reply In
this open letter will break a silence that
! you might misconstrue.
| "You ask my views. but do not ask my
reasons for them; that is well, for they
would exceed the compass OF a letter and
! would be wholly needless, as the money
J subject has been elsewhere thoroughly and
/ exclusively treated. You will ind in Nc
! kinlcy's letter OF acceptance and IN the
mastery speeches OF Harrison and Schurz
these three documents, which are free
! perfect logic with perfect expressions, In
fact, a complete arsenal OF arguments and
facts. II would seem that no fair work
ingman. capable OF reasoning and OF free
ing himself OF bias, could carefully read
and digest those three addresses without
arriving at the conclusion that they are
alike unanswered and unanswerable
And this brings me to your questions:
What's the matter with W. J. Bryan|
Answer: Ambition! An ambition which
knows no bounds, even cloudinS the brain
and binding him TO facts. OF course.
know nothing to his prejudice in private
life. 1t is as a public man that We have
TO do with him. Despite the many years
devoted to the cultivation of his voice and
10 practice in elocution, for which he de-
serves credit. his reputation as an orator
has suffered with every speech that he
has delivered since that which won for him
the nomination. 1t is not the manner, but
the matter OF his speeches, or the absence
OF matter. in their meaningless and weari-
some repetitions, which has proved SO dis
appointing 10 friends and surprising TO
foes. Scarcely a single one OF those
speeches contains an original idea; scarcely
one OF any length that is not marred by
plain contradictions within itself. But or
atory is not necessity for the presidency.
The chief difficulty with W. j. Bryan Is
that he is fioundering in sea OF financial
absurdities and can hardly keep his head
above water. He boldly said, in his Clcve-
IanU speech, We nave 'beEuH an unceaSlHS
warfare against the gold standard
THAT warfare he has right to wage,
but he has no right in honor or truth TO
attempt to deceive his hearers or TO de-
ceive himself with so bold a misstatement
OF fact as that the gold standard is n for
eign infamy introduced into this country
by the British money changers when II
is matter OF well-known history that the
money troubles OF several great nations
forced them. one after the other. when
other standards had been fairly tried and
failed, to adopt the gold standard as the
most stable and the best, Then he con
tends that free and unlimited coinage by
the United States alone will raise the bull
lion value of silver to its coinage value.
and thus make silver bullion worth 81. % per
ounce in gold throughout the world
Assuming, for arguments sake, that
this would be true. why should the already
excessively rich mine owners be made s.ill
richer at the expense OF the rest OF the
people? Or why should I. with my present
Improbable mine interests. be favored by
act of congress so that / should be naid
double, and at the expense OF yourselves
of whom he feelingly speaks as the toll
ing masscs?' 1t might and probably would
make me rich. but would IL add a dollar
10 your purse? Certainly not
Now. this is not mere assertion. II is sim
pie and absolute truth founded upon all
.
and observed the unfailing effects every
where of deprecated money. you would
need no arguments to satisfy you of that
great fact. and OF the direct and serious
injury that would result TO wage-earrers
from the increase in cost of the necessar:es
of life, with no like increase of wages.
Why should receive for 50 cents of silver
bullion n full dollar. and palm that dol
lar off on YOU for labor. with only hale a
good dollars purchasing power. because
of increased cost Of articles that you have
TO buy?
Now. Mr.. Bryan ought to know. II he
does not know. that such Is the Inevitable
result of free coinage. that laboring men
would be the worst sufferers. and rich
silver mine barons the chief gamers. But
he insists that silver shall thus he favored,
gold being the enemy. Why should not
the 'toiling masses have honest pay In
sound money and not In debased coin. as
In Mexico, where wages are on a starv-
Ing scale because OF the high price OF liv-
Ing? MeXico's laborers were told as you
are told. that free coinage would help
them Did It? Have wages increased as
the cost of living has? The answer may
be read In many wan face and sad eye,
where may be seen what the Arab sees in
the footprint of the camel the weight
OF the burden that is borne.
You have both gold and silver now, hut |
adopt free coinage OF silver and the gold |
III N4SdIpcdT. MS Is an unerTlnE result. |
Now. note what / say and measure my |
words: Free coinage of silver means sil- |
Yer as the only coin in use, means great in |
crease OF the cost of living and no equal |
or corresponding increase of your wages |
You Will find IL so to your sorrow, II. alas! |
free coinage be adopted by your votes. |
1t means arrangement of business gener- |
ally, lessening of manufacture, lessen.ng |
OF building and stagnation in all branches !
or industry; and even should Mr. BRYAN |
succeed in arraying you against employ |
ers. Will you not be the chief sufferers? |
Why do manufacturers, merchants and |
business men generally oppose the free sill |
yer craze? Is not that very general oppo-
sition proof of the injury that such mad
ness would inflict upon the public, OF which
you constitute an important part? But,
says Mr.. Bryan: Let the government |
stamp SO cents full dollar.' Let me ask
you IL the government were 10 brand a
calf a COW would that false brand bring
the milk? Take a grain of gold and beat
II into gold leaf; II may be made so thin
as 10 spread over 400 square inches; then
stamp II two grains. Does there not remain,
despite that stamp, only the single grain?
These crazes come like epidemics TO pla que
mankind. A mountebank grew rich in Eng