The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1896-09-11
M gR9ERIES SPEEGH.
Ths Ez.silvsrits appears in His Nsw RoIe Of
Gold Standard Advocate.
An attempt Made TO Show That Protection,
Eos Finance. Was the Issue of the
Present Campaign by the First
District Representative.

Hon. Case Broderick, congressman Of
ths First Kansas district. spoke satur-
day afternoon at the court house TO a
coed sized audience. Mr.. Broderiek is
a very pleasant speaker and allows no
ungsntlemanly language to enter his
discourse, but treats the differences of
political faith as questions that have
more than one side.
On the question Of protection he is
an earnest and almost eloquent speak
81, although, as is common with advo~
Gates Of protection, he attributes every
thing good prevailing in times of an
elevated tariff, to tariff only. On I'm
ance, however, he is as weak in advo-
eating the gold standard as he was
strong in former times when advooat-
ing the cause of bimetsliism.
The reason is obvious. At heart a
silver man ambition or partisanship
mas whipped him into line for a policy
be knows is erroneous and against the
best interests Of the American people,
Protection and Prosperity.
Mr.. Broderiek opened his speech
with eneomiums for protection and
snathemas for tariff for revenue only. !"
He described the long era of prosperity
ensuing from the close of the war up
TO 1892, and ascribed it to the policy of
protection in vogue in that period.
There are many reasons why excep-
lions could be taken to his conclusions.
First in order it might be we'll to call
attention to the fact that the panic of
1873, in which thousands of American
business enterprises we're stranded on
tina rocks of bankruptcy, occurred I'M
der a high protective tariff, That
prices had steadily fallen during this
period and that the greatest aggregate
Of debt Any nation ever contracted was
piled up during this very era of high
protection. That the greatest strikes
and labor troubles ever experienced in
this country occurred during this time
in which Mr. Broderick claims the
country was undergoing an unparalel-
led epoch of prosperity. It is time
there was a semblanoe of prosperity.
At the close Of the war prices of pro-
ducts, under the $50 per cent imitation
of the currency during war time, had
reached a point in which substantial
profits could be realized from agricul-
tuFe. After a time prices fall, and
farmers and business men, ignorant Of
the great change in our financial policy
and its far reaching effect, went in
debt with the expectation and the hope
that the depression was but temporary,
and that they could soon retrieve their
fallen fortunes. This brought on an
improved condition for while and
coupled with the increase of silver
coinage under the Bland-Allison bill
withstayed the inevitable result for a
time. But the crash was sure to come,
and it did, and under the highest pro-
lection law ever enacted by federal
congress. During this period, too, the
American tramp made his first appear
anee aud under practical protection
has increased from nothing at the close
Of the war to 100000 at the present
day. And it must not be forgotten,
also, that the present tariff law is to all
intents a protective tariff, being as
"prOtectiye" as any law ever enacted
with the one exception of the Mckinley
bill. No deficiencies would have ex-
listed under this bill had not the su-
pgeme court dishonesty and unlaw-
fully deprived it Of one of its most just
forms of income. But even in the
event that the government revenues
would have met its expenditures and
provided for an ample surplus the
crash could only have been delayed q
little longer. All the protection in the
world could not have averted it. The
trouble was finance. While it was true
that during this time the coinage o.
silver had aggregated s6OO,GOO,O0Oit wa,
ia reality but token money, and it
weight was put upon the supply o
gold. Suohean increase in the none!
Of our country under bimetalli,
standard Fould have created a condi
zion of sffairs that no panic eoulc
harm, bug put cut as token money i
but brought a temporary relief. Viii
The repeal Of the Bland-Allison bill
and the Sherman act ali barriers wer
let down and the wave of disaster dix
its deadly work. During this time. toe
Fast fortunes were piled up, and bite
and grinding poverty brought to tn
doors Of thousands of homes. Trust
and moneIelies reared their horFi
fronts and drove from the field Of CON
petition Individual institutions of lik
nature, 8 condition that could hav
: never endured under any other polio
: bnt profession.
Amselcan Financial History.