The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1896-08-28


tried to- can take $40 goldpiece and
can defy all the power OF all the govern
ments of this earth to take cents of value
from 1t. Having earned It by the sweat
of my brow, having earned IL by the exer-
else of my brain, having earned it by the
exchange of my commodities, l can go to
the uttermost ends of the earth and
wherever present it its value will be un-
questioned and unchallenged. That gold
dollar, this meeting, the Democratic party,
the honest masses of this country, without
distinction of party divisions, demand
shall be paid to the laborer when he earns
It and that no power on earth shall cheat
him of the sweat of his brow.
Mans Labor Creates Wealth.
Now let us see how Mr. Bryan proposes
30 deal with this question. l have looked
through his speech to find out just what he
thinks he Is going to do for the laboring
man and find that he dismisses him with
a very few and some very unsatisfactory
phrases But it is perfectly clear that the
purpose of the Populist is to put up the
prices of certain commodities. Mr.. Bry-
ans language is that he Is going to inn
prove the condition Of the people of this
country not of all of them, but of the
greatest number. Well, now, l don't sup
pose Mr.. Bryan pretends to any miracu-
lous power. l don't suppose he claims he
can multiply the number of chairs upon
this platform or upon this floor, although
he has shown his capacity to empty them.
If he is going to work any change in the
conditions of men, he must increase the
material possessions of some part Of the
community. Now, If he got possession of
the government tomorrow, he could not
create one single thing Of value by any ex-
ercise of governmental power In the world.
Money and Property Not Identical.
Nothing Is more common than the mis-
take that money and property are iden-
tical. They are not. A redundancy of
money does not prove any prosperity.
There may be a very large volume of cir
culating medium and very great poverty.
The issue of paper money simply is no
more an increase of wealth than the issue
by an individual of his promissory note
would show an increase of his property.
AS matter of fact an increase in the COIN
age Is no proof Of an increase in property,
but may be strong proof of decrease In
wealth.
The volume of money plays but small
part even in the ordinary transactions of
life. 1t is not the volume Of money, but
the activity of money that counts III
person wants to see just how dollar
works in the ordinary exchanges, in what
might be called retail business, he has
but to take dollar out Of his pocket and
go out into the street and buy some fruit.
Now, the fruit dealer would take that dol
lar and buy some vegetables. The green
grocer with the same dollar could buy
neckties. The dealer in neckties with the
same dollar could buy meat, and so on.
That one coin passing from hand to hand
might circulate $50 worth of commodities
in the course of single day. That one
dollar circulating $50 worth of commodi-
ties makes moro business and more trade
than two dollars could make II they cir
culated between them only $40 worth of
commodities.
Money never can circulate freely and &C
lively unless there be absolute confidence
in its value. If man doubts whether the
money in his pocket will be as valuable to-
morrow as it is today, he will decline to
exchange his commodity against 1t, and
this Populist agitation threatening the in
tegrity of money has been the cause of the
hard times through which this country Is
passing and from which it will not escape
until the heel of popular condemnation is
placed upon the Populist agitation which
undermines the foundation of credit.
Basis of Trade Is Sound Money
If, then, Mr. Bryan is going to enrich
somebody, the thing which he means to
bestow on him he must take from some
body else. Who is to be despoiled and who
is to be enriched by the exercise of this
new scheme of governments
My friends the silver mine owner will
get cheated with the rest. If ever the Pop
ulist has his way, nobody will be benefit
ed, not even Mr.. Bryan. | will venture to
say here now that If the face of Providence
should be averted from this land and such
a calamity as Mr.. Bryan's election were
permitted by it, tho man who would suffer
most by that event would be the false
prophet, who, having torn down the tenn
pie of credit and of industry, would he
torn to pieces by an outraged public whose
prosperity he had ruined. Let us follow
this argument a little. Let us see what he
means to do, according to his own lights.
We see that he can't enrich one man
without impoverishing another. Govern
ment never can DO generous, because If ii
be generous to one it must be oppressive to
anOUHcr. MT. Drydu uOeS IOU pIcUcilu Iiltit
by any power given him from heaven he
can find anything on the surface of this
earth that has not got an owner, and, there
fore, he can't honestly bestow 1t upon a
favorite
But his financial scheme contemplates
an increase in the price of certain COM
modities. do not think that anything
MIR. Bryan can do with reference to gold
will ever affect it.
A Cutting Down of Wages.
But, my friends, we are coming now
pretty close to the wood pile behind which
the African is concealed. Mr.. Bryan pro-
poses to increase the price of commodities.
If he means anything, he means that, and
am not quite sure that he means any
thing
Now, If everything in this world or In
this country, including labor, be increased
In value tomorrow, in like proportion, not
one of us would be affected at all. If that
was Mr. Bryan's scheme, he would never
have Populist nomination to give him
importance in the eyes of this community.
If that were all that he meant, he would
not be supporting it, and would not be
taking the trouble to oppose 1t.
If everything In the world he increased
IN nor cont In, vol,ip xybv Iva would INV 10