The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1896-08-21


when the rs,Je Of labor was =, and the |
difference between the Pnpulisi who seeks |
10 cut down the rate OI wages ana the !
Democrat VINO socks To protect II u thtit
the Democrat believes that high wages
md prosperity are synonymous, and the
PopuIist wants to cut the rate Of wages
In order that ne may tempt the i'trilsr 20
make war upon his own wOrkingnicn
Nr. BRYAN leads the van in saying that
tr l. the creditor Inc Is after In order
that you should understand Just now
change in the standard OF value enables
men to cheat their creditors you have to
consider the function which money plays
In measuring debts Ii 1 had pafd $40 TOR
ten yards of cloth TO be delivered to mo
next week and in the interim the govern
.ncnt should pass law declaring that
hereafter the yard measure should con
sist of Is inches and that all existing
contracts should be settled III that system
Il measure, | would be cheated ont ot
half the cloth FOR which i had paid H.
on the other hand, | owed u cloth IncrCh-
ant for ten yards of cloth, which nc had
delivered TO me and which WAS payable
next week and in the meantime the gov
ernment wculd change the standard OF
value and cut down the unit of coinnge
one-half, than l would settle that debt in
- and the cloth merchant would have
been cheated
Now the Populist loves TO say that the
creditor Is IA person who OpprCSScS the
western farmor; the creditors of this
country are not the bankers; they are not
the so-called capitalists; they arc the Ia
bOrers, and 1t Is at the expense oil ldbof
that this change is made. The labOrer Il
always a creditor for at least one days
work. When any man can show me
laborer who has been paid in advance for
u day work, Will show him u IaboFeT
who is "a debtor. The labOrcT by the very
law of his being n creditor for at least one
days work, and Is generally creditor tor
a week work or two weeks work. Every
great industrial enterprise has Tor Its CHIEF
creditors its own laborers. The heaviest
account In every department of industry,
whatever il may be, Is always the wages
account
The pretense that the farmer of Ne
braska Is suffering under tho weight of a
mortgage under metal which has
steadily increased in value Is but a Popu-
listic metaphor. TwO-thirds of the farm
ers have no mortgage debts whatever.
| do not believe there is per cent of
them that owe mortgage over three
years old, during which time there has
been no changein in the value OF tho metal.
This proposal of the PODullStS Is an intent
TO enlist tho farmer in conspiracy to re
duce the wages paid this labor that he
may have IA larger proportion OF his own
products. and they are willing to put
down the wages of every man who works
in cities, who tolls at the bench, who
digs in the mines, who manages the train,
in the hope that they can ride into power
Oh wave of cUpidity and greed awak-
ened In the breast OF the voter
Mr. Cochran then said he was glad to
know that the farmers of the northern
states had overthrOwn Popultsm and stood
for the gold standard at Chicago, but they
were submerged by wave OF POpulIsm
from the south, led by set of leaders like
Tillman, who boldly Uufurled the flag of
sectionalism at Chicago
1t was a conspiracy between professional
farmers who want to pay low wages and
the unrecOnCiled STAKEHOLDER who would
like TO pay no wages al all. Applause
He Is the real root ot this conspiracy. MIR.
Bryan did not create il II was "a con
spiracy against the Industrial masses
Then he said: l have said that the
laborer Is the object of the conspiracy and
he is. But let no man imagine that II
they are successful, the injury would all
be borne by the man who works with his
hands He would be the last to suffer
and the last to recover from its effects
But the shock to civilization which would
ensue from such breach of public and
private faith would be irreparable. Its
effect no man could measure from any eX-
perience of the human race. We cannot
tell TO what degree 1t would paralyze in
dustry. If l were asked to define civil
Zation l should say IL WAS industrial CO
operation.
The work of every man, Mr.. Cochran
said, In any industry influenced the
work OF every other man living, so that
we We're all dependent on each other.
Then he said: Underlying the whole schemo
of civilization Is the confidence men have III
each other. Confidence in their honesty; con
fidence In their integrity confidence in their
industry. confidence in their future If We
want silver coinage tomorrow, Ii we even de
base our standard of value, men say that still
you would have the same property yOu have
to-day, you would still have the same soil
you would still have the same continent. And
II Is true Blu. did the Indian have th'
same rivers that roll past cities and turns
the wheels of commerce they pass, bur
there was no Industrial cooperation
Wherever you find POpulistS assembled you
fsvl dfFefF h.
theory that men are hostile to each other il
their interests; that the condition of life Is one
of contest. At Chicago Mr.. Bryan declared
Whom you came before us and tell rs that ",
shall disturb your business interests, we reply
| that you have disturbed our business inter
| ests-"
| merely desire to call the attention of thi
| gathering to the character of that speech, {,
| the underlying spirit that pervades it, an'
| then to ask tho wOrkingmcn of this country I,
| ask the citizens Of this nation II the govern
| ment should be trusted To the hands Of me:
1 whose conception OF civil zed society l. one o
| warfare and strife.
| We believe that the very essence 4 civiIiza
| ton k mutuas interest, mutual :orbe tranCe
/ mutual cooperation. We believe the worlC
| has got past the time when mems hands are
| at each Others throats We believe TO-DAY
| that men stani shoulder TO shoulder. work. nj
| together for common purpose, beneficial {
| all lApplausel And we believe that thi
| attempt to aSSail wages, which means an al
| resisted not by class, but by the Who'll
nation, What labor has gained II will keeE
| The rate of wages that is paid to labor tC
| day is the lowest we ever willing To az
cept. We look forward to a farther an
| farther increase In the prosperity OF working
men, not merely by an increase IN the dali
/ wage, but by q further Increase In the pun
chasing power of wages.
Men who tell US that the price OF farm prod
ucts have fallen and that the farmer for thf
| reason Is suferer forget that while the priC
| of wages has risen off the farm the eflcienC
| of labor has Increased; that the cost of Pre-
| duct!on has been reduced through the aid G
| machinery while the wages or the individu;
| laborer may have risen. While wages renal
| at their present rate / hope there Will be
| further and further continual decrease in tl
| cost of living. There is no way In which l ca
| be admitted to a share of God s bounty exceI
| through a fall in the prices of the necessarie
| of life.
While we have In existence a system of mt
| tual cooperation which IL but another nam
for civilized society, all are admitted TO
| share In every bounty which providenC
| showers upon the earth. The dweller in tn
| tenement STOPPING over his bench who neve
sees field Of waving corn, who has neve
| inhaled the perfume of grasses and of flower
| l. yet made the participator In all the boun
| ties OF Provid rnce in the purifying influence
| of the atmO sphere In the ripening rays O
| the SUM- when the product Of the soil i mad
cheaper to him every day by the abundance
| the harvest IApplauSeI II l. from his shaI
| in this bount- that The PGpuliSt wants TO e.
| olude the American work sngntu.
To him we say, i'll Tie Of humanity. j
| the name of prourc.S You shall nei her r sz
| crown of thorns upon the brow of labor. lac
| press "A sconrse upon his back. lAPplause
| You shall not rob him of study, Of progress
| in the skin OF his craft and by the careful o
| ganizatiOn of the members who work wit
! hrfn at the same bench. Nou shall not obscul
the golden prospects OF further improv
| ment In his condition by q further chca penin