River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1896-09-24
BRYAN ANAlYZED.
Thomas h Bryan. of Chicago, on the
Free Silver Candidate.

Following is an open letter from
Thomas b. Bryan to the workingmen OF
Chicago. In deals in the questions
now occupying the minds OF the people,
especially concerning w. j. Bryan, tt c
Chic 30 convention nominee:
Chicago. Sept. 10.-very many times. In
the Office, on the street and through the
mai. come TO me such questions as are
thus condensed In a few words. addressed
to me b. workingman:
Please excuse our questions We knew
you Ia the worlds fair and for many years
before, and always as our friend. You
seem to take no part in politics. But while
We know that you are not an ofiice-seeker
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 a
him and his causeF
well. my friends, II IS true that have
taken no active part In politics. though
warmly interested. deeminc IL best that the
better equipped speakers. But the reply In
this open letter viii breah a silence that
you might misconstTue.
You ask my Views. but do no. ask my
reasons for them; that Is we'll. for they
would exceed the compass OF a letter and
would be wholly needless. as the money
subject has been elsewhere thoroughly and
exhaustively treated. You Will find in Nc
hinley's letter Of acceptance and In the
mastery speeches OF Harrison and Schurz
these three documents. which are free
perfect logic, with perfect eXpressio rs, a.
fact, q complete arsenal of arguments and
facts IL 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.
AFa1 fsskNasa
What's the matter with -. J. Bryanr
Answer: Ambition! An ambition which
knows 10 bounds, even cloudinG the brain
and binding him to facts. OF course,
know not ing TO his prejudice in private
life Ii t. as public man that We have
to do with him. DesI e the many years
devoted to the cultivation OF his voice and
to 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 nomlaation IL is not the manner, but
the matter of his speeches. or the absence
of matter. In their meaningless and wesri-
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
btOry 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. lie boldly said. in his Glove
land speech. We have begun an unceasing
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 misstatement
of fact as that the gold standard is a for
eign infamy introduced into this country
is a matter of well-known history that the
money troubles of several great nations
forced them, one after the other, when
othe- standards had been fairly tried and
faile Z, to adopt the gold standard as the
most stable and the best. Then he CON
tends that free and unlimited coinage by
tue United States alone will raise The bull
lion value of silver TO its coinage value.
and thus make silver bullion worth 81 20 per
ounce in gold throughout the world
Assuming, for arguments sake, that
this would be true. why should the alre1dy
excessively rich mine owners be made s.ill
richer at the expense of the rest of the
people? Or why should /. with my present
Improbable mine interests, be favored by
act of congress so that / should be paid
double, and at the expense of yourselves
of whom ne feelingly speaks as the toll
ing masscs?' 1t might and probably would
make me rich. but would it add dollar
to your purse? Certainly not
Now, this is not mere assertion, II is sim
pie and absolute truth founded upon all
experience, and had you visited other lands
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-earners
from the increase in cost of the necessaries
of life. with no like increase of wages
Why should l receive for 50 cents of silver
bullion a full dollar. and palm that dol
lar off on you for labor. with only half a
good dollars purchasing power. because
of increased cost of articles that you have
to buy?
Now. Mr.. Bryan ought to know. If 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 be 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 starry
Ing scale. because of the high price of Nv
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 has2 The answer may
be read I'm many a 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.
adopt free coinage of silver and the gold
will disappear. This is an unerring result
Now, note what 1 say, and measure my
words: Free coinage of silver means sill
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 it SO to your sorrow. if. alas!
free coinage be adopted by your votes
Ii means arrangement of business gener-
ally, lessening Of manufacture, lcssening
of 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 MIR. Bryan: Let the goyernm !.
stamp So cents fun dollar! Let N ask
you II the government were TO land a
calf a cow would that false brand bring
the milk2 Take a grain vi gold and beat
IL into gold leaf. IL may be mace SO thin
as to spread over 4O0 square inches: then
stamp ii two grains. Does there not remain
despite that stamp. only the single grain?
These crazes come like epidemics 10 plague
manBind. a mountebank grew rich in Eng
and selling pills to the country people to
.rotect them from earthquakes.
What Is the best money standard and
the best money itself after centuries Of
experience in the enlightened countries of
the world? Gold. You deserve the best,
and will you favor wild a scheme as
will Danish ali gold TO foreign lands and
impoyerish yourselves? Only three years
ago there appeared these words in Mr..
Bryan own pa per. the Omaha World: The
United States would look well tied up in an
alllanca of silver with Mexico. whose credit
has been ruined by the free coinage of
that metal Doubtless he wishes now that
those words had been left in the inkstand.
as his friends wish now that many of his
recent words had not issued from his
mouth. Now and then Mr.. Bryan denies
what seems to him to be an untruth, but
he forgets that truth Is many-sided. so
that often two or more truths, considered
together, make clear one that seemed
doubtful till so held up by others to the
light Then again, he misquotes only de-
tached sentences of speeches. which so
presented are entirely misleading. Those
Of us who have ready access to the original
can easily detect the cheat. but is it fair
to employ such means for ambitions sake
to secure votes2
"iie assumes an air of offended patriot
ism at the idea that the United States can
not control money values in markets OF
the whole world. as II there should be
new Declaration of Independence to cor
rect that omission in Jemerson's declara-
ton. He forgets that. great as our conn
try Is, Il contains less than one-twentieth
of the population OF the globe. lie might as
well attempt to erect barriers TO control
the currents of air. currents OF the sea,
the tidal waves, the earthquakes That come
to US from foreign chimes. and announce to
4 -. e. So. ~Neara