Daily Kennebec journal., 1896-09-28
BRAN n Bath.


change of favors was mutually profit
able It is unnecessary to argue here
Mr.. Bryan gave expression to no new
tboupbts and no one should have ex-
pected him to. The gathering included
Pepublicans as well as Democrats and
curiosity elbowed in the press about
the stand fully as vigorously as did
enthusiasm The grounds in front OF
tho custom house were filled and In
places densely packed, but the gather
ing was not as large as might fairly
have been expected considering the ex-
ceptional excursion facilities and the
efforts made to get the people out. 1t
was a good natured and on the whole
rather undemonstrative crowd, and it
treated him with the consideration and
dignity that should be the accompani-
ments of free speech everywhere. The
officials upon whom devolved the duty
of maintaining order most admirably
parently was not very difficult one.
Mr. Bryan's voice gave evidence of
the wear and tear to which it had been
subjected, and whether it was to spare
it and his strength or whether it was
because he felt the necessity of talk
ing conservatively to a conservative
audience his address in the main was
entirely lacking in the oratorical fer
for that was expected. At the close,
however he became a little warmed to
his task and his words partook more
noticeably of the purpose seen in al
most every address he has made, the
purpose to arouse prejudice. In clos
ing he expressed the opinion that those
who opposed free coinage of silver at
the ratio of 16 to l are as guilty of
wrong doing as those who steal food
from the hungry or pollute the springs
for the thirsty. He declared God to be
a bimetallist. because He had placed
gold and silver in the earth. Those
who came to admire him applauded
that sentiment vocferously. There
was as much of argument in that dec
laration as in any he made.
He tried to impress upon his audi
ence that he was a bimetallist but he
failed to demonstrate how gold and
silver could remain on Il parity under
his scheme He gave his hearers to
understand that the price of silver will
rise from 66 cents an ounce to 81 % and
at the same time increase prices and
help the debtor. Such a proposition
was long ago proved absurd and there
ought to be few of those who heard
him, who do not know that prices
would rise and debts be cut down only
because the silver dollar would not
purchase as much as dollar does now.
in other words because it would be a
made this sort of silly talk in his New
York speech, the Detroit Tribune, a
Of Mr. Bryan criticized him. In its
issue of August Is the Tribune said
If what Bryan contended be the
fact. there is no particular use in going
to the silver basis. He says silver is
going ia rise until il shall restore the
parity with gold at the existing ratio,
which would be simply jumping out of
the frying pan into the fire. We should
merely shift from one rising standard
to another When the thing we want
is a cheaper dollar. when the curse of
our condition is the appreciating dol
lar, we can expect no relief from a re-
form, which, while it proposes to
cheaper the dollar at the start, prom
iscs to give us still a rising dollar
which shall ultimately be just as dear
as the present dollar" Compare that
argument with the one Bryan made at
Bath, and which one is the more con-
sistent and honest from a free silver
standpoint? Mr. Bryan does not like
to admit in the East that the purpose
of free coinage is a dollar with which
the nation and those who get posses
sion of the dollar may repudiate half
their debts