Omaha daily bee., 1896-10-22
cnl,Inne Mlrcn mnRSE.

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Those persons who are supporting the
free silver cause on the ground that the
conditions could not he worse than they.
are do not reason wisely. luqucstion-
ably the industrial aud business situ-
alton Us most unsatisfactory. 4 great
many mills and factories are idle pro
icCtcd enterprises In all parts of the
country are halted until the election
shall determine what the monetary Sys-
tenn or the future Is to he, the domestic
commerce of the country is contracted
tho army Of unemployed labor Is greater
than ever before In our history and
consequently the consumption of com
muditics of all kinds Is less than ever
before. All this everybody realizes
and II Is a most unfortunate condition
of affairs but worse condition Is con
ccivahlc
All the wheels Of industry are not at
II standstill All departments of bust
ness are not absolutely stncnant OF
the 100000 or S,Oo0,OOO of wage
carncrS not less than two-thirdS are em-
ploycd, Confidence is not utterly de
Stroyrd. The wealth of the nation. II
not increasing to any great extent. iS
not diminishing Most of our people
are still able to obtain the nccessnries
of life and to meet their obligations.
The country has suffered s2vcrcly-how
severely is almost beyond computation
but IL is not ruined. 1t Is in II position
To rapidly recover if right principles
prevail: otherwise 1t must experience
greater disaster than 1t has ever yet
known
1t ought to he apparent to every In
telligent man who can understand the
significance of existing conditions that
the success of the assault on our none
tary standard would inevitably produce
the most violent disturbance. Capital
would shun every sort of enterprise.
manufacturing Industries now in opera
tion would stop. I'm every department of
| business there would be curtailment.
and instead of twO-thrds of the labor
of the country being employed.
probably not more than one
third would find work. Parnly-
sis would prcccde rcndjustment
to the new basis. In the universal dis
order the failure of banks and mcr.
| chants and manufacturers would mul
tiply. while impoverishment among the
masses of the people would enormously
increase The rich would lose. hut th,
! privation and suffering would fall upon
the poor, upon those who have nothing
but their labor. The corporation,
against which the free silvcritcS raj
might be hurt. but the injury to then
would be trilling in comparison will
that inflicted upon the millions of wag,
workers who would be deprived of cm
ployment. The bankers who are ST
heartily hated 10y the advocates of free
silver could not escape the effect %
panic and disaster. but they would no
suffer in the degree the producer,
would 4 change in our monetar!
system cannot bc made without com
plctc rradjuStmcnt of financial an,
business conditions and this involve
infinitely greater danger TO labor thar
it does to capital The one rrquire
constant employment to live; the othe
may lie idle for Il time and still survive
II is thus perfectly Obvious that bat
Ms the existing conditions are wors
state of affairs is possible. and tha
this will he realized if the free silvc
cause is successful no man can douh
who has an intelligent appreciation o
what is fOrcshadowed by prevailing con
ditiOnS. Some excuse may be fount
for those who are unemployed thinking
that Il change from our monetary stand
ard might better their condition. Cit
cumstanCcS make them peculiarly sus
ceptib!e to any promise of relief how
ever vague. But it is difficult To under
stand how men who are ut work ca
favor Il departure that would endangc
their employment and inevitably reduc
the purchasing power of their wages.
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