Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-08-13
IT is A HALF-WITTED MOVEMENT.

Editor The Gazette.-The conven-
ton at Chicago had hardly been broken
up by separation of all the true Demo-
Gratis from the half-wittcd part when
the right name of the latter faction was
mt once invented. They constitute the
popocrat party and that is the party Of
the hnlf-witted. Some people say that
hard words butter no parsnips." Other
people say that plain words may be
spoken to expose fraud. Some reader
may doubt whether it is wise to call this
party half-witted party. 1t may make
somebody mad: all right. That man
may call me a fool il do not prove this
the advocates of free silver coinage at
sixteen to one ure only half-witted.
What is their purpose? They mean
to force the working classes of this coun-
try to take half dollars worth of bad
money in place of a full dollars worth
of good money. Who but half-witted
man could be deluded into such plot
by the owners, of the silver mines and
who but half-witted man would sup
port such a,force bill? They say, 1--WE
want to raise prices SO that the farm
ers may get mure 4. money" Well,
when the farmers come to spend that
to get for it? The farmers might double
their prices by putting two pecks into
bushel, calling 1t bushcl and charging
double price for il. Who hut u half
witted farmer would try my such little
game as that? Who but a half-wittcd
miller would call half b,ishrl ii hiishcl
and alter all his accounts? But that is
just what the Popocrat party proposes
to do.
They have put Mr. Bryan of Nebraska
at the head of their ticket and Mr.. ST.
| wall of Maine ut the tail of it. Mr.
Bryan has made what reputation he has
by advocating free trade. Mr.. Scwall
is an advocate of protection. Mr.. Bryan
has Joined Mr.. Sewall. He has thrown
all his free trade principles overheard
and has become the worst kind of n pro-
teciionist. Whom does he protect? The
silver miners of the West and the bank
ers of the East. or both. Some of the
richest Jew bankers of the world are
rep,ited TO have bought the Anaconda
copper mine. Now the Anaconda cop
per mine is said to be very rich in copper,
and according to the statements made
on which the sale was worked, the cop
per pays Il profit by itself. but there is
also said to be II great deal of silver in
the copper, and If all the accounts are
true, that secondary product of silver
costs nothing because il hurts the copper
unless it is taken out They might
throw it away and yet make profit OIL
the copper. But Mr.. Bryan, giving up
his free trade principles proposes to pass
n force bill. depriving everybody of THEN
right to free trade or free contract in
money, and his retainers propose to give
this combination of miners and jew
bankers the control of the United States
mints free of charge, 50 that they may
put all the silver that they can get out
which now costs less than fifty cents
90 cts.) on a dollar in gold in the regular
silver mines and costs them nothing oil
less than nothing In the copper mines
coin that bullion into money and under
force bill of full legal tender act, give
the power to these two privileged classe,
TO force that bad money on every maj
that makes cotton, or corn, or pork, OF
butter, or cheese. or who works fu
wages, or for a salary. Mr.. Bryan say,
Il to all these people, we want to protec
| you. We want to raise the prices 81
everything that you eat and drink ant
wear We want to give You plenty o
money, and in order to do this we shall
enact force hill or legal tender act b,
means of which this combination o
miners and Jew bankers may force yoi
to take half n dollars worth of silve
when nobody but a half-witted maj
would take such bad money in place o
n dollars worth of gold.
If that project does not prove that tn
Popocrat party is the party of the half
witted, then I submit that l myself an
a foil. No full witted man would adop
such a plan or protect two privilege,
classes in such way because being full
witted we should have to call him
knave. lie can save his repute only b.
, admitting his half-witted condition. Mi
Bryan has earned what little repute h
has by very ably and eloquently defend
ing the right of Western farmers to Sc
, their product in the dearest market an
|, to buy their goods in the cheapest. No,
he proposes to limit their right to trad
, by forcing them TO take the poorest kin
: of money, not even permitting them
: make special contract for good money
i He is permitting himeself to he used b
the miners of the West and the banker
, of the East, to pull the chestnuts out G
the fire, and being only half-witted, wi
/ take the shell while they get the me;
, | of the nut.
! But somebody says, ''I don't quite III
derstand this yet. How does Mr.. Brya
/, give up his free trade principles% I'll
0 answer is very plain one. When
A man sells goods he buys money, doesn
!? he? When he buys goods he sci
h money, doesn't he? That is trad
!, When he swaps corn for meat. that
e called barter, but when he swaps cor
for money, that is called trade. Whe
7 each man has the right to choose VIII,
7! kind of money he will trade for. he Ell
joys free trade, doesn't he? When Il
law deprives him of his right to choos
what kind of money he will trade 70
what becomes of free trade? The Pop
= Gratis, under the lead of Mr.. Bryan, pr
pose to deprive every man in this coul
try of his right TO free trade in tradiI
for money. Their half-witted purpose
: to force everybody to take half dollar
worth of silver in place of full dollar
worth of gold.
a 1t fortunately happens that the Poop
of this country are not as rule hal
!. witted, and since this half-witted poll,
of protection to the silver miners h,
n been put before them they have learn,
good deal more than the Popocra
n suppose. In about three months til
+ half-witted faction will become the o
4, ject of pity so far ms they have be-
/ deiuded, and of contempt so far as tn,
: have been retained by the silver minei
| In mint nf fnnt tbn ,rroafnr nnfn hnr