Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1896-10-26
DENOUNCED PROTECTION
In 1892, but Would Hide the Fact At
tho Present Time.

In 1892, but Would Hide the Fact At
the Present Time.
In Mr.. Bryan's first speech in con.
grers, delivered on March ]6, 1899, he
drew picture of the condition Of the
western farmer quite as dismal as any
that he is now producing for campaign
effect. He is not using any deeper indi-
go in his present professional tour than
that with which he painted the distress
Of the oppressed and mortgaged agri-
culturist then. But then for the dis
tress, the oppression, and the mortgage,
he had only one simple, comprehensive
explanation The western farmer was
the victim of protective tariff.
Not one word do we find in Mr..
Bryan's original plea for Justice to
the Western farmer, Of the gold stand
ard or the 100-cent dollar as the cause of
all the woe. Protection was good
enough octopus for that occasion.
Mr.. Bryan told the following story
about man. killing tree in Australia,
and compared it to the protective tariff
"There is in Australia what is known as the
cannibal tree. 1t grows not very high and
spreads out its leaves like great srms until
they touch the ground. In the top is little
honey Some Of the natives worship the tree,
and on their festive days they gather around
it, singing and dancing, and then as part of
their ceremony they select one from their
number and, at the point Of spears drive him
over the leaves onto the tree; he drinks of the
honey, he becomes intoxicated as it were, and
then those arms, as If instinct with life, rise
up; they encircle him in their folds, and, as
they crush him to death, his companions
stand around shouting and singing for Joy
"Protection has been our cannibal tree. and
as one after another of our farmers has been
driven by the force of circumstances upon
that tree and has been crushed within its
folds, his companions have stood around and
shouted, Great is protection r"
No wonder this demagogue does not
want to talk tariff in this campaign.
He knows very well that he was false
in 1899, and is afraid the people will
conclude that he is false now.
a Mine Owners Idea.
The way in which at least ono silver
mine owner looks at the question of
free coinage is described by the Hon.
William j. Coombs of Brooklyn, in the
course of a very clear and businesslike
letter on the subject to the Brooklyn
Eagle of that city.
II asked mine owner why he want
ed free coinage of silver. He an
swered: THAT is easily answered.
because want large market for my
silver and high price"
you say that you pay your miners
$3.50 per day; that is equal to four
ounces of silver at the present price.
If you paid them in silver bullion you
would give them about four ounces of
it?"
Eyes; about four ounces of it,
"Now, if you succeed by the miner's
help in getting this law passed, and
you take the four ounces of silver to
the mint and get five dollars for it,
you will doubtless give him the whole
amount?"
mot at all; should give him $3.50
Of it,"
"Then you only would benefit by
the change, for, instead of giving him
four ounces of silver for a days work,
as you do now, you would be giving
him only two ounces"
His answer was: "Oh, we can get
labor enough at our present price; the
workmen will have the benefit of more
steady employment. New York
Ti,,ac NAV,