San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-08-22
SILVER ACROBATS.
WONDERFUL FEATS OF W. J. BRYAN
AND F. e. WHITE AS FREE TRADE
AND FREE SILVER DEMOCRATS.

| AND FREE SILVER DEMOCRATS.
they Both Laud and Curse Cheapness
First Credit 1t to Inventive Genius ant
Then Blame 1t on the ''Crime of 49,
What f. Il. White Said In 1S92-"Thi
Universal Blessing of Lower Prices
fittings Sell Lower Because They Ar,
Made Cheaper"-"They Are Made Cheap
er because of Better Methods and Proc
esses"-He Should Explain His Present
Inconsistent Position and Statements.
There are no greater economic aero
bats than the silver Democrats now Civ,
ing exhibitions in this country. They
turn somersaults and fiipfaps backward
and forward so fast that it makes us
dizzy to watch them. In one year or one
campaign they are landing cheapness
and the inventive genius which caused
it, and in the next they are cursing
cheapness and the cause of cheapness.
All of the free trade silver Democrats
have done this act. They have had to
do it and still have to do it whenever
they let loose on these two subjects, as
most of them are wont to do. 1t is i'm
possible to be free trader and not be-
lieve in low prices. 1t is impossible TO
believe in the "crime of 1878" as the
cause of the great and 'ruinous" fall
of prices which has since occurred and
not believe that low prices are curse.
Because be saw the Inconsistency of
it, or for political reasons, W. J. Bry-
an, in his canvass last year, practi-
cally refused to talk tariff and spent his
time discussing the lack of money and
the evils of low prices. If he had talked
tariff, he would have been in danger of
repeating his speech of March 16, 1892.
in which he said, f'You must at
tribute it to the inventive gen.
ius. That is what has
brought down prices in this
country and everywhere"
But Bryan is not candidate for
Office this year. We will devote cur at
tention to one who has been conspicu-
Gus since 1892 as free trade Democrat,
and who is now. because of his nomina-
ton for governor of Iowa, conspicuous
as a silver Democrat Of course the
Hon. Frederick E. White is now saying
that "the people need more money!"
and that ''an abundance of money, will
stimulate all kinds of industries and
"that will increase the price Of every
thing and benefit everybody" He also
says "the dollar of today buys altogeth-
er too much, " and the rest of the whole
of free silver and cheap money
wisdom. What, now, did this same Mr..
White say in his great speech of June,
10, 1899?
Under the subheads "Cheapness" and
''The Real Cause of Cheapness" he
made some statements so wholly incon-
sistent with his present position and
statements that he will have great diff
Guilty in explaining away this inconsist-
ency. His remarks at that time being a
fair sample of those of scores of other
silver Democrats made then and since,
we quote them below at some length:
"The stubborn fact, the historic truth,
stares every intelligent man in the face,
that everything made by human hands
or that is in any sense the result of hu-
man skill has been getting constantly
cheaper not only since the Republican
party has been IN power, but for the
last thousand years and more, and has
been getting cheaper not only inatsis
country, but in every other-in couh-
tries where high tariffs are maintained,
and in others where free trade prevails,
and notably 30 in England, where the
protective principle is entirely repudi-
ated. - a4g
"What is then the true, active cause
of this constantly lowering price list Of
manufactures? Why, sir, it is a coh-
stantly improving industrial condition
caused primarily by mechanical inven-
tions, scientific discoveries and the pro-
motion of general knowledge. 1t is
higher order of human ingenuity and
industry, a more practical industrial
education, all resulting in superior
methods of manufacture. The slow,
clumsy ways of our forefathers have
given way to the improved methods of
a more mechanical age.
1--WE are constantly discovering and
Harvesting to our use new forces of ma
ture, are continually utilizing new
ideas and better methods, and
the inevitable result is, the civilized
world over, cheaper food, cheaper
goods, cheaper comforts. Let me
tell you who it is that is responsible for
this universal blessing Of lower
prices, who are the public benefactcrs,
and who are entitled to our everlasting
gratitude 1t is the mechanic
who has the mental capacity to evolve
an idea-an idea which materializes in
the shape of a new machine, or in an
Improvement upon an old one; it is the
machinist standing ready with his skill
to utilize the mechanical force of the
idea thus evolved; it is the chemist
who sits in his laboratory working with
the zeal of an enthusiast both night and
day in order that he may discover some
hidden force of nature, some new COM
80 cY,hcfanpoc