The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-09-07
BRYAN's EXPLANATION.

Dlsuutea Hth own F"NAtNN =" -Ne' 49,
~ lie Is Right Now He was Wrong
'Tbsn-An Absurd Proposition.
New York World (Dem.l: Mr.. Ery-
an, exclusive statement in the World
,o.dny OF his views on the eoiheiden;
rise in the price of wheat and fall in
,be price of silver presents in a familiar
IIobJ his audacity as an advocate and
his plausiblllty as politician,
Whl!e nearly everybody is assuming
tbst this coincidence win knock the
main underplnning from the free silver
rrgument, Mr.. Bryan's first word on
The subject is that "the rise In wheat
will AID rather than iniure the cause OF
h,metalllsm'-meaning the free coin
aga AZ silver az 16 to l. He says truly
tba, "wheat has risen because the for
lion crop had been exceedingly Short"
and boldly declares that "bimetallists
contend that the law OF supply and de-
mand Is universal; they apply It not
oaly TO money but to bullion. both gold
and silver, to wheat and every other ar
tlcle OF value,
This is sound sense. But last year the
chicago platform and Mr., Bryan de-
manded the free and unlimited coinage
NJ both silver and gold at the present
legal ratio OF 10 to l, without waiting
Tar the consent OF any other nation
watch was equivalent to saying without
regard to the law of supply and de-
mand. In his speeches In the east, and
again in his statement in the World to-
day Mr.. Bryan contends that free COIN
age by this country alone. by fixing
mint price for silver" would raise Its
value to 81 20 an ounce.
This proposition Is no less absurd,an
NOT less contemptuous In It's disregard
Of the law OF values which Mr., Bryan
now acknowledges. than would have
been a resolution affirming the duty and
the power of this nation to fix the
price, OF wheat at 81, without waiting
for the consent of any other nation"
Mr.. BRYAN comedies, as President Nc
KInley admits and as every sensible
man knows, that the rise In the price of
wheat is due to short crops abroad, How
Is II possible for Mr.. Bryan to ignore
the fact that the low price OF silver is
caused In large part by the greatly IN
creased and cheapened production ev-
crywhere? The worlds production OF
silver In 1885 was 100000 ounces; in
1895 il had increased to 175,0O0,0OO
ounces. The supply has increased out
OF all proportion to the demand, and
the bulk Is now obviously too great TO
enable any nation standing alone, to
raise It's commercial value of tifty-two
and one-half cents an ounce to coin
age value OF 81 90. Some things are I'M
possible TO any government or to any
faith now existent in this world.
1t Is perhaps not wholly kind to con-
trast MIR. Bryans present arguments
and claims with those advanced by him
last year, and yet II he IS TO go on with
free coinage as his only issue this is a
comparison to which he must submit
Following are extracts from his cam
paign speeches. by number:
1871 II you ask us how the gold
standard affects the farmer, We will tell
you that the gold standard lowers the
prlce of the products he sells without
lowering his taxes or his debts.
sol. The people who raise corn have
n right to protect themselves and to
prevent an additional fall In the price
OF corn The more nations there are
which demand gold the greater VIII be
the difficulty TO get It and the more OF
your corn It will buy.
26g The only way to stop falling
prices Is to increase the amount OF mo-
uey to be exchanged for property.
iSS. The only way to stop the outflow
of gold is to adopt bimenlllsm and
raise the price of wheat and cotton and
pay our debts in produce instead OF in
gold.
every one OF these contentious. Mr..
Bryan speaks OF n rise in the price OF
zone great staple-wheat." But there
has been n rise in nearly all the great
staples. September wheat sold last
wear at slxty-three cents; II Is now
worth 81. and has sold several points
higher. Corn has increased from twen-
ty-fve to thirty-slX cents; oats from
nineteen and one-fourth TO twenty
three and three-fourths pork from IS 50
to $9-and so on.
Mr.. Brynn predicts that the rise is
but temporary. But suppose It should
be proved that he is wrong again? Is
he not perhaps laying up trouble" for
himself by failing to observe the pru-
dent admonltion of Hosea Blglow:
Don't never prophesy onless We
know"
The fact that Mr.. Bryan can "rojolce
in the rise while II lasts" shows his
buoyant and kindly temperament to cx-
cellent advantage. This Is the mood OF
the country. 1t is willing to accept pros
pe-ity without inqulring too cautiously
into its causes.And so long as there is
good money enough to buy the crops
and move them, to discharge n great
burden OF Indebtedness and to start
again all the wheels OF industry. we
doubt II even Mr.. Bryan's magnetism
and eloquence can rekindle the excite
ment OF last year for cheaper money