The San Francisco call., 1897-09-07
BRYAN VS.. BRYAN.

Vl list has given his views of the rise in wheat and other
prices, and the readers of THE CALL have read his au
otave statement from his standpoint of the reasons for sill
yer falling while other prices rise.
Mr.. Bryans statement is long but not lucid, and will be
accepted only by the thoroughly thckandthin element
among his followers.
1t is to be regretted that his statement like of his
repetitons of Speech in logical fom but hapsodica
rather than argumentatye The comminuted quality of his
style admirably however to conceal the infinite contra
dcons in which his position makes necessary to involve
himself.
He saws: "Bimetaists contend that the law of supply
and demand universal Wheat has risen because the foreign
crop has been exceedingly short" Then, after wandering
over ground that we will traverse later, he says
'Whe the Republicans to have over to our
position there essential difference between them and the
bmetasts The latter desire to raise prices to bimeac
level and keep them there by financial system which will
furnish standard money sufficient in volume to keep
with the demand for money! Having just said the law
of supply and demand is universal he proposes raise all
prices to bimealc level, whatever that may be, and then
keep them there Is it nopan then that he proposes to raise
prices and keep them up regardless of the law of supply and
demand which he has just said UNIVERSAL If universal it
is natural law, and if natural law the bimealss can
affect it as little as they the law of gravitaion.
Suppose that Mr.. Bryan has raised all prices bmeta-
lie level and the crop fails again twohds of the wheat
zone what device does he propose keep wheat from rising
above the mythical bimeac level? How is he going to keep
there supply and demand act as universal lawf the
wheat out supply exceeding the worlds de-
mand by what device does he propose keep the price from
going below the bmetallc level2
Let it be understood that the term 'bimetaic
level" only because he it. of those abracadabra
tells what prices would be under the influence of this mythical
iackscrew. We attach meaning to it, and it has
cept imaginary level above that of present prices to
which all values be elevated by act of Congress,
gardess of the universal law of supply and demand
Leaving that there two elements in his statement
which deserve reference He says: "We told last fall
that an appreciang dollar was national blessing By whom
we told anything of the kind of Mr. Byan's
public prominence must be exact In statements of fact In
what PLATFORM speech effort of persuasion in the campaign
last fall appears the declaration that appeeiang dollar
national bessingi
We of the difficulties of Mr.. Biyans position.
dscedted prophet is like mill when the changes its
channe-it is not further useful MILL Mr. Bryans place
in politics achieved by his art in playing
prophet his misfortune that he frequently became specific
prophet should urk in the shadows gurave expression
He fixed public attention upon his oftenmad declaration that
wheat and silver go together price, bushe wheat and an
ounce of silver being always equal in the makeplace
This declaration The history of prices
shows that had s. cents and wheat at ST. both
with silver at 81 The universal law of supply
and demand made the price of and silver en and the
law sends wheat sinks silver So cents
The next mmatea incompetent and irrelevant observa-
ton of Mr. Bryan the statement that wages have risen
with wheat and other prices
He should know that wages did not fall with other prices
1t true that the total of wages paid less because
millions OF aborng out of employment since the
panic of I8o3 But most of the country great wagepay
ing energies destroyed parayzed the scale but
little affected AS industries begin again labor be-
ing gradually absorbed in employment and having had nothing
with which pay low prices least has something with which
to pay the higher prices current
But why does Mr.. Bryan talk of wages here when in
Mexico he has chance to study the sbimetac eve prices
and wages all at onoe7 In that country takes s. 40 in silver
to buy 81 in gold Therefore in the market costs ST here
approximately costs there 81 49, Silver being the Mexican
standard of value and medium exchange value declines
so does its purchasing power and prices appear Mr.
Byan's bimetaic level But have wages there in re-
sponse to this fall in the purchasing power of sver7 Mr.
Bryan knows they have not The Mexican wage scae is
may about third the United States SCALE and stands un
changed while bmetalc evel prices of the necessaes of
life have risen Ito Der cent