Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-11-11
REPUBLICAN PROSPERITY.

REPUBLICAN PROSPERITY.
Although for obvious reasons the
effects have not been felt to any con-
siderable extent in this immediate Sec
ton, except by cotton manufacturers,
there is no doubt of the fact that the
United States, as a whole, is much
more prosperous now than at any
time since 1890, and especially since
Mr.. Bryan made his memorable free
silver campaign three years ago.
The Republican party is Industrious
ly claiming credit for this increased
prosperity. Through its speakers,
they attribute it to the benefcent ef-
fects of it's tariff policy and to the
restoration of confidence, occasioned
principally by the removal of the fear
that the "free silver vagary" of the
Democrats might prevail. That both
political parties should claim credit for
everything that is good is in perfect
keeping with their character; but, as a
matter of fact, the prosperity which is
prevailing throughout every section OF
the country, except our own section,
belongs to neither of them.
More than to any other one thing
the advanced prices of commodities OF
all kinds-which advance is variously
estimated as ranging from 20 to 80 per
CENTS attributable to the increased
production of gold throughout the
world during the past few years. And
although, as we have said, the Demo-
cratic party cannot claim credit for
this, at the same time the squirt OF
prosperity now on proves most conclu-
sively the correctness of the teachings
of Mr.. Bryan. and those who have all
along been his disciples.
Mr. Bryan's argument was that the
world did not have a sufficient supply
of money for the reason that the pro-
duction of gold, the one money metal,
was not nearly in proportion to the
increase in population and business
and industrial development. The ef-
feet of this was dollar that was con-
stantly increasing in value and as con-
stantly, therefore, upjustly adding to
the burdens of the debtor, while it was
as upjustly pouring into the lap of the
creditors profits that he had never
honestly earned. At the time Mr.. Bry-
an first began to preach these facts, the
Klondike had not been discovered,
and the production of the South Afri-
can mines was not yet being felt.
Since then gold production has been
increased by fully one-third, and the
i'm mediate effect of this increased pro-
duction has been an advance in the
price of all kinds of commodities.
Had Mr.. Bryan's remedy-the free
coinage of silver-been put into effect
in 1890, we would have then had, al
most at once, squirt of prosperity
equal to that which has been grad
ually developing during the past three
or four years, and which has became
so plainly apparent during the last
few months. And it is not yet too
late for the adoption of Mr.. Bryan's
doctrines of free coinage. 1t will do
as much good now as it would have
done in 1890, and is just as necessary.
1t will raise prices and give increased
prosperity to just about the same ex-
tent as has been occasioned by the re-
cent increased production of gold.
Convincing evidence of the correct
ness of the theory here set forth, is
to be found in the uneasiness of the
New York bankers about the probable
duration of the war in South Africa.
They unhesitatingly attribute the pres
ent inflated value of all kinds of secu-
rites to the cheapness of gold occasion,
ed by the heavy production of South
Africa, amounting to about one-third
the annual production of the world.
They realize that if this increased sup
ply is cut off for any considerable
length of time, the result will be the
enhanced value of the gold, increased
purchasing power of dollar, and q
falling in the price of securities.