Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-01
ACCOUNTING FOR PROSPERITY.


They cannot ignore or deny it. II con-
fronts them on every hand. They see 1t
in the general employment of labor; they
hear of it in the buzz and whirr of mills
and factories; they read of II in the sta
tlstics of domestic and foreign COM
merce; the overtaXed transportation IA
clities of the country bear evidence to
IT. the accumulating savings of the peo-
pie attest 1t; the record of Cancelled mort
cages is proof of It. 1t is an all-pervad-
ing condition, in which every section of
the country shares.
All this has come about within the
past three years. 1t has taken place
since the restoration of the republican
party to power. 1t succeeded period of
panic and distress during which the
democratic party was in control of the
government. Yet Colonel Bryan and his
followers refuse TO concede that any
credit for prosperity is due to republican
policy. They will not admit that the
success of the republican party three
years ago restored financial confidence,
revived industries, created demand for
labor and greatly increased the pur-
chasing power OF the people. The fact
that in 1903 the home market consumed
agricultural products to the value of
S4OO 100000 in excess of the consump.
ton of 1895, showing the effect of the
larger employment and better pay of
| labor, due to republican policy, has to
the popocratic mind no bearing upon
prosperity.
How the popocrats account for pros
perity is shown in what Colonel Bryan
said at Hastings. Note the sage deliver.
ance Of the peerless statesman" He
asked: How did the republican party
produce better times? Did it promise
in it's platform to discover more gold
in the British possessions? Did it send
famine to Europe and bring good
crops to the United States? Does the
republican party control rainT! What
puerility is this for political leader
who aspres to the highest Office in the
gift of the American people. Is 1t pos
sible that the most infatuated of Colonel
Bryan's followers are influenced by such
fustian? The republican party prom
ised what 1t knew could be accomplished
and every promise it made has been
fulfilled. Colonel Bryan said that in
1896 the republican party claimed we
had enough money. There was enough
for the business conditions of that time,
with half the industries of the country
idle, enterprise at Il standstin and vast
number Of the people out of employ
| ment. The great increase in the volume
of business since, requires more money
and this has been supplied from the
gold mines of the world, thus disprov-
Ing the assumption of Colonel Bryan
three years ago that there would never
be gold enough to supply the demand of
| the worlds business. The republican
party promised that prosperity would
| come from the opening of the mills and
| the employment of labor and this has
| been verified. The revival of industries
| has enormously increased the value of
the home market to the agricultural
producers. The value of agricultural
products exported in 1893 was 1854, ,OOO,>
600, while the value Of such products
consumed in this country was $685.
100000, or more than four times that
Of the exports AS compared with 1893,
the exports of agricultural products last
| year show gain in value of $239, ,OOO,.
| COO, while the home consumption of
these products in 1893 was greater by
$4OO,OOO,00O than in 1893. The repub.
lican party did not send famine to
Europe, but it did increase the purchas-
| ing power of our own people to an ex-
tent very much more valuable to Amerl-
can farmers than the increased foreign
demand for their products
Intelligent men, who reason from
facts, will not be misled by the shallow
attempts of Colonel Bryan to discredit
the beneficent effects of republican pol
icy upon the industry and the business
of the country. They have not forgot
ten the conditions of three years ago
when Bryan told them that the only
remedy for depression and distress was
the opening of the mints to the free and
unlimited coinage of silver at the ratio
OF ~ to l without the aid or consent of
any other nation and whose prediction
OF all sorts of ills and evils IL his theories
were not adopted has utterly failed of
verifcation. Colonel Bryan is still
preaching trouble, still seeing disaster
ahead, still apprehensive of the future
of the country. But in the light of an
abounding prosperity and the record OF
the last few years no thoughtful man
should be deluded by the professed fears
/ of the popOcratlc leader.