The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-08-24
BRYAN ON nation 5 NEEDS
Continued From First Page

lis crop he knows not whether 1t viii be
blessed with rain or blighted with
blow it down or hail destroy it, or insects
leVour 1t, and the price of his crop Is as
uncertain as the quantity. If a private
monopoly can suspend production and Ak
the price of raw material, as we'll as toe
price of the finished product, tlN farmer,
poWerless TO protect himself when he
sells, Is plundered when he purchases
Can any farmer hesitate to throw the
influence OF his ballot upon the side of
those who desire to protect the public at
large from monopolies2
The fact that the trusts support the
party ought to be sufficient
proof that they expect protection from 1t.
The Republican party cannot be relied
upon TO extinguish the trusts so long as
it draws its campaign contributions from
their overfiowing vaults.
The prosperity argument which the Re-
pubEcanS bring forward to answer all
complaints against the administration
Will not deceive the farmer. He knows
that two factors enter into his income;
first, the size Of his crop, and, second,
the price which he receives for the game.
He does not return thanks to the party
in power for favorable weather and a
bountiful harvest, and he knows that the
party has no policy which In
sures permanent increase in agricultural
prices. Since he sells his surplus in a
foreign market, he is not a beneficiary of
the tariff, and since he produces mer-
chandise and not money, he does not
profit by the appreciation OF the dollar.
He knows that the much Wanted pros
perity, of which he has never had his
share, Is on the Wane in spite Of the I'M
usual and unnatural stimulation which It
has received during the last three years.
g larger number of failures than the cor
responding month OF 1899, and that there
is already a marked tendency toHaEA a
decrease in the output of the factories.
He knows also that discoveries of gold,
famines abroad and war on three con-
tinentS have not been able to raise the
trusts and combinations have raised the
price of the things which the farmer
buys.
Our opponents have tried to make II
appear that we are inconsistent when we
desire a general rise in prices, and yet
oppose an arbitrary rise in protected
manufac tures or trust-made goods. There
Is no conflict whatever between these two
If a general rise In prices
occurs because of a permanent increase
in the volume of money, all things ad-
just themselves to the new level, and i
the volume of money then increases IT
proportion to the demand for money, the
price level remains the same and bus
If, however, the rise is arbitrary, anC
only affects a part of the products Of
labor, those whose products do not par
tieipate in the rise suffer because the
creased. If a bad monetary system drag!
down the price of the farmers product
while monopolies raise the price Of wha
he buys, he burns the candle at botI
ends and must expect to offer IN com
parison with those who belong to the
classes more favored by legislation.
1t is sometimes urged by partisan Pop
uliSts that four years moi Of Repub
iican misrule would so aggrayate econom
ic conditions as to make reforms easier
No one can afford to aid in making mat
tiers worse in the hope of being able
to make them better afterwards. for IT
SO doing he assumes responsibilities
which he may not be able to remedy
No Populist, however sanguine, believes
1t possible to elect a Populist presiden
at this time, but the Populist party may
be able to determine whether a Demo
crat or a Republican will be elected. Mr.
Chairman, the Populist convention, which
your committee represents, thought II
better to
SHARE WITH THE DEMOCRATS
in the honor Of securing some Of the re-
forms desired by your party, than tc
bear the odium of remaining neutral In
this great crisis, or Of giving open oil
secret aid to the Republican party
which opposes all the reforms for which
the Populists contend.
Those who labor to improve the con
ditions which surround their fellow meI
are apt to become impatient; but they
must remember that it takes time Il
work out great reforms. Let me Illus
trate by calling your attention to the
slow growth Of public opinion in sup.
port Of a proposition to which there has
been pra ctically no open opposition
President Johnson, In 1868, recommended
constitutional amendment providing fol
a direct vote OF the people, but his rec.
ommendation met with no response
About twelve years later, Gen. Weaver
then member Of congress, desired t.
SECURE the passage Of such a resolution
submitting such an amendment, but his
efforts were futile. In 1882, the resolution
recommended by President Johnson, anG
urged by Congressman Weaver, finally
passed the house OF representatives, bu
It has not yet reached a vote in the sen
Of public discussion, the proposition fol
the first time received the Endorsement
OF the national convention Of one Of tn,
great parties.
fall, we shall see this reform accom-
plished before the next presidential cleo
ton, and with its accomplishment, tn,
people will find it easier to secure any
remedial legislation which they may de-
sire. But how hating has been the
progress Holland has saidi
Heaven Is not gained by a single bound
We build the ladder by which we rise,
From the lowly earth to the vaultet
And We mount to It's summit round BY
round"
And SO It is with great social and
political movements
Great problems are solved slowly, but
struggling humanity marches on step by
step, content If at each nightfail, it car
pitch its tent on a little higher ground
| have called attention to the Issues
which brought the Democrats and Pop.
4-fr x1nr
cooperation during the last four years
Let me now invite attention to
NEW QUESTIONS
which would justify cooperation at this
time even though we differed upon al
economic questions. It Is not our fault
that these new questions have been
thrust into the arena Of politics; 1t IS
not our fault that the people have been
called upon to consider questions Of ev-
embarrassing magnitude. In 1890 the
tariff question was the principal sub
Ject OF discussion. and the Democratic
party commended that the masses were
carrying burden of unjust and unnec-
essary taxes In 1892 the tariff question
was still the principal issue between the
Democratic and Republican parties al.
though in the West and South the money
question was assuming greater and
greater proportions, and the Populists
were contending that our monetary sys-
tenn was more responsible than the tariff
laws for the depression in agriculture
and the distress existing among the wage
earners. In 1895 the whole question Of
taxation became OF secondary impor-
lance because Of the increased boldness
of those who opposed the gold and silver
coinage Of the constitution. Then the
declared at st. Louis that
the restoration Of biInetalllsm in this
country, although desirable, was inpos-
sible without the aid OF the leading com
mercial nation of the old world the
Popultsts and Silver Republicans ioined
with the Democrats In asserting the
right and duty of the American peon1e
to shape their financial system for them
selves. regardless of the action of other
nations. The failure of the Republican
party TO secure international bImetallism
and its open espousal of the gold stand
ard still kept the money question in