Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1900-09-07
NO. 43.
ALETTER TO MY BOYS.
ALSO TO SOME OTHER BOYS CAST
ING A FIRST VOTE.
Bryans Unfullhlled Predictions and
Theories Prove Him an Un-
trustworthy Leader.

have read Mr.. Bryan's speech at In
dianapolis and that ''theee are some
things in it chat appear reasonable"
Well, Mr.. Bryan is a very plea SAINT
speaker and can make a plausible
showing when he has a very weak
case. He is clever respectable
gentleman who "eans his bread by
the sweat of his jaw" and he has
learned his trade very well. But let
me call your attention to a few solid
facts for you to consider before you
feel inclined to yield your mind to
his brilliant generalties about imper-
ialism.
l. Mr. Bryan's record proves him
to he an unsafe leader. He is a the
orist rather than a practical man of
affairs. In every campaign in the
past aud upon every issue heretofore
presented 20 the people for settlement,
MI. Bryan has been mistaken. The
results have proved that he was mi s.
taken. The natural presumption is
that he is mistaken now. When a
Democratic Congressman and also
when Populist leader in 1892, Mr..
Bryan was very sure that Free Trade
was the thing needed to insure pros
perity in the United States. He was
sure thatIthe ''robber tariff was MAX
ing it hard for the farmer and the wage
Garner to live. He and those who
believed as he did succeeded in con-
vincing the people, and the Wilson
bill, free trade measure, was adopt
ed and became a law. Three years
of bitter experience proved that Mr..
Bryan and his friends were mistaken.
Factories were closed; labOring men
were without employment; capital
found no productive investment, and
the produce of the farm brought no
adequate return to the farmer from
1898 to 1897 while this Free Trade
bill was the law.
III looO MI Ot til dnu his D0inO-
at-Populist following dropped the
tariff issue like hot potatoe and
took up that of free silver. During
that campaign he declared that if
the free coinage of silver at the ratio
of 16 to was not adopted, if gold
standard continued to be the law
and became the fixed policy of the
country, "tbat prices will go down
is as certain as the law of gravita-
ton !" that ''the rich will grow
richer and the poor poorer;" that
there will be a decrease in the
amount of money in circulation
that "the army of the unemployed
will continue to increase"
Results have proved that Mr.. Bry-
an was again mistaken. Every one
of his predictions turned out to be
false We had now a protective
tariff and the gold standard law.
Prices have gone up instead of down
while the rich have grown richer,
the poor have shared in the general
prosperity, the amount of money in
circulation has largely increased,
and labor was never more generally
employed nor more adequately re-
warded than now.
is it not fair to presume that the
gentleman who has always been
mistaken upon every other leading
issue is mistaken about imperialism,
which he declares to be the para
mount issue of this campaigh?"
2. Your father remembers two
campaigns tefore this when imper-
ialism and militarism were the key
note of the Democratic war cry.
The first was in 1864, when the
mighty Lincoln, was a candidate for
reelection, 1 remember that our
Democratic friends said that the re-
election of Lincoln meant the down.
fall of the republic and the estab-
lisbment of an empire by force of
arms.
The same cry came to to the front
in 1872 when Geoeral Grant was a
candidate for reelection. Caesar
ism, "nepotism," aud military
tyranny" were the sum and sub
stance of every Democratic speech,
aud the downfall of the republic was
predicted if Grant should be elected.
Well, the logic of events proved
that our Democratic friends were
mistaken. Lincoln and Grant were
elected, but the republic lived on.
No empire was established No
army tyranized over the people.
The nation grew and prospered.
, Free speech, free schools, and free
press not only continued but enlarg-
ed their privileges and powers.
In this letter l have shown you
that the presumption is against the
Democratic position.
In every campaign for forty years
tie logic of events has proved that
the Democrats were wrong and the
Republicans right. 1t is not unfair
to presume that such is the case this
year. Your FATHER.