Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-10-18

THE OTTUMWA COUT
For instance, the campaign of 1892
was fought on tariff. These boys had
been Fostering us for twenty years to
DE allowed to lift the burdens from
the farmers. Well, after big cam
paign we gave them .ne opportunity
they wanted, and they promptly pro-
ceeded to lift all the burdens, and at
the same time relieved us of nearly
everything else we possessed. There
is not one of them now who mentions
the tariff as an issue.
I'm 1896 the country was presented
with new issue, and strange to say,
1t was presented by this same party.
They came along and saw us in the
poor houses, in the soup houses, and
nearly anywhere we could get shell
ter, and they said: Boys, haven't we
seen you before? Your faces look ia
miliar.' Bryan came along and said:
From the looks of you people think
you are, suffering from the crime of
'73. l know exactly what is the mat
ter with you, and what to do with
you
''rhey went to the farmer and said
that corn was too low, crops too low,
the prices of everything were too low.
They said that the reason was not the
fault of the farmer, but because we
had 200 cent dollars. They proposed
to double the price of corn by cutting
the dollar in two. Bryan said that the
dollar was a balloon dollar and declar-
Ct himself the one who was especial
ly fitted to puncture the balloon. But
the American people carefully studied
his system and drew back from such
a 'hocus-pocus plan of finances.
Women's Influence in Politics.
Bryan said that the reason he lost
the election in 1896 was that the vot-
ers of the country were corrupted and
bought, and in this connection he in
variably brings in your Uncle Mark.
He further says that those who were
not coerced were inundated. l don't
know how long the laboring men will
stand being ADVERTISED for sale. l
think that the laboring men went
back on Bryan because of the women.
! For, altho the men were much en-
Unused and excited over the promises
he made, you never saw woman lose
her head during the whole campaign.
| The levelheadsd wife said to the Ia
boring man: Before you go into an
enterprise the object of which is to
double the price of everything, you
had best ask for contract providing
for doubling of your wages. Then,
as Mr.. Bryan could furnish no con-
tract, the people voted to bear the ills
he prophesied rather than stand the
chance of the misfortunes their judg.
ment told them would befall if he were
elected. If we didn't trust him in 1896
why should we do so now? If he
could not cure our ailments then what
reason have we to believe that he can
understand them now? 1t is my opin
on that Mr.. Bryan, instead of knowing
all about the matters of our political
life, is a helpless humbug. All his
prophecies made four years ago are
known now to have been false. None
of them have since been borne out by
fact. Yet think none the less of him
for his wrong prophecies. Prophecy
tho, is a hard business, and no one
should go into it without a good work
ing capital. Bryan made theSnistake
in putting himself in too short time
limit in his prophecies. He told wha
would happen next year and the re
suit played sad havoc, with the proph
etc literature of the Bryan campaign
The "First Battle"
81 have book written by Mr.. Bryan
which he called the First Battle, ant
from all indications it will be the last
The book was printed in the fall o
it sold well, bringing $3.50 a copy.
-, lac ,ff o-
much search, for they seemed to have
almost disappeared, for 25 cents. l
contains the prophetic literature o
Bryan. Let me read few extracts
The first one was made at Newton
made while enroute from Nebraska t.
New York. He said that this part o
, his speech was suggested to him b.
the fact that the town was named 70
!, Sir Isaac Newton, famous as the inter
prefer of the law of gravitation. ST
Isaac said that he felt humble, an,
: likened his sensation to the boy on tn
beach gathering pebbles. This is MI
Bryan's prophecy: Some of the laws
! may say all of the laws of finance
are as certain in their operation an
: as irresistible in their force as the lay
of gravitation.' Gle is standing O
the beach now.) If you throw a ston
into the air we know it will com
, down (He is still on the beach. H
has not ventured out OF the realms c
certainty. Now he wades in the waite
! up to his knees.) 'Why?' (He is u
,, to his neck.) Because it goes towar
,, the center of the earth (Now h
= plunges) The law upon which W
! base our faith is as sure as the law c
gravitation. If we hold gold star
dard the prices are as certain to ia
| as is the stone thrown into the air
: Gle has joined McGinty.)
"On page $50 in this book of propl
, ecies is speech he made at Mime
apolis. He says there was an aud
!. ence of 1900 people present, all {
, them women. ! am glad he had tn
Y grace and courtesy to make the hes
2 speech of the campaign there. but
t would like to know Just what thos
women think of him now. He said
Gold standard means dearer none.
dearer money means cheaper propert.
: cheaper property means harder time
e harder times means more people OF