The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1900-10-19
Bryan Again Sounds the Free ST.
yer Slogan.
BUSINESS MEN poN,'TALIKEl IN.
Chorus OF Protests From Democrats. North
and South-Honest Money and Pros
perlty Must Be Continued.

front again, and there It will remain
until It is decided by the voters In No
pember.
Mr.. Bryan put 1t there himself In his,
recent letter OF acceptance. Free sill
yer and free, trade were the leading
topics In that letter and the Demo
cratic candidate there reiterated hts
settled purpose to secure free silver
coinage and an abolition Of the present
tariff Mt the earliest opportunity.
The gold Democrats and the solid
business men Of the country, Demo
cratic and Republican, northern and
southern. do not relish this programme
the least little bit, A chorus Of Demo
cratic protests is swelling up from all
parts of the country. Hundreds of
letters and other communication from
southern Democrats are ON file Mt Re
publican Headquarters. almost all of
them favoring continuance OF the
present tariff and gold standard, which
are recognized as the basis OF the
south's recent great advance In pros
perity. Advlces from the west are to
the same effect. The Missouri Demo
Gratis are up In arms against the
threatened degradation of the dollar
and interruption Of business stability.
The news from New jersey 10 very ia
yorable to the Republican cause. Many
campaign meetings have been held
and the audiences have been invari-
ably lnrger and enthusiastic. Similar
reports come from many other quar-
ters.
l. Business Men Disposed TO Hedge.
Several cases have been made public
lately in which the execution Of
business contract has been conditioned
upon the defeat Of Mr.. Bryan In the
coming election and also in which pay
mcnt in gold or Its equivalent Is made
compulsory. The same measures were
taken by business men very generally
four years ago and for the same rea-
son-namely, that In case of the tri-
unlph OF the Democratic party Mr..
Bryan and his friends would stand
pledged to the immediate restoration
Of the free coinage OF silver mt 10 to i,
which would result in reducing the
value OF every dollar. except the gold
dollar, TO less than 30 cents. Conse-
uuN IbtlSUh hu" AhNO
n contract involving the future pay.
mcnt of money would be- liable, In case
of the election OF Mr.. Bryan. to have
the value of the contract scaled down
more than 30 per cent. unless sttpu-
latlon for payment In gold or Its equiv
alcnt should he included in the con-
tract. Likewise It is perfectly natural
for any one to make u contract to be
executed only In case of President Nc
Kinley's reelection. because In case OF
his defeat all the conditions OF business
Will be thrown iutO such confusion aud
chaos that people would much prefer
not to make any new contracts or
launch forth into any new enterprises.
Brief Review of Cold Facts.
The Inauguration of Democratic
president In March. 1898. marked the
beginning of the most distrcssful times
ever known In this country.
In the preceding November the ma
jorIty OF the nations working people
had seen fit to try the experiment OF
lettering their condition through in
trusting political power to the Demo
cratic party in both the administrative
and Legislative branches of the govern
mcnt. In exchange for the confidence
and power thus given it the Democrat
ic party gave within six months to the
working people Of the country the
most frightful dose OF general calamity
they had ever experienced Within
less than one year after the Industrial
workers had decided. In November OF
1892, not to let well enough alone pros
perity had set like the sun. there was
vast army of unemployed men. and
starvation and misery reigned among
tens of thousands previously well to
do.
The suddenncss and completeness
with which this terrible change In 1893
was wrought In the fortunes OF the
American people furnished fearfully
bitter lesson. But 1t Is lesson that II
is better for us to hold in vivid remem-
brance at this time rather than learn
II all over again by taking another
dose of Democracy mixed with Bryan
ism.
Southern Prosperity.
In every branch of productive Indus
try that can be named there have been
increased activity aud Increased profit
during McKinlcy's administration as
compared with the previous low tariff
administration of Cleveland. In these
benefits the south has fully participant
cd and shared equally with the north.
In fact. in many lines the south has
outstripped the north in the record OF
commercial Development during the
past four years. Last year SO0,OoU new
srlndles were put in operation in the
south, and 1.4lS.OO0 additional spindles
are In course OF erection. This means
that within year the south Will have
in operation % per cent more spIndles
than it now has and 80 per cent more
than 1t had yenr ago.
General Prosperity
! Taking the whole country through.
the record of the last four years Is
equally astonishing, as illuminating
the contrast between the conditions
under the last Democratic administra-
ton and the Mckinley administration.
A few specimen figures may be cited:
1906. 1900.
Sunbe, OF employees