Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1902-06-30
WILLIAM J. BRYAN
ON THE REPUBLICAN, CRY, "LET
WELL ENOUGH ALONE"


moner' on the "Prosperity" Situation.
Party Boosting Does Not Alter Facts.
Subsidy Hunters Are Not Content to "lst
Well Enough Alone"
The republican leaders, from Hanna
down, are shouting "Let well enough
alone" They assume the existence OF
universal prosperity, and then assuming
that it is due to the republican party,
appeal to the people not to risk change
of administration. The plea which they
make is so absurd that it seems hardly
worth refuting, and yet the fact that
they make it and continue to make it,
shows, first. that they have no better
arguments to present, and, second, that
they believe this argument will influence
the voters. That industrial conditions
are better than they were in the summer
of 1896 is not disputed by amy one, but
the improvement is neither as great nor
as uniform as republicans assert, and the
improvement which is noticeable is due
to causes entirely independent of repub-
lican success. The general and perma-
nent prosperity must begin with the
farmer. The agricultural population
amounts to nearly half Of the entire
population OF the country, and unless
farmers are able to buy, the merchants
cannot sell, and until they can sell the
mills cannot be run on full time. The
farmers prosperity can only be increased
by an increase OF the crop or an increase
in the price of the crop. The republican
party has done nothing to increase the
size of the farmers crop, although it
claims credit for the favorable seasons
that have brought bountiful yield to
the husbandman. Insofar as the farm
er's prosperity comes from good crops, it
had certainly been secured without the
aid OF republican leaders or republican
laws. Take the other source OF pros
perity the price; what has the republic
can party done to increase the price OF
any staple farm product? The improve
ment in price, insofar as there is i'm
provement, is mainly due to two causes.
First, to increased volume of money, and,
second, to the wars that have prevailed
in Asia, Africa and the West Indies
The Boer war drew $50 600 soldiers from
the ranks of labor and threw upon the
government responsibility for their cloth
ing and support. England mortgaged
the future to secure money for immediate
distribution. During the Spanish war
our government had 100000 soldiers I'M
der arms, and since that time has had
nearly one hundred thousand. The re-
publican party cannot claim credit for
an increased volume of money, because
the increase has teen due partly to new
discoveries OF gold--a thing neither
prophecied nor brought about by the
republican administration-partly by the
money brought into the country by our
exports, thing not attributable to re-
publican policies, and partly by the coin
age of the silver bullion in the treasury,
a thing which was compelled by the
democrats and objected to by tire repub-
leans. The only increase in the currency
for which the republicans can claim
credit is the increase in the bank note
circulation, and this is partly Offset by
the steps taken for the retirement OF the
greenbacks.
The republicans will hardly claim that
they brought on the war in South Africa
or continued the war in the Philippines
in order to furnish market for farm
products. 1t will be seen upon investi-
CATION, therefore, that the republicans
are claiming credit for condition to
which they did not materially contribute.
One republican speaker in a recent
speech said that President Mckinley
found democratic president issuing
bonds to pay the expenses OF the govern
ment, but that republican administra
ton had raised money to carry on wal
and still had ample revenue after re-
pealing the war taxes.
The Wilson bill, with which the repub
licans have found so much fault, made
adequate provision for the revenues o
the government, but the supreme court
by majority OF one, reversed the unani
nous decision of previous court anC
held the income tax law unconstitutional
thus taking away considerable part o
the revenues which the Wilson bill pro
vided for. 1t was this that crippled thu
Wilson bill; but for it that bill would
have yielded ample revenue for all thu
needs OF the government.
Only part of the money secured b.
Cleveland's sale of bonds was used t.
meet deficit in the revenues. TIL,
money borrowed by Cleveland was Dor
rowed in pursuance of republican polio.
established at the dictation of Wal
,, street and declared by Mr.. Carlisle in hi
testimony before house committee Il