The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1905-02-23

the calls that he was compelled to
again arise. A motion had been intro
duced whereby his time was unlimited
The ease Of the speaker, his clear
sighted statements of his position
upon the issues under discussion, and
the brilliancy of his power OF oratory,
gradually worked his audience to that
stage of enthusiasm where hats fly in
the air and yells supplant shouts.
The ovation accorded Mr. Watson
after he had completed his address
borrowed closely on pandemonium.
Those upon the platform fiocked about
him, and others jumped upon the stage
to grasp his hand. Not content to sea
him from the stage, he was urged
from the platform and compelled to
meander through the hall and receive
the homage of the different delega-
tons, while cheer upon cheer was
given in his honor. He spoke as fol-
lows:
II beg leave, fellow-members of the
convention, to call to your attention
some preliminary facts before going
into an argument about our condition.
The first fact that beg to call your at
tention to is that three years ago
there was an overproduction OF coffee.
The usual worlds consumption of cof-
fee is 100000 bags, and three years
ago there was an overproduction Of
100000 bags. Coffee is controlled
by a trust. The coffee trust absolute
~ fixes the price of coffee just as the
Standard Oil company fixes the price
Of oil. What has been the result?
With almost twice as much coffee for
years, as the world was able to buy,
the price of coffee has not declined,
but has steadily advanced. ZAP
plause.)
what has become Of the 100000
bags surplus? The coffee trust retired
it three years ago from the market,
and it's still retired from the market.
There was necessity for doing it; they
did it, and what has been the result?
They not only have kept up the price
of coffee to it's former standard, but
during the three years in which they
have advanced it, and in the following
years in which they will still advance
1t, they will compel the users of coffee
to pay, in that additional price, every
dollar that that surplus is worth. Gap
plause.)
That's one fact. Another, which
call your attention, is that few years
ago, just preceding the jute bag
ging fight, there was corner
on cotton in New York; full supply
across the water. The bulls having
entirely the advantage. of the bears, it
was impossible for the bears in this
country to deliver spot cotton, and
they were up against the necessity OF
delivering, not fictitious cotton, but
spot cotton.
In order to get what they had to
have under their contracts to save
themselves from bankruptcy, the
wires carried the message to Liverpool
and the ships brought the cotton back
to New York, and it was that spot cot
ton, brought in under free trade, that
saved the shorts, saved the bears from
the merciless grasp of the bulls and
put down the price of cotton to
where the short Spectator could set
tie with safety to himself. (Applause)
'And / call your attention to an
other fact. For 100 years the strong
arm of the United States government
has been thrown around, not the farm
er who makes the cotton, but the man
ufacturer who works it up into cotton
goods. For 100 years the manufacture
er has been protected against the for
eigner, in order that the home people
might be benefited in the lcng run, and
the result of the long run is that to-
night the foreigner, the Japanese, the
Chinese, almost any foreigner, can buy
cotton goods cheaper on their own
market than we can buy them here at
home. (Applause.)