Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1908-08-27
Calling ON the Farmers.

MI. bryan invites farmers TO come
forward With campaign contributions
and reminds them that many OF their
number would not miss 500 from
their cash surplus if they gave this
amount toward a change Of the ma
tionaI administration from Republican
to the Bryan faith cure Twelve years
ago, IN the first and much the most
promising Of his efforts as a presi-
Dental candidate, Mr.. Bryan appealed
TO farmers as a poverty-stricken class,
contendlng with low prices and fnan-
cial evils that he said were due TO the
gold standard, and that could be cured
only by reducing the value of the dol
lar one-haif. regardless of what other
nations might think or do about it.
Many filters OF the soil thought there
was truth in this theory, and certainly
knew mat the prices of farm products
were low The country at that time
was under a Democratic administration
and mad recently been subject to full
Democratic control, but Mr.. Bryan
preached new kind of Democracy, es-
peciaIIy in regard to the money stand
ard Several northern AGRICULTURAL
States west of the Mississippi rave him
a majority in 1896, but wen. against
him four years later, because events
proved MIN to be mistaken liz views and
false III reasoning Prosperity came by
taking the road he declared would be
fatal.
No longer is Mr.. Bryan offering the
farmers a 50-cent dollar. He is silent
| on that subject. He can smile and
smile just the same, regardless of his
large collection of played-out para
mount issues. His argument now is
that, ID some mysterious way, farmers
will be benefited by his election and
that since the gold standard has re-
plenlshed their cash reserve, they
should invest a part of it in the latest
Bryan blind pool. The most powerful
political microscope fails to show any
tangible good for farmers in the Bryan
program In fact, he has nothing wor-
thy TO be called a prospective line of
action. If he were elected the Senate
Will continue to be Republican through
out his term. His policies, if he has
any outside of free trade, could not
| take the form of laws during the next
four years. He has had no experience
in craftsmanship. His brief and only
| official service has been in the House
| of Representatives. He could name a
| new Secretary of Agriculture, but that
| department has, been admirably well
| managed during the last twelve years,
and its field effectively broadened, as
every live farmer knows.
Farmers do not gather in cash so
easily that they will send a share to
political committees without substan-
tial reasons. Mr.. Bryan, in his way,
is farmer. but has said that he must
make money otherwise to keep even.
He received last year 2,000 from lee
| turing and his political organ adds
largely to his income. His perpetual
candidacy advertises his lectures and
his weekly paper. He can give strong
personal pecuniary reasons for the
course lie purSueS, out Wndl Is Inere III
it for farmer who sends 500 to his
campaign fund after digging the money
out of the soil? Under the last Demo
cratic tariff a sheep could not be sold
for 80 cents. NJ. Bryan offers another
free trade Democratic tariff with a cor
responding range of prices. What else
he offers no prophet can tell though
much can be guessed from the fact
that he is already up to his neck in
exploded fallacies, subject on which
he is dumb in spite of his unlimited
facility for speech. A farmer who sends
money to the Bryan campaign fund
must truly have a superiority to throw
at the birds.-St. Louis GlObe-Demo-
craft