Mexico weekly ledger., 1908-07-16

bones, the skeleton is set to dancing
again. But 1t is not so fearsome as
hormer,yi me people are familiar with
through the bitter experience OF Repub-
lean panice. As President, Mr.. Bryan
would be broad-ininded. cautious, con-
sentative and just. That he would set O
browning face and stubborn front against
dishonesty, l~awleesness, and all forms OF
e~ncroachment on well-defined popular
rights, ts certain. But always he would
act deliberately. j~udieiously and justly.
so as to conserve the Just rights Of
every man and every interest. SoEae-
times Mr.. Bryan has made suggestions
OF policy that did not command my un-
dualined approval ! have more than
which we were not in full accord. did
not find him impatient. ~petuiant or dog
matte. On the contrary, he likes q man
who thinks for himself and speaks his
own mind. He does not believe himself
incapable Of mistakes. and he invites dis
cuselon with a view to correct action
and the ey0lvement Of benefcent results.
AS President he would gather around
him the wisest, most thoughtful n ex-
perienced men or HIS party, and the
highest aim OF his administration wouIo
be not TO tear down, but to build up.
and TO do the greatest possible rood to
the greatest number. A man so splendid
- 'H - = wi. RbhAAI 1IA NaLEH
and with his high aims and ambitions,
cannot be dangerous to his country or
b great body Of his counrrymen. His
administration would become distin-
guished for things zane and practical,
without stunts spectacular or ~spasmodic-
it would be run solely In the interest
Of the people, would be made glorious
with great achievements and stand for
ever memorable In American history.
These, fellow-citizens, are the leaders;
this the way Of their choosing INT the
promise of their performance.
From the discussion of men l pas now
cies.
THE PANIC.
I have adverted to the fact that IN 1896
and 800 Mr., Bryan was pictured by his
ruin. Methods of deception without a
parallel-scandalous. m~endacious and i'm
moral-were adopted TO excite ~apprehen-
sion that Bryan's success would be the
a monstrous, wholesale indictment was
noisily proclaimed hat Democratic as
~cendancy was the invarlabie signal for
national retrogresslon. Do you not re-
call the multltudinous changes rung on
the so-called Cleveland panic? With
what pathetic eloquence were doleful pic
lures painted Of depressed industries. of
enforced idleness, OF destitutlon and soup
houses Soup-nouses, particularly, were
worked over time. In fact, these melan-
choly pictures were often painted on a
vast soup-bowl; but however painted, the
Democratic party was always swung in
the background as the grim, o~ver-shadow-
ing angel of destruction. And do you
not remember the wild howl with which
they burdened the complaining air be-
cause Cleveland issued bonds in a time OF
peace? Oh, how they called us names,
ugly names, and trod upon us. Never
were attacks so insolent and exasperat-
ing. Nor, on the other hand, was there
ever such effusive and offensive Boosting.
h grandiloquant assurance with which
they proclaimed their superior prowess in
statecraft and higher capacity for sue
cessful government was ~confounding in
It's very audacity. Panics. bond issues,
financial disturbances, Industrial depres-
sions, were evils impossible, they shouted,
under q Republican administration. AS
long as Republicans ruled the sun would
surely shine, without even a heecy cloud
let upon the sky. But how, alas, have
these proud boasts e~ventuated, and how
have these captivating promises been full
flled2 For ten years the Republicans
have occupied all the executive offices
and controlled both Houses Of Congress
by large majorities. For ten years they
have been supreme, exercising power so
absolute as to be beyond the possibility
OF successful challenge. And what has
happened? What has become Of the per-
ennial sunshine, and what of the fieecy
clouds? For nine months now we have
had the devil to pay. A storm, long brew
ing, broke with startling suddenly upon
the country. Nearly every bank in every
state suspended payments, and scores OF
them toppled. TO a fall, carrying wreck
and ruin to thousands. The banks every
where. unable TO realize on their securi-
ties and meet lawful demands pom them,
were compelled. with the enforced con-
nivance of public officials. to issue script
shin .plasters-based on their own credit,
70 bridge the emergency q even current
and ordinary business and check the
growing havoc. These bank issues de-
p~ositors, supply houses, wage-earners.
were obliged to accept as money. trusting
TO luck, or go without. | refer to this
not to reproach the banks, for, although
this action was violative of the law, /
approved 1t at the time, and / approve
i now; I approved il on the theory that
c~onaagration. They did wisely to take the
hazard. But the banks were not the only
sufferers. The great Industrial establish
ments of the land have either reduced
their furnaces and closed their doors.
Although enormous quantities of agrlcul-
tural, mining and manufactured products
were piled up throughout the country,
markets to absorb them. Al a conse-
quence of this, freight traffic fell away
until the transportation companies have
been on the verge OF bankruptcy, and
many, indeed, have been forced Into re-
ceiverships. As late as March 10th, of
the present year., the management of the
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company is
sued a statement to the effect that at
that date that company had 10, 200 idle
freight cars standing on yard and side
tracks n in shops, out OF a total of
81, 500 cars. Those Idle cars represented
a nor-productive investment of SO, 200, 900.
About the same time I was informed by
a prominent official of the great Burling-
ton System that that system then had
more than 40, 900 idle cars. These are but
examples of a condition universally pre-
vaillng among the railroads. This panic
storm, which, with varying severity, has
swept the land, has affected in a relative
degree every Industrial activity OF the
country. For months there was universal
stagnatlon, disastrous and .pitiful and
deep depression still prevails in every
section. Tens Of thousands of wagemen
have lost employment and thousands have
been driven to want. l could fill pages
with authentic accounts of wage-losses
and resultant restitution. 1t has been
stated on excellent authority that 500, 600
railroad employees alone have been laid
off in all branches of the service. Only
a short time ago MFR. Mellen. president of
the New Haven Railroad Company, pub
licly stated that the panic had SO seri-
ously affected business that his company
had been compelled to reduce the service,
and that since December 18th they had
dismissed 5000 men. Right here in Mis-
senting all departments, have been laid
off or discharged. But to these m be
added that still greater army sent forth
dewncast. and o. often e~mpty-handed,
from shops, stores, mines and other fields
of industry. The aggregate is appalling.
There have been bread r~iots-real bread
riots by hungry men, women and chill
dren-in cities like Chicago, Buffalo and
New York; and to relieve a most menac-
ing situation thousands of unemployed
men were given temporary employment
on public works In Philadelphia. There
have been more ~soup-houses In the east,
and more people supported by such chari-
ties than ever before. AND not only in
the east, but even here in bounteous old
house was forced upon the people. Hear
this from the Springfield, Missouri. Re-
publican. whose editor throated a wall
over the Cleveland panic and made the
air blue with frightful prophecies should
Bryan be elected:
"Calls for aid at soup-houses are in
creasing every day. More than 300
people were fed yesterday at the soup