Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1908-07-16

again. But II Is not so fearsome as
formerly, The people are fsmIliar With With
through the bitter experience of Repub-
lican panics. AS President. Mr.. Bryan
would be broad-minded. cautious, con-
sentative and just That he would set a
frowning face and stubborn front against
dishonesty, lawlessness, and all forms of
encroachment on well-defned popular
rights, is certain. But always he would
act deliberately, judiciously and justly.
so as to conserve the just rights of
every man and every interest. Some
times Mr.. Bryan has made suggestions
of policy that did not command my un-
qualified approval. / have more than
on &c discussed with him questions about
which we were not in full accord. / did
not find him impatient, petulant or dog
matte. On the contrary, he likes a mar
who thinks for himself and speaks his
own mind He does not believe himself
incapable of mistakes, and he invites dis
eussion with a view to correct action
and the evoivement of beneficent results. |
AS President he would gather around
him the wisest, most thoughtful ex-
perienced men of his party, and the
highest aim of his administration would
be not to tear down, but to build up,
and to do the greatest possible good to
the greatest number. A man so splendid
ly equipped as he is for public servsce,
and with his high aims and ambitions,
cannot be dangerous to his country or
the great body of his coun,rymen. His
administrator would become distin-
guished for things san and practical,
without stunts spectacular or spasmodic.
1t 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, felow-citizens, are the leaders;
this the way of their choosing and the
promise of their performance.
From the discussion of men l pass now
to the discussion of conditions and poll
cies.
THE PANIC.
nave adverted to the fact that in 1896
and 1900 Mr.. Bryan was pictured by his
enemies as the dark evangel of industrial
ruin. Methods of deception without a
neutrality-suspicious., mendaciouS and inn
moral-were adopted to excite apprehen-
sion hat Bryan's success would be the
equivalent of disaster. Not only so, but
a monstrous, wholesale Indictment was
noisily proclaimed that Democratic as
cendancy was the invariable signal for
national -retrogression. Do you not re-
call the multitudinouS changes rung on
the so-called Cleveland panic? With
what pathetic e%loquence were doleful pic
lures painted of depressed Industries, OF
enforced idleness, of restitution and soup
houses! Soup-houses, 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.
The grandiloquent assurance with which
they proclaimed their superior proWeSs IN
statecraft and higher capacity for sue
cessful government was confoundlng IN
| sH- xy~-xr n,Iaattxy mil hrn6 ICG11DG
financial disturbances, Industrial depres-
sions, were evils impossible, they shouted,
under a Republican administration. AS
long as Republicans ruled the sun would
surely shine, without even a f1eecy cloud
let upon the sky. But how, alas. have
these proud boasts eventuated, and how
! have these captivating promises been full
!. filled? For ten years the Republicans
have occupied all the executive offices
and controlled both Houses of Congress
r by large majorities. For ten years they
have been supreme, exercising power Sc
: absolute as to be beyond the possibility
! Of successful challenge. And what has
/ happened? What has become of the per-
i ennial sunshine, and what of the fieecy
q clouds? For nine months now we have
! had the devil to pay. A storm. long brew
: ing, broke with startling suddenly upor
q the country. Nearly every bank in every
+ state suspended payments, and scores o.
them toppled to a fall, carrying wrecl
: and ruin to thousands, The banks every
r where, unable to realize on their securl
: ties and meet lawful demands upo them
t were compelled, with the enforced con
nivance of public officials, to issue scrip
8 shin plasters-based on their own credit
to bridge the emergency of even curren
I and ordinary business and check TN
: growing havoc. These bank issues de
positors, supply houses, Wage-earnerS
I were obliged to accept as money, trusting
to luck, or go without. l refer to thi
q not to reproach the banks, for, although
g this action was violative of the. law,
y nn.rrTya5 n of tho TINA and T nnnTnN
i it now. I approved it on the theory tina
: I would justify a trespass to check
contiagration. They did wisely to take tn
. hazard. But the banks were not the onl!
sufferers. The great industrial establish
ments of the land have either reduce.
h their pay-rolls and output, or shut OF
q their furnaces and closed their doors
Although enormous quantities of agr1cul
tural, mining and manufactured product
were piled up throughout the country
d there was no money to handle them, no
markets to absorb them. A a conse
a auence of this, freight traffic fell ava,
until the transportation companies hav
n been on the verge of bankruptcy, an
many, indeed, have been forced INTO re
ceiverships. AS late as March 10th, o
the present year, the management of tn
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company is
sued a statement to the effect that q
that date that company had 19,20O ldl
Q freight cars standing on yard and side
tracks and in shops, out of a total Q
d ST, 500 cars. Those idle cars represente
a ~non-productive Investment of $40, 200, 00
About the same time l was Informed b
,e a prominent official of the great Burning
d ton System that that system then .ha
# more than 40, 600 idle cars. These are bu
examples of a condition universally pre-
vailing among the railroads. This panic
IA storm, which, with varying severity, ma
n swept the land, has affected in a relatiy
degree every industrial activity OF tn
country. For months there was universe
~stagnattsn, disastrous and .pitiful, an
L ~ -4tl -arVpi1 In u
! section. Tens of thousands of wageme
have lost employment and thousands hav
been driven to want. | could fill page
y with authentic accounts of wage-losse
=, and resultant restitution. 1t has bee
y stated on excellent authority that 800,
~ railroad employees alone have been lai
off in all branches OF the service, ON
~ !, a short time ago Mr.. Mellen, president Q
- licly stated that the panic had SO SER
is ously affected business hat his compan
y had been compelled to reduce the service
q and that since December 18th they ha
III dismissed 5000 men. Right here in Mis-
e souri, approximately 15, 600 men, repre-
y senting all departments, have been lai
is off or discharged. But to these must :
added that still greater army sent fort
= downcast, and too often empty-hande6
. from shops, stores, mines and other helo
Of industry. The aggregate is appalling
=, There nave been bread riots-real brea
q riots by hungry, men, women and chi
n dren-in cities like Chicago, Buffalo an
s New York; and to relieve a most menat
y ing situation thousands of unemploye
AZ men were given temporary employmer
y on public works in Philadelphia Thei
le nave been more ~soup-houses in the cas-
e and more people supported by such char
y ties h ever before. And not only
Il the east, but even here in bounteous Of
O. Missouri the grim necessity of the soul
n, house was forced upon the people. He
10 this from the Springfield, Missouri, RI
le publican, whose editor throated a wa
OF over the Cleveland panic and made tt
a air blue with frightful prophecies shoul
y. Bryan be elected:
~ "Calls for aid at soup-houses are II
~ - rirr nuarN- day Mora IMAM Il