Omaha daily bee., 1908-10-17
TrHveIinE Mans view.

HUMPHREY. Neb., oct. 15.-To the Edi-
tor Of The Bee: The following letter was
received by an Humphrey man from a friend
who is a travelling man:
"KEARNEY, Neb., Oct. 12.-Friend Jim
I can subscribe in some manner to what
you say in regard to the weakness OF the
argument that the government is RESPONSE
BILE for the times, and yet-snd yet, the
greatest apostle of such doctrine is your
friend William ]. Bryan.
Let me see, It was in 80 I first heard
him. The ubiquitous tariff was, he said,
responsible for all the Ills of the western
farmer, the low prices of wheat and all
that. This was the way he argued: For
eign manufacturers will not buy our grain
while we shut them out by a tariff on
manufactured products, Open the doors to
them, and they will trade with us. We buy
their cutlery, wooden stuffs, ETC., etc. and
they will take our wheat and corn. How
simple it seemed and every other peanut
politician took up this simple remedy for
the then prevailing low prices on farm
products, In his enthusiasm Mr.. Bryan
shouted: Down with the tariff and you
farmers will get Sl.5 for wheati' This
was the first prophecy, 1 heard the prophet.
Bryan. utter. 1t sounded good to the
farmer. Evidently Mr.. Bryan believed that
government made times.
Again, in '96-but really II IL cruel to refer
to '6 Suffice It to say that his enthusiast
tic followers believed, as In a sacred dogma,
that the 16 to / free coinage was the only
salvation for the down-trodden western
farmer and the unemployed worklngman.
Did not Mr.. Bryan believe at that time that
government made times He certainly
worked overtime to convince others.
And does not Mr.. Bryan now in his paper
and on the stump preach the doctrine that
government is responsible for the times.
OF course, when we mildly hint that we
have, at least here in the west, had fairly
good times, he will tell you that the ad-
ministration has had nothing to do with
that but in a few minutes he forgets all
this and pointing a trembling finger of
scorn he will say, Look at the panic of
last fall, answer that, will you.' And
you, or 1 should rather say, I will forget
the price of wheat and corn and all good
things we have enjoyed and hang our heads
in shame; and listen to him while he tells
us in effect that If he is elected, prosperity
will alight on the shining dome of the
White House at Washington, and spread
her protecting wings over this broad land
Of ours. Does he believe that government
makes times? Yea, verify.
And people believe these things; real,
grown up people. Why, the other day
saw a farmer who said he was going to
vote for Bryan. His grievance was that
wool had gone down to 10 cents. Last
year it was rs, I believe he said. Now If
Roosevelt or Taft could only corner the
wool market and force wool up TO a higher
figure, our party might be saved. And
this farmer's explanation of the wool
market, too, was curious for a grown man.
He said that our wool buyers were buying
their wool in Europe to keep the price
down here. Buying 1t there and paying a
duty on It besides, out OF pure spite against
the American wool grower. Cruel. isn't Il?
And I suppose this farmer thinks that II
Mr.. Bryan is elected he will guarantee the
price of wool as we'll as bank deposits.
Yours truly, IN"