The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1908-07-17

bones. the skeleton is set to dancing
again But It Is not so fearsome as
formerly. The people are familiar with
its antics, and have become wiser
through the bitter experience OF Repub-
licuu panics. As President, Mr.. Bryan
would be- broad-minded. cautious. CON
sentative and just. That he would set
frOwning face and stubborn front against
cnCrOachment on well-defined popular
rights. Is certain. But always he would
act deliberately, Judiciously and Justly,
50 nS 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-
pudlincd approval | have more than
ono. discussed with him questions about
which we were not In full accord. ! did
not ind him impatient, petulant or dog
matte. on the contrary. he likes a man
who thinks for himself and speaks his
own mind He does not believe himself
Incapable Of mistakes, and he invites dis
Cussi0n with view to correct action
and the cvOlvement Of bcncticcnt results.
As President he would gather around
him the wiscst. most thoughtful and cX-
pctiouccd men Of his party, and the
highest aim Of his administration would
bc not to tear down, but to build up,
and to do the greatest possible good 10
the greatest number 4 man so splendid
and with his high aims and ambitions,
cannot be dangerous to his country or
the great body OF his countrymen. His
ADM nistratiOn would become distn-
guish0d for things sane and practical,
without stunts spectacular or spasmodc
II would be run solely in the interest
OF the people, would he made glorious
with great achievements and stand for
ever memorable tn American history.
These, fcllOw-CitiZ,ns. are the leaders
this the way OF their choosing and the
prumis" uf their performance.
From tn" discussion Of men | pass now
to the discussion OF conditions and poll
cies
THE PANIC.
have sdvertcd to the fact that In 1896
and 1870 Mr. Bryan was pictured by hts
enemies as the dark eNangel of industrial
ruin. Methods OF deception without Il
neutrality-suspicious. mendncous and i'm
mural-WDrp adopted to excite apprphru-
sion that RrNIu'S success would be tn"
equivalent Of disaster Not only so but
a moUstrous. wholesale Indictment was
noisily proclaimed that Democratic as
arUdaUCy was the luVariable signal for
call the multitudinous changes rung on
the so-called Cleveland panic? with
what pathetic cl0qucnCc We're doleful pic
lures painted Of depressed Industries OF
enforced likeness, Of restitution and soup
houses SUup-huuges, particularly, were
worked over time. In fact, these mclan-
choly pictures were often painted on n
vast s"up-buwl; but however painted, the
Democratic party was always swung In
the back ground as the grim, over-shadOw-
ing angel OF destruction. And do you
mot remember the wild howl with which
they hurdcuod the complaining air be-
cause Cleveland issued bonds I'm n time OF
peace? oh, how they called us names
ugly names, ana trod upon US. Never
were attacks So usolcut and exasperat-
ing Nor, ON the other hand. was there
over such orusiyc and offensive boastiug.
| The grIndiluuu"ut assurance with which
they proclaimed their superior pruwcss In
slatocratt ana higher capacity for sue
r"sSiul government was COntOunding in
It's very HudlCity. paniCs, bond issues,
financial disturbances. industrial dcprcs-
siuus, were evils impossible, they shouted,
under q Republican administration. As
long as Republicans ruled the sun would
surely shine, without even tlecCy cloud
Let upon the sky But how, alas, have
these proud boasts cvcntuatcd, and how
| have lhes" captivating promises been full
hll"df For ten years the Republicans
huy" occupied all the executive offices
and controlled both Houses Of Congress
hy large majoritics For ten years they
have been supreme. exercising power so
absolute as Ia be- beyond the possibility
Of successful challenge. Aud what htxI
happened What has become OF the pr
cuuiHl sunshine. and what of the ileecy
clouds For min" months now we have
mad the drIil To- pay. \ storm. long brew
Ing. hruk" with startling suddenly upon
tho country. Nearly every bank in every
state suspended payments, and scores OF
them tupplrd to a fall. carrying wreck
and ruin to thousands. The banks every
where. uuubl" to realize on their sccuri-
ties aUd meet lawful demands upon them,
w"r" compelled, with the enforced con-
uvnuCv Of public officials, to issue script
shin plastcrs-hlsrd on their own credit,
to bridge the emergency Of even current
ana ordinary business and check the
growing havoc, These bank issues de-
! nfH.afHN
wer" Obliged to accept ms money, trusting
to luck or go without I refer 10 this
not to rcprOach the banks, for, although
this action was vlolativc Of the law, |
approved II at the time, and 7 approve
1t now. | approved 1t on the theory that
| would Justify a trespnss to check n
conllagraton. 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 pay-rolls ana output, or shut on
their furnaces and closed their doors.
Although enormous quantities Of agricul-
tural, mining and manufactured products
were piled up throughout the country.
there was no money to handle them, nor
markets to absorb them A "A Conse-
uuUuCr 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-
ccivcrships. AS late ms March 10th, OF
the present year, the management of III"
Baltimore 4 Ohio Railroad Company is
sued a statement to the effect that at
that date that company had 1890 idle
freight cars standing on yard and side,
tracks and In shops, out Of total OF
81, so cars. Those Idle cars represented
u non-prOductivc investment Of $40, 200 OoD
About the same time / was Informed by
a prominent official of the great Burltng-
ton system that that system then had
inurc than ~. 900 idle cars. These are but
examples OF "A condition universally pre-
vailing among the railroads. TINS panic
storm, which, with varying severity. has
swept the land, has affected In relative
degree every industrial activity OF the
country. For months there was universal
stngnation, disastrous ana pitiful, and
deep depression stll prevails In every
section Tens OF thousands OF wagemen
have lost employment and thousands have
been driven to want. / could I'll pages
with authentic accounts of wage-losses
and resultant restitution. II has been
stated on excellent authority that 500, O00
railroad employees alone have been laid
on In all branches of the service. Only
u short time ago Mr.. Mcllcn, pre- sldent OF
the New Haven Railroad Company. pub
licly stated that the panic had so serl-
ously affected business that his company
had been compelled to reduce the s"rN ice,
and that since December 18th they had
dismissed 5000 men. Right here In Mis-
souri, approximately l5,0N men, repre-
scnting all departments. have ueen laid
added that stil greater army sent forth
downcast and too often empty handed.
from shops. stores mines and other helds
of industry. The aggregate Is appalling.
There have been bread riuts-rcal bread
riots by hungry men, women and chill
drcn-in cities like Chicago, Buffalo and
New York and to relieve most menac-
ing situation thousands OF unemployed
men were given temporary employment
on public works IN Philadelphia. There
"a hn al