Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-10-08
4 y a. sns $50
PEOPLES PULPIT.
BRYAN's GUARANTY PLANK. +

readers regarding some features of
the present political campaign. 1t
chiefly concerns the emphasis that the
Democratic candidate for the presi-
dency places on the proposed govern
mental guaranty Of bank deposits. Mr..
Bryan In all his addresses uses good
English and as platform orator at
, tracts a good deal of attention But
1t seems strange to me that in this,
his third effort to reach the presi-
dency, he should make the govern
mental guaranty Of bank deposits a
paramount issue. Away back in 1892
when he was campaigning for re-
election to congress the American pol
Icy Of protective tariff was the main
issue. He and his party favored a
tariff for revenue only and in the cleo
ton Of that year they succeeded in
electing the president and controlling
both houses of congress. The para
mount issue made by Mr.. Bryan in an
address at the Grand opera house in
Ottumwa in that caLlpaign was q
tariff for revenue only. Mr.. Bryan as
now recollect was member Of the
ways and means committee of the
house of representatives that brought
That bill in it's effects on the country
measures Mr.. Bryan's success as a
legislator for it was his only expert
ence so far as can now recall. Now
that he is urging the enactment of
governmental guaranty Of bank depos-
its as paramount was there not as
much necessity for such law in 1892
as now? So In 1896 after the coun-
try's experience with the Cosey and
Kelley armies tariff for revenue only
would not do and SO the free coinage IT
silver at the impossible ratio Of 16 to
was brought forth to do duty as
paramount ISSUE Mr.. Bryan was
then candidate for the presidency
The unprecedented prosperity of the
country following the election of Nc
kinney and the adoption Of the gold
standard and replacing the German
Wilson tariff law for revenue only By
a protective tariff. made Mr.. Bryan's
paramount issue of free coinage of Is
to l a back number. Its paramountcy
for 1896 would not fit the prosperous
conditions for 1900. So Mr.. Bryan
made the anti-imperialistic idea the
paramount issue in the 1900 campaign.
The issue Of anti-imperialism having
failed to win the presidency for him
he proceeded to tour the world. On
his return finding that the Roosevelt
policies of a square deal for every
body We're very popular he thought tn
improve on the Roosevelt ideas and
butted in with proposition for gov
ornamental ownership of railroads. All
that prevented that proposition from
being the paramount issue III the
present campaign was the warning
given him by many of his advisers.
With Mr.. Bryan and some others of
all political parties, no issue should
he made paramount unless it will
bring votes. And SO the Wall street
gamblers panic of one year ago and
the assembling of congress and an
enactment by that body of an emer-
gency currency act, seemed to have
suggested to the fertile mind of Mr..
Bryan and some of his friends that
governmental guaranty OF bank depos-
its would do for paramount issue for
this campaign. But like all the other
Of Mr.. Bryans paramounts for the
past sixteen years, after the next cleo
ton this one Of government guaranty
deposits will be deposited in the polit-
ical scrap heap Of rejected Bryan po-
litical paramounts
Now few words regarding the use
lessness of the government guarantee
proposition. What now say has ref
erence only to national banks. The
national banking system of the coun-
try has been tested for more than
forty years. During this time hun
dreds of billions of dollars have pass
ed and repassed through these impor-
tant Institutions The millions of peo-
pie who have used them in the ag
gregate have not lost more than one
the entire period Of their existence.
among civilized men that so we'll
serves the commercial interests OF
the people as does the national bank
Ing system of this country. 1t Is true
there Is an occasional gambling
Crocker that steals the depositors'
money and brings grief to many indi-
viduals, but a governmental guaranty
will only have the effect Of increasing
the breed OF Crockers who will enter
the business for the purpose of specu-
lation and making the great body Of
prudent and honest bankers pay the
bills. And so after the November
election Mr.. Bryan will have another
piece of junk to add to his political
scrap pile.
The Republican platform answering
a demand from many sources mainly
| from labor unions and other like or
CARNATIONS has pronounced in favor
of the establishment of postal savings
banks. In the progressive states of
Europe these postal banks have great
popularity and are Of great value, es-
pecially as encouraging persons Of
small incomes to put away every week
some part of their earnings. The pos
tai savings bank proposition is a sane
and sensible one because it has been
tried and has proven its value, but it
Is not put forth as a paramount issue.
A postal savings bank would serve no
great purpose unless people were earn
ing money a part Of which they might
put away to guard against a possible
defeat Of the Republican party-at
some time far in the future let us
hope. OF paramount issues the Repub-