Amador ledger., 1908-10-09
BRYAN THE SOUP
HOUSE CANDIDATE.
Why American Labor Sees Its Hone
In The Election of Taft and
Sherman.

one of the streets OF lower New Y Ork,
where repeaters have their lair, and
Tammany hirelings are trained to
vote early and often, tells the passer-
by to "take a night off to see the
Broadway bread line, and then vote
for Bryan aud Kern aud bring about
change in these conditions. "
The suggestion that a change IN con-
ditions would be brought about by
the election of Bryan and Kern is
true enough, judging from past ex-
perienoe. If Bryan should be elect
ed, and a democratic administration
inaugnrated, New York would have
soup houses in addition to the bread
line. and a good many other places
would have soup houses too. For
many years, in times prosperous or
otherwise, there has been bread
line in New York. With inhabitants
nun bered by the millions, with flot-
sam and jetsam from all parts of the
Union and all parts of the globe,
New York has always had more or
less poverty, and the bread line pre-
sents part of the charity which re-
lIeves the immediate wants of the
homeless wanderer and the utterly
destitute.
! For more than quarter of a cen
tury, however, the soup house has
been specially Characteristic of a
dem ocratic national administration.
| In 1894 -5-6, when the democrats we're
last in control of national affairs,
and had succeeded in bringing about
revision of the tariff, according to
democratic ideas of what the tariff
ought to be, industry was paralyzed.
business at standstill, factories were
closed, and villages that had been
ourishing under republican protec-
tion, became scenes of hunger and
suffering. Manufacturers who had
been hard hit in pocket by their own
operatives who had voted to blast the
very industries that supported them,
were called upon to contribute, and
did humanely contribute to start
soup houses and other aids for those
same operatives. Business men in
New York and other cities also con-
tributed largely, and the soup house
continued to be a national institution
until the democracy went out of
power, and a republican administra-
tion started the nation again on a
career of prosperity, gave employ
ment to labor, aud abolished the
soup house by abolishing the causes
which made the soup house necessary.
The election of Bryan on his plat
form of a tariff for revenue only
would halt American industry in its
steady progress toward better times,
it would shut the gates now opening
to unemployed labor, it would close
the purse of capital, and stop the
march of enterprise. Two classes
would benefit by Bryan's election
the class of absolute leisure, with
money to burn" who could spend
that money on European made goods
without having to pay the duty which
republicans have imposed to protect
the American worker, and the worth
less vagrant, who would not work
under any circumstances, and who
could get free soup at the Bryan soup
houses. Every element contributing
to the industry, activity and vitality
of the nation would suffer from the
Bryanite blight, and for the honest,
self-respecting wageearner free soup
doled out as charity would be a
miserable substitute indeed for week
ly wages and happy home.
The election of William II. Taft
means that prospects already bright
will continue to grow brighter, that
there will be work for all and pros
perity for all. Henry Z. Hunter,
commissioners of the national trade
! association, has publicly stated that
there will be no cut down in wages,
because business is improving. The
savings banks report that deposits
are increasing, and they are gaining
many new deposltors. All signs
point to steady betterment, provided
there shall be no obstacle placed in
the path of impl ovement. The cleo
tion of Iaft and Sherman will assure
business confidence, industrial pros
perity, and increasing employment
for labor. The vision of Bryan and
the soup house will give place to the
reality of the weekly wage, the com
Portable home, and the growing saw
ings bank account, and that is why