_ tit < t
The Conservative.
enough for cominou. sense to follow it
easily. But there is another action of
supply upon price which ought also to
be understood one which is not evi
dent to simple common sense , but has
been abundantly and completely proved
by experience. This is the law that
when supply increases by a certain per
centage , price will fall by a larger per
centage , and similarly for a diminished
supply and rising price. That produc
tion of the agricultural staples that
figure most prominently in the exports
from the United States has increased
more rapidly than population , since 18755 ,
is well known to those who have exam
ined the statistics of the subject ; and
the fact that this increasing relative pro
duction has been accompanied by a
more rapidly decreasing price is alto
gether in accordance with the effects of
supply on prices in other instances.
The and
ASSUMPTION. , . , press . , . ,
the orators of that
conglomeration of partisans who advo
cate the free and unlimited coinage of
silver at the ratio of sixteen to one are
constantly and vehemently giving advice
to "the plain people" of the United
States and. instructing them as to the
best method of pursuing happiness.
These zealots are equally forcible and
fervid in denouncing the writ of injunc
tion as an instrument of oppression and
a device of the devil. At all times , in
all places , and with the air and effrontery
of experienced and successful men who
have made fortunes for a pastime , and
then thrown them away in scorn of plu
tocracy they admonish the multitude
against the wiles of money , the plots of
wealth and the tyranny of capital.
These blatant counsellors nro every
where assuming to instruct the Ameri
can people as to their duties to them
selves and to the government.
But as financial forecasters Bryau-
archists , in general , and the founder of
the sect in particu-
In Maiilcruptcy. . . .
lar ought to be
thrown into involuntary bankruptcy.
Everyone of their promises-to-pay-iu-
calamity which they issued in 189G have
gone to protest. Not a single prediction
as to the malignant monetary conditions
which would follow the election of McKinley -
Kinley by the republicans and gold
standard democrats has been verified ,
j No stringency in the money market followed -
lowed the defeat of Bryan and Watson.
Nor did the prices of corn , oats , rye
barley and wheat decline as Bryan auc
all his disciples declared they inevitably
would decline. Nor did interest on
money enhance as they all solemnly in
structed "the plain people" it inexorably
would enhance. For broken promises ,
dishonored paper , unredeemed pledges
and a totally erroneous computation oi
calamities to ensue upon Bryan anc
IVatsou's defeat the partisans of fusion ,
confusion , cheap money and the aboli-
, I'X ' ' , ! &
w ,
ion of proceedings by injunction ought
; o bo declared bankrupt.
The fancies of the financiers of the
Bryan stripe which were embalmed in
the literature of
Facts. , . . „
the campaign of
1800 are now occasionally taken out of
; heir verbal storage. Placed along side
of existing facts they appear weak and
feeble. To illustrate in 1896 : "There is
not gold enough in the world to measure
the values of the United States. "
In 1899 , in May , there are$246,000,000
of gold in the reserve fund of the na
tional treasury , and the per capita circu
lation of currency maintained at a par
ity with gold is in the United States on
April 1 , 1899 , twenty-five dollars and
forty-five cents. That is the most
money to each citizen of this republic
ever in circulation on that day of that
mouth during all the years of its exist
ence.
On that day in a lump the American
people had a currency on a par with
gold amounting to one billion , nine hun
dred and twenty-seven million , eight
hundred and forty-six thousand , nine
hundred and forty-two dollars ! How is
this fact for vigor and strength to be com
pared to the direful predictions of Mr.
Bryan in 1896 ? What is desirable in
public men , practical truth or theoretical
vagaries ? Is it statesmanship or proph
ecy of an unverifyiug variety that
sensible citizens desire ?
At Richmond , Virginia , September 18 ,
1896 , Colonel William. Jennings Bryan
said : "We charge that our opponents
are in favor of making money scarce
because they are controlled by those who
want money dear. "
How does that bigoted and false utter
ance look beside the figures and facts
of the currency circulation , on a gold
basis , which today is flooding the banks
and looking for investments in the real
estate and personalty of the United
States ? How does that absolute false
hood appear alongside of "Money to
loan on Nebraska farms at five per coul
per annum ? "
Money to loan here in Nebraska City ,
which is owned by laborers and mechan
ics , at six per cent on real estate for a
term of years !
Money to loan everywhere , at less
rates than over before , in Nebraska auc
throughout the republic !
Could there be greater assumption
more unbridled and unblushing ef
frontery than that of the discredited and
infamously false prophets of 1896 wher
they again presume to instruct , direcl
and vote "the plain people" in 1900 ?
"KKSERVJ3
It was a complete mystery to all who
heard the interstate oratorical contes
how Colonel Bryan could give the orator
tor from his own state a grade of 100
on delivery , until in answer to an aston
ished query from another judge who
md graded the same man far down in
; ho second half , ho replied that ho did
so "because ho had so much reserve
"orco. " Wo had always supposed in
our ignorance that an orator should
nanifest his force. But not so. Pro
vided only his own townsman and
father's law partner is satisfied that hems
ms much "reserve force" his delivery
should bo considered perfect. This islet
lot the principle on which wo have
; rained our orators in the past , but ifc
conies from a man who has a reputation
as the most brilliant political orator of
the decade and wo meekly accept it as
; ho criterion by which future contests
will be decided.
Another change in the manner of
grading will undoubtedly be made. The
rule that no judge shall grade any two
contestants the Fame will be repealed.
Since all men are created equally bril
liant and prepare with equal faithful
ness , the judges should bo allowed to
credit each orator with sufficient "re
serve force" to bring his average up to
100 per cent. This was the avowed in
tention of Colonel Bryan when he ac
cepted the position as judge. Of course
there will bo something a trifle absurd
about such a contest and such grading ,
but it is suggested by so eminent an
authority that we are confident the
change will be made , and , perchance ,
the colonel may again be persuaded to
act as "judge. " Tarkio , Mo. , Phoenix.
"A JJUKNING SIIAMK. "
A Captain In the 1'uniisylviiiiiii
S < i CliHVJict crises the AVur.
Capt. Gustavo Schaaf of Company A
of Mouongahela , now at Manila , writes
under the date of March 26 as follows :
"This beautiful Sunday morning finds
us of the Tenth Pennsylvania taking a
short rest. We started out yesterday
morning at five o'clock and at once pro
ceeded to do business. Before wo had
been a half-hour on the line we were
right in it , and the Filipinos were in
trenched in front of our rifle-pits. The
advancing never ceased until they were
routed out of their location.
"I do not feel it an honor to war with
these people. Of course , we are here
and will do our duty , a duty that has
been forced upon us by some of the so-
called statesmen that should at this
particular time bo in our places. It is a
burning shame , and the United States
must for ever feel it. I have seen men
die that were too good to put up as tar
gets for a half-civilized people , all on
account of blunders made by a civilized
nation , like ours.
"The war we enlisted for is over. We
enlisted in a war in the cause of human
ity , or at least so we were led to believe.
Now we are trying to take from a people
ple what the American forefathers
fought for independence. Is this hu
manity ? If it is I fail to grasp the idea. ' '
Pittsburgh Dispatch ( Rep. )