Right Of Contract

The Chicago Trade Journal oí Oct X discusses a part oí the Chicago plat form which haa not thus far received the attention which H merits- tha part which proposes to take away th right of private contract. The Jour nal says that "no industry of any size can exist without the use of contracta agreements for the purchase, sale, de livcry of and payment for goods. I is hardly necessary to point out wha this means in tho cordage business." It then explalns how rope. manufac turers make contracts with brokers and tankers with forelga growera of manilla or sisal, for their raw materi ala. Having made these contracta, they are in a position to make contracts with large jobbers and ropp dealer Continuiug, the Journa} says: "Contracts are neceseary to the succussful transaction of business upon any scale above that of the very small retall trade, where goods and money pass between buyer and seller simultaneously. Mr. Bryan would, if president, give his approval to laws which would prohibit business men from epecifylng what they shall sell their goods for or what they shall pay for goods, thus seriouely restricting the right of contract. His flrst nominatlon -ín Chicago - was based upon his acceptance of a platform which contained the following plank: "We demand that the standard silver dollar shall be a full legal tender, equally with gold, for all debts, public and private, and we favor such legislation as will prevent for the futuro the demonetization of any kind of legal tender money by private contract. "His Populistic nominatlon in St. Louis carried with it thia plank: "We demand such legislation ae will prevent the demonetization of the ful money of the United States by prívate contract. "Possibly the United States suprema court will uphold Buen leglslation- it eustained the validity of the legal tender act- and- what? Mr. Bryan does not teil the peoplO whom he addreases tridaily. When he gets near the subject, lt is only to eay something like thia: "Whea any ono trjee to give you an object lesson with the Mexican dollar, teil him fchat the Mexican dollar is not legal tender ia this country, and that our sllver dollar is, and under free colnage will continuO to be, and no one wlll be allowed to contract agalnst It,- W. 3. Bryan in Newark, Sept. 28. "This not only ehows the purpose of the man, but also glves an intelligent man a very clear conception of Mr. Bryan's sfclll ag a logician. If he knew anything at all about conumerce - the lifeblood of whieh he so glibly talks oí interfering with - he would know that the execution of hls plan would cause an instant cessation of commercial activity, which would be followed by a resumption upon a restricted and antique basi8. Methods which the commercial world discarded generations ago would have to be brought into use for carrying on business under the conditions which the adoption of Mr. Bryan's two absurd propositions would impose. "Where would the hemp coma from for next year's binder twine to Ue the farmers' wheat? The United States, where silve dollars worth lesa than 100 cents would be legal tender, could not furnish the material. All prices now quoted are for gold. No matter how much farmers wanted twine, when it was no longer possibla to make a contract to pay gold or its equivalent ior hemp, they would have to go without it until same cumbersome method of bartering was devised to get around the law. Of course, In time the hemp would be secured and the farmers supplied, but the new way of dolng business would be more costly. In the end the consumer pays all the costs. Henee the farmers would have to submit to higher prices for binder twine, as for everything else they buy. And yet Mr. Bryan claims to be the particular friead of agriculturists! "It is to be hoped that the business men of the country will carefully coneider what the proposed interference with the right to enter into a contract to pay any kind of money would result In and then vote for a. candidato for president who wlll preserve the freedom of commerce."