Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-08-10
THE OTEY CIRCULAR.
The Sixth District Congressman Ex-
plains Its Object.
CONSENSUS OF OPINION DESIRED.
Many Replies Rcccived-Iie Has Not
said ANYTHING About Injecting the
silver Question Into the state
Canvass.
So.

LYNCHBI'RG. VA, August 9.-(Spe-
cial. In response TO an inquiry from the
correspondent Of the Dispatch as TO the
plans. purposes, and prospects OF the So
called "Otey Silver Conference the
representative from the Sixth Congress
sonal District to-day said:
We'll. / have called no conference;
hence have invited no one to any such
conference. Here is circular which
| sent out some days ago. | asked for
the signatures of those who concurred in
the views expressed in the circular
Here Major Otey handed your CORE
spondent the following paper. which has
already been printed in the Dispatch:
"The undersigned, deprecatiEg the COM
bination Of the money power OF this coun-
try and England. with the Republican
party. to enforce the single gold stand
ard. and to further contract the cur
rencv: believing that We voice the senti-
ments of the Democratic party Of the
great West and South. hereby declare
THAT we demand the free coinage or
silver at the existing ratio Of 10 to !.
IL
1--WE oppose the efforts Of this combina-
lion:
81. TO retire the $3i7OD,COO legal-tender
notes (greenbacks).
-. TO retire the $l520oo,cO Treasury
notes dssued under the Sherman bilD.
20 TO issue in their stead S5oO.WDO0
gold interest bearing bonds. as an addi-
tional and unnecessary burden on our
already overburdened taxpayers. and es-
pccially iniquitous as against the best In
terests of the agricultural industry or our
country.
-. 10 destroy the existing volume
OF silver money by restricting II to
mere subsidiary or token money, stripped
Of its legal-tender functions
"That this combination no longer con"
ceas its determination to contract the
currency by retiring S5lO.WoGD grernndCNS
and Treasury notes. in which. II succ 50
ful. then to retire the $icoVo,"" shNt'
dollars. and to prevent any further IN
crease OF currency by a continuance OF
the 10 per cent. tax on State banks mus
/ leaving the country with gold anu ma
tional-bank notes as the money OF the
realm and the only circulating menla
and we believe that the success oil suCh
action will cause a further reduction III
prices and wages. prove disastrous 10 our
industrial interests. and precipltate an
other manic. the like Of which this coun-
/ try has never experienced
~.
I'VE favor meeting Of all who con-
/ chr I'm these views at some time anu
/ Mace TO be made known by publication.
/ continuing. Major Otey said: II desired
TO obtain the consensus Of opinion on 'he
mcmentous questions embodied in the CIR
/ cular. and l think l have succeeded
That's all
MANY SIGNATURES.
Taking from his desk large batch OF
I co,resnondance the Congressman said:
"Vou are AT liberty 10 look at these
napars / have here 592 signatures from
Halifax. 5g7 from Bedford, $50 from camp
hell. and 90 on throughout me SI<
District Not including Roanoke NY
/ and Lvnchburg. you see II foota up 1907.
/ A. ~ other sections OF the state. | have
made no effort 10 obtain signatures 10
/ The circular. But here is one from TaZe-
VOL with q names Dinwiddie, q. South
amnton. II; Northampton. l6, NOtto"ay.
/ 10 and so on from various other counties
/ outside Of nv district These signatures
/ represent many Of the most prominent
/ poIitical-workers in the State whose opin-
/ ions are entitled to the greatest respect
and consideration.
OUTSIDE or HIS DISTRICT
as regards counties outside OF this
congressional district" said Major Otey,
/ ~ mailed this letter TO a. number OF
selected gentlemen" Here the Major
handed your correspondent the following
Dear Sir.-Your name having been
! given me as a gold Democrat please
I'M the blank enclosed. with the names oi
ten good Democrats Of your county With
th,ir post-ofiice address. who favor the
free coinage of silver. and return TO me
and oblige. l,,r,.,...
tSgned PEIEh y. VI
'In reply to these requests continued
the Major. Il have received answers ron
Gftv counties From seven Of these the
na,ties written to declined TO I'll The
blanks. upon the ground that they were
opposed To free silver. From the othei
forty-three | have the ten names and
post-cffice addresses. / have now forty
four counties To hear from, but time mas
not vet elapsed sufficient TO obtain Inc
desired Information
Concluding the interview, Major oteS
said: Il want TO add that ! have saie
nothing about a State convention, as
attributed to me. nor have SAID any
thing about injecting silver into th'
state canvass / am endeavoring now u
conhne myself principally TO Fedora
politics"