Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1895-07-09
A LETTER FROM JUDGE BRAME.

A LETTER FROM JUDGE BRAME.
He Explains the Bryan Episode and De-
| anes His Position on the Silver
Question.
JACKSON, Miss, July 2, '95.
| To the Editor of The Leader:
Kindly allow me to correct state
ment in your issue of June 9th, con-
corning the so-called Bryan incident.
After Mr.. Bryan had expressed a will
lingness to be Intercepted, l asked
him, as you state, whether he would
stand by the Democratic party if
it refused to declare for the
free coinage of silver at 16 to
l. He at first evaded the question
and, before making direct an
swer, propounded the converse of it to
me. In this connection, you say: "The
prompt reply of the Judge was that he
would vote the party ticket, no matter
what was in the platform, and then he
and scores of his gold-standard sympa-
thizers joined in pressing his question
on Mr.. Bryan for an answer" Now /
do not expect you to agree with me in
declaring my allegiance to the princi-
Piles of the Democratic party, and am
not surprised that you and others COM
mend Mr.. Bryan for saying he will
abandon it, If it does not adopt his
extreme views on the silver question,
l say am not surprised at your posi-
ton, for you have been a long time en-
gagged in the effort to destroy the Dem
Ocratic party; you are consistent. But
what is to be said of the consistency
of those, claiming to be true Demo
Gratis, who are singing the pgaiSes of a
party leader who admits that he Is
ready to bolt, if his views on this Geo.
nomic question are not adopted?
beg to say, however, that did not
state that would vote the party tick
ct, no matter what was in the platform
l referred only to the silver question.
Knowing you to be fair, I am confident
you did not intend to misrepresent me,
or to place me in a false light, and
therefore l am sure you will publish
this, that may be set right OF course,
there have been abuses in the Demo-
cratic party, but I look upon it as the
party of home rule and constitutional
| government, and l expect to stand by
it unless its great cardinal principles
are Notwithstanding l never ex-
pect to acceed as long as this sepublic
shall endure. But, whether we shall
have free and unlimited silver coinage,
or whether the ratio shall be 16 to l or
different ratio, l do not regard as
fundamental. I have my views on
these economic questions and think l
am right. | have given the matter
some consideration, with only one pos
sible object in view, and that is to be
right. have naught but my eeuntry's
good at heart. l am not candidate
nor politician. l am certainly not in
sympathy with the so-called money
power as against the interest of my
own people. l may be wrong in my
opinion as to what is best for the coun-
try and especially the South and Mis-
sissippi. Many wise and patriotic men
all over this country have diametrical-
ly opposing sisWs from my own, and if
the assembled wisdaH of the great
party to which belong shall declare
for free silver coinage, shall yield my
humble opinion, and in this would be
doing my cQnscience no violence what
ever.
Since you refer to me ~ q 'gold
standard Democrat" without further
qualification or explanation, will you
not allow me to repeat what said as
to my views in recent letter to the
New Orleans Times-Democrat VI
wish to say that am not a gold mono
metallist, and there are thousands Of
people in this country, who, 1 think,
believe as do, who do not believe that
it is possible for this government to
coin both gold and silver, in unlimited
quantities, at the ratio of 16 to l. II
believe that an effort to do this would
lead to practical silver monometallism
! am for gold standard, something
definite and fixed to measure by, and
only one kind of yard stick; but I
faUOr, also, the use of all the silver that
all the people of this great country, in
all their foreign and domestic COM
Dserce, can use. / wish to see every
ounce, at least of American silver, coin
ed at its actual, intrinsic value, and
used at parity with gold" I do not
intend to take any extreme position on
this question. 1t will be settled only
when it is settled right. Then all will
have the use of both gold and silver
our currency. When the $1,000 or
more candidates for State and coun-
ty Offices have finished harping on Stree
and unlimited silver coinage at 16 to L,
without International agreement" ETC.,
the people will have an Opportunity To
stop and think, and they will come to
q correct conclusion. Many of them
have mover heard but one side of the
question. L. BRAME.