Red Lodge picket. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1889-1907, 1896-08-22
LETTER FROM THURST0N
STEWART ASKED WHERE BRYAN
GOT THE CASH.
Hrynn's Paper states That Charges
Will Be Answered in Due
Season.

Omaha Aug. Ex-senator John NJ.
Thurstou today handed to the Associated
Pless for publication the following copy
Of "A letter which he mailed today TO
Senator Stewart of Nevada:
TO the Hon. William Stewart, Editor
of the Silver Knight, Washington, d. G.:
Sr.-On my return from recent cam
pagn tour, l find your open letter CT
August /, which you so kindly gave to
the press of the country before aWdllln5
its receipt. In your letter you refer to
the address delivered by me at the Shau-
tauqua assembly at Madison, Wis, on
July 81. y ou must have known when You
penned your letter that l did not make
any charge against Hon. William }.
Bryan of any kind whatever, that | Old
nothing except to read portions Of an
editorial published in the greatest dem
ocratic journal Of the West-the Chicago
Chroncle+-on the 18th of last July The
editorial as read by me is as follows:
There was a time when the owners OF
big bonanzas of the far west were glad
to occupy by purchase seats in the United
States senate. Sharon, Stanford, Far,
Jones, Stewart and others gratitied their
fancy in this manner until the novelty
Hore off, and then they deputized attor-
neys and other employees to take then
place and vote for protective tariffs and
free silver. OF late years, owing to the
encouragement that they have received
from the republican party, which always
does something for silver when it passes
tariff bills, the proprietors OF the big pc
nanzas have found it profitable to keep
a large number of orators, lecturers and
other spokesmen on the road preaching
to the people, already lmping a. a result
Of bites by the free silver cur the SOW
ere.gn remedy of applying the hair of the
dog to the wound.
Among the many who have thus been
employed and carried on the payrolls OF
big bonanzas for d number of years, is
William J. Bryan, Of Nebraska, the paid
agent and spokesman for the free 5il-
: yer combine He has not since his retire
nent from congress had any other visible
means of support
Il did not directly or Indirectly even,
express an opinion as to the truth or fal-
Sity Of the charge thus clearly, explicitly,
unequvocally and editorially made by
great democratic newspaper, reputable
and responsible I did say, and [ still
say, that a man posing as an advocate
of the down-trodden masses Of his coun-
trymen, holding the crown Of thoras in
one hand and the bugaboo, a cross of
gold. in the other, owes it as a duty to
every man, woman and child in TINS
country to say whether that charge, thus
publicly and deliberately made. is false
or true
Now, my dear senator, you must have
In
dieted your ol,~u letter TO ,1s. that IT,
charge was not true; no, not evea by
adoption; that I had not even expressed
an opinion with respect to it, and that
/ no more than fulfilled my duty as d
citizen, insisting that Bryan should tell
the American people whether or not the
charge made by the Chicago Chronicle
was true. One word from Bryan on the
18th day of last July would have set the
public right; one word from him on any
day since that time would have accomp
ished the same purpose. The charge
thus editorally made by the Chronicle,
while the Chicago convention was still
in session, was reproduced in many OF
the leading journals of the country; 1t
came to the attention of Mr.. Bryans own
paper, the Omaha World-Herald, of which
he was at the time managing editor, and
the only reference made to it in that
paper was on the 18th day Of July, when
in its editorial column appeared the fol
lowing:
:. The Chicago Chronicle wants tir.
Bryan to explain in whose pay he mas
been since he dropped out Of congress-
Sioux City Journal.
Mr.. Bryan did not drop out Of con-
gress-he stepped out, but he has been i'll
the employ of the World-Herald, and II
is generally conceded that he has fully
earned his salary.
The press dispatches from Lincoln,
Neb., show that Bryan was asked on
August l to make such answer IS he
might desire to the charge Of the Chr0n-
icle as read by me at Madison, and the
press report is to the effect that Bryan
had nothing to say except that he would
answer n due time and manner.
in recent issue Of the Chicago Post,
another prominent, responsible and -epu-
ia able journal, | find the statement that
Bryans stated salary from the mine own
ers or silver league was $1,000 per annun,
paid to him in monthly checks, which
went through the Lincoln banks. l a.so
fnd in a recent issue of the Philadelphia
Ledger an article by its well known cor
respondent, Major John VI. Carson, as
follows:
"A dispatch from Lincoln, Neb an
nounces that Mr.. Bryan will answer by
proxy the charge that he has been !!e
paid representative Of the silver mining
interests in his advocacy Of free coinage
at is TO l. 1t is to be hoped that tn
answer viii be explicit and not evasi"e.
"'Those familiar with Mr.. Bryan's ca
reer are aware that the contributions
f. ON the silver miners to the expense OF
his lectues began before his general
stumping tour of the country two years
ago. In 1892, when Bryan was a cant!I
date for e-eection TO congress from the
FIRST Nebraska district, he was assisted
in the expenses Of his campaign by 90
nations from Denver. These contributions
to his campaign fund We're placed in the
hands Of the chairman Of the congress
s.onal committee Judge Broadly. They
were currently reported to have amounted
to several thousand dollars. and were
made by the large silver interests to as
sist in securing tie return TO congress
Of eloquent advocate of the personal
interests Of the mine owners Of the west.
IS a result Bryan was elected by ma
jority Of 40 votes, and more than repaid
during the F'ifty-thrd congress the money
expended in his behalf.
'Anticipating the tidal wave which
swept the country in 1894, Bryan declined
10 be a candidate for reelection, and ar
nounced his candidacy for the United
States senatorship to succeed Mander-
son. 1t will be interesting to the public
ir We will gjv. DETAILS of the deal by
which certain shares in the Omaha
World-Herald were purchased or con
trolled the financial distress Of the cd
itor relieved, and Bryan made titular ed
itor Of the paper al a fixed salary during
the campaign of 1894, A position which
: he still holds. Those in a position to
know declare that it was not Bryan's
money which secured the transfer OF
stock. The duties from the outset were
so arranged that the editor was enabled
to stump the country for free coinage
L i-