Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1896-08-21
LETTER FROM THURSTON
STEWART ASKED WHERE BRYAN
GOT THE CASH.
Bryan's Paper states That Charges
VIII he Answered in Due
Season.

Senator Stewart of Nevada:
ITO the Hon. William Stewart, Editor
of the Silver Knight, Washington, ID. C.:
Sir.--On my return from recent cam
paign tour, 1 find your open letter CT
August l, which you SO kindly gave TO
the press of the country before awaiting
its receipt. In your letter you refer to
the address delivered by me at the Ghau-
tauQua assembly ait Madison, Wis, on
July 81. You must have known when You
penned your letter that l did not make
any charge against Hon. William J.
Bryan of any kind whatever; that l did
nothing except to read portions Of an
editorial published in the greatest dem
ocratic journal of the west-the Chicago
Chronicle-on the 18th of last July. Tie
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, Fair,
Jones, Stewart and others gratified Their
fancy in this manner until the novelty
wore off, and then they deputized attor-
neys and other employees to take their
place and vote for protective tariffs ard
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 bo-
nanzas have found it profitable to keep
a large number of orators, lecturers and
other spokesman on the road preaching
to the people, already limping as 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 a number of years. is
William j. Bryan, of Nebraska, the paid
agent and spokesman for the free Sill
yer combine. He has not since his retire
ment from congress had any other visible
means of support
Il did not directly or indirectly even,
express an opinion as to the truth or cal-
sity of the charge thus clearly explicitly,
unequivocally and editorially made by a
great democratic newspaper, reputable
and responsible. l did say, and l still
say, that man posing as an advocate
of the down-trodden masses of his coun-
trymen, holding the crown of thorrs 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
known, and you did know, when you in
dicted your open letter to me, that the
charge was not true; no, not even by
adoption; that l had not even expressed
an opinion with respect to it, and that
I No f,,IE1
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-
lished the same purpose. The charge
thus editorially 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 fir
Bryan TO explain in whose pay he mas
peen since he dropped out of congress-
Sioux City Journal.
MT. Bryan did not drop out of com |
gress-he stepped out, but he has been in |
the employ of the World Herald. and if
Is generally conceded that he has fully |
earned his salary
me press dispatches from Lincoln |
NED, show that Bryan was asked an |
august to make such answer as he |
might desire to the charge of the Chron- |
lcie 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 IN due time and manner.
In recent issue of the Chicago p,st
ahother prominent, responsible and .anu-
table journal, find the Statement that
bryan stated salary from the mine own.
ers OF silver league was 5000 per annu,n
pdlu 10 MIN in monthly checks. which
went through the Lincoln banks. 7 also
liHu IN recent issue of the Philadelnbia
I-euser an article by its we'll known cor-
respondent, Major John NJ. Carson as
follows: "'
dispatch from Lincoln Neb an
houhces that Mr.. Bryan will answer Nv
proxy the charge that he has been tbn
pau representative of the silver minine
interests IN his advocacy of free coinaea
at 10 10 l. 1t is to be hoped thai this
answer Will be explicit and not evasiva
Ihose familiar with Mr. Bryan's Ca
Feef are aware that the contriburi,ns
II OH the silver miners to the expense of
MS lectues began before his general
s'umplns tour of the country two vears
ago. In 1892, when Bryan was a candi-
udte Tor reelection to congress from, tho
FIRST Nebraska district, he was assisted
IN the expenses of his CAMPAIGN nv 70
nations from Denver. These contrib,,tions
10 ms campaign fund were placed in the
hahus or the chairman of the congras
'iohal committee, Judge Broadly. They
we're currently reported to have amounted
20 several thousand dollars, and were
made by the large silver interests To as
'lst IN securing the return to congress
ii an eloquent advocate of the personal
interests of the mine owners of the vast ,
As result Bryan was elected by a ma {
orlty OF 40 votes, and more than renaid ,
turing the Fffty-third congress the money !
expended in his behalf.
Anticipating the tidal wave which
wept the country in 1894, Bryan declined
o De candidate for reelection and an \
lounced his candidacy for the United I
states senatorship to succeed Mandar- n
on. 1t VIII be interesting to the public n
NWil1