The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-09-12

A
81. T. Bartine, d member of the execu-
tive committee Of the National Bimetal-
lie League and editor of a paper in this
city advocating the free coinage of sill
yer, has addressed an open letter to
Major Mckinley. MIR. Bartine was a
member of the committee of fifteen at
the time when free silver bill was
under consideration by Congress.
Mr.. Bartine starts out by asserting
that in giving the present monetary
policy OF the Republican party his un-
qualified endorsement in his letter Of
acceptance, Major Mckinley assumes a
position quite different from that which
he occupied q short time ago. He
added:
NO one can read your published ac-
ceptance without being impressed that
you regard the maintenance Of the gold
standard not merely as wise and Ju-
cieious policy, but as absolutely essen
IT, tc the preservation of our financial
honor Throughout your entire discus
sion Of the question, the general idea
is that parity with gold is the
INFALLIBLE TEST OF HONESTY
in money and that any currency cheap
er than gold at its present appreciated
conclusion comes irresisubly that you
regard the advocates of unrestricted sill
yer coinage as being deficient in per
sonal integrity, and as seeking TO es-
tablish a monetary policy that will dis
honor the American name.
Being one of those whose personal
integrity is thus inpugned, l make free
to remind you that in 1878, as mem
Der OF the House Of Representatives,
you voted for the famous Bland bill,
providing for the unrestricted coin
age OF silver at the ratio of l6 TO l.
AT that time the commercial value
of the bullion which you voted to coin
into d dollar was little more than so
cents 1t had been much lower, but at
the time your vote was cast it had
risen considerably as a result of politi-
cal agitation and prospective free coin
age. The Bland bill was at that time
denounced as reputation and rank
dishonesty by many of the prominent
ffnanciers who are now giving you their
earnest support.
A PERTINENT QUERY.
IN view of these facts, would you
regard it impertinent for me to request
a public statement OF your opinion as
to " neither or not the Bland bill was
dishonest measure, calculated TO de
base our currency and 'diShonor the
country If you answer in the affirm
ative in justice to yourself, you should
Inform the country why you voted for
Il. If your answer be in the negative,
4 should be suppl emented by an eX-
PLANTATION OF how an act that was hon
est in 1878, can be dishonest in 1895.
There is no difference in principle nor
even in degree so far as the question
of honesty is concerned
ssYou were a member of the Fifty
first Congress, and a candidate for the
speakership of the House. The Repub-
lican members from the far west have
not forgotten how anxious you were for
their support, and how earnestly you
reminded them that you had voted for
rsyee silver nearly twelve years before
u was one OF those western members.
At that time QSS9) when silver bullion
had fallen to less than 10 cents on the
dollar in gold, you certainly never gave
any token that in your opinion a law
providing for free coinage of that metal
ould involve financial dishonor.'
A REMINDER.
Mr.. Bartine then reminds the major
That he recognized the fact all through
the Fifty-firsF Congress that the de-
rnonetization of silver was wrong: that
the Bland-Allison law was too narrow
and that something further must be
done toward silver restoration. He re-
calls the fact that the nominee was one
of the special commission of fifteen ap-
pointed by the Republican caucus to en-
deavor to frame free silver bilI'
upon which all Republicans could unite.
Mr.. Bartine adds:
s'You will not hesitate to say that you
were one Of the most active members
of the committee, and that none was
more earnest than you in the effort to
formulate a measure for which all Re-
publicans, including those who were
strongly in favor of free silver, might
vote. In emphasizing the necessity of
Easing a silver bill in substance, you
Haid during the committee debates:
we must pass a silver bill, the coun-
try demands it; but we must pass it as
a party measure. I am prepared to
support any bill that We can unite on.
/ can accept free coinage, or the Win
dom bill, or anything else upon which
we can agree, but it is imperative that
we have a silver bill
sDid you, in $780, regard the free coin
age Of silver as meaning financial dis
honor?' You seem to have abandoned
the opinions Of life time on a cues
zion Of morals"
MILES NARROW ESCAPE.
OTTUMWA. Iowa, Sept n-Major