Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1896-03-06
Bo1Es DECLINES
A Letter to The Leader on HIS Can
dldacy

A Letter to The Leader on HIS Can
dldacy. |
The Leader has received the ollow-
ing letter from Ex-Governor Boies I'd
reference to his suggested presiden-
tial candidacy and the part the issue
of bimetallism should take in the
campaign.
Waterloo, Feb. 24.-To the Editors
of The Leader: The kindly mention
of my name in recent Issues of the
Leader and other newspapers of the
state as possible candidate of my,
party for the Office of president of the
United States seems to require some
statement on my part to avoid the
conclusion which silence would fairly
imply, that desire it to be under
stood, by my friends in Iowa at least,
that am not candidate for that dis
tinguished honor. Permit me
through the columns Of your paper
to say to all who entertain a desire to
see me thus honored that I can not
consent to be so considered.
l want the delegation from Iowa to
the next national democratic conven-
ton to go there not only uninstructed
but wholly uninfuenced by any con-
siderations of a local character.
| l ain thoroughly impressed with
the belief that we have reached u
crisis in the history of our party that
is to determine its future for many
years, if not for oil time to come, and
could not possibly consent to be
silent or inactive upon an issue that
in my own Judgment SO vitality invol-
YES the welfare of this nation.
I am quite willing to confess that
/ have been one of the number who
read recent declarations of demo-
cratic platforms in my own state, and
of both democratic and republican
platforms by national conventions
adopted by both of these parties, as
solemn promises by each to restore
silver to the position assigned it in
the fundamental law of this govern
eminent, as money of redemption,
and l conscientiously believe that to
neglect to do this, both in theory and
practice alike. is an open, fragrant
and continuous violation of the high
est law of this land.
know, too, that upon this vital
issue, that in my own judgment, in
its Importance to all our people, COM
pletely obscures every other, my
own party is unhappily divided, while
the overwhelming preponderance of
sentiment in the national republican
party is in favor Of ignoring the plain
mandate of the constitution, and SUBJ
stituting for the principle of blmetal-
lism upon which our financial system
by that instrument is based, a single
standard of gold; and | believe that
if successful in its undertaking, as it
surely will be if aided even by the
passive assent of the democratic
party. the death knell of prosperity
for the great struggling masses of
manual laborers in all the fields of
industry in this republic will spro-
claim the victory thus achieved.
1t is useless for me to try to believe
that the adoption of England's meas
ure of values does not necessarily I'M
ply the adoption of England's scale of
wages. know that high priced la
Dor and low priced products thereof
are absolutely contradictory and ir-
reconcilable conditions, both of
which cannot possibly endure in the
same country for any considerable
length of time, and know also that
if our financial system is to be wholly
based upon the intrinsic value of the
worlds markets of the number OF
grains of gold in our present gold dol.
lar or unit of value, we are absolutely
at the mercy of the money lenders OF
our own and other countries, for the
very necessities of the governments
adopting this one metal as money OF
redemption will constantly increase
the demand for it and irresistably
continue to enhance its a'Ie, and to
the same extent depress the price OF
everything it measures, and if this
were not true the market value of nc
commodity on earth is SO susceptible
of manipulation by interested parties
as that of gold, and no combination
of men was ever formed or ever will
be equal in power to increase at theil
will the value of their own property
and thereby control the selling price
: of the great staples of industry, te
that already organized ip the banking
systems of the principal commercial
| countries of the globe.
If we want an object le sson to con
vince us of the absolute truth of THU
statement the history Of our country
during its civil war furnishes that les
son, for in the hour of supreme need
Z the great volume of gold in the Unit
ed States found q hiding place in the
: vaults of banks, and refused to come
!, forth until in times of greatest peri
the credit of the whole nation was
: only sufficient to exchange three dol
lars OF its most solemn promises tc
pay for q single dollar in gold.
: cannot shut my eyes to the rea
issue involved in this contest.