The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-08-17
Chicago Democratic Paper Said He
Was Employed by silver Kings,
and 1t Hasn't Been Denied.
LETTER TO SENATOR STEWART
CONFERENCE BETWEEN MAI. M'KIN-
LEY AND CHAIRMAN HANNA.
Settled that the Republican Candi-
date VIII Make No Stump Speech
es During the Campaign.

OMAHA, Neb., Aug. Ex-senator John NJ.
Thurston to-day gave out for publication
the following copy of letter which he
mailed to-day to Senator Stewart, of
Nevada:
ITO Hon. William Stewart, editor of the
Silver knight. Washington, ID. G. Sir-On
return from my recent campaign tour L
find your open letter of Aug. 1 which you
SO kindly gave to the press of the country
before awaiting its receipt by me. In your
letter you refer to the address delivered
by me at the Chautauqua Assembly at
Madison, Wis. on July 81. You must have
known when you penned your letter that l
did not make any charge against Hon. W.
]. Bryan of any kind whatever; that j did
nothing except read portions of an editorial
published in the Chicago Chronicle on the
11th of last July. The editorial as read by
me is as follows:
:" There was time when the owners of
the big bonanZas of the far West were
glad TO occupy by purchase seats in the
United States Senate. Sharon. Stanford:
their fancy in this manner until the nov
city wore off and then they deputized at
torneys and other employees TO take their
places 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 IL passes
a tariff BILL the proprietors of the big
bonanzas have found IL profitable to keep
large number of orators. lecturers and
other spokesmen on the road, preaching
TO the people already limping a result
of bites by the free silver cure the SOW
ereign remedy of applying the hair of the
dog TO cure the wound.
" Among the many who have been thus
employed and carried on the pay rolls of
the big bonanzas for a number OF years
is William j. Bryan. of Nebraska The
paid agent and spokesman for the free
silver combine has not since retirement
from Congress had any other visible
Il did not directly or indirectly even ex-
press an. opinion as to the truth of falsity
equivocaIy. and editorially set forth by
great Democratic newspaper, reputable
and responsible.
WHAT THURSTON SAID.
'T did say. and 1 still say that the man
posing the advocate of down-trodden
masses of his countrymen. holding crown
Of thorns' in one hand and the bugaboo. a
cross of gold in the other owes Ii as a
duty to every man. woman and child in
this country to say whether that charge,
thus publicly and deliberately made. is
false true.
Now. my dear Senator. you must have
known. and you did know. when you indited
your open letter to me. that the charge
was not mine-no. not even by adoption
that 1 had not expressed opinion with
respect to it. and that / no more than full
filled my duty as citizen in insisting that
whether or not the charge made by the
Chicago Chronicle was true. One word
from Mr.. Bryan on the 1Ah day of last
July would have set the public right. One
word from him on any day since that time
would have accomplished the same pur-
pose.
1.-The charge thus editorially made by the
Chicago Chronicle. while the Chicago con-
vention was still in session, was reproduced
in many or the leading journals of the
country. 1t came to the attention of Mr..
Bryan's own paper, the Omaha World
Herald, of which he was at the time man
aging editor and the only reference ever
made to IL in that paper was on the 18th
day of July. when in its editorial column
appeared the following:
:! In Whose Pay? The Chicago Chron-
icle wants Mr.. Bryan TO explain in whose
pay he has been since he dropped out of
Sioux City Journal-Mr. Bryan did not
drop out of Congress. He stepped out. but
he has been in the employ of the World
Herald and il is generally conceded that
he has fully earned his salary
MIR. Thurston. after making the above
quotations, says that Mr.. Bryan was asked
Aug. 1. to make an answer TO the Chron-
icle's charge. But" adds he. Mr. Bryan
had nothing TO say. except that he would
answer in due time and manner"
Mr.. ThurSton then makes the statement
that the Chicago Post, of recent date. had
said that Mr.. Bryans stated salary from
the silver mine owners. or the Silver
League. was $4,000 per annum.
Continuing, the writer quotes from the
Philadelphia Ledger. Of recent issue as
follows: Those familiar with Mr.. Bryan s
tions from silver miners to the expense OF
his lectures began before his general
stumping tour of the country two years
The Ledger goes on to say that in his
campaign In 1885 for reelection to Con-
gress ''he (Bryan) was materially assisted
in the expenses OF his campaign by dona-
tions from Denver"
BRYAN'S LECTURE TOUR
Referring TO Mr. Bryan's campaign in
1894. when he ran for United States Sen
ator. the Ledger is again quoted: During
| his so-called lecturing tour there Is no rea-
| SON to doubt that salary and expenses We're
| met by those most strongly and personally
| interested in free coinage. There has never
| been any denial out West that Mr. Bryan
was employed at a fixed compensation to
preach the gospel of free coinage and the
funds from which his compensation came
were in very large degree derived from the
| mine owners.
Mr.. Thurston. continuing says he would
be the last man in the world to assail the
/ character OF Mr.. Bryan and adds: 1T is
not just TO the American people that
charges of this kind should go unanswered
He is the man. and the only man. who can
make definite and conclusive reply"
Thurston suggests that Senator Stewart
turn his batteries upon those reputab BILE
editors and newspapers making the
| charges" and states his surprise at SEN
| atcr Stewart and his fellow silver mine
| owners" remaining silent and not publicly
| answering the Chronicles charges. Sena-
| tor Thurston mentions Senator Stewart
| statement that contributions for the circu-
= lation of silver literature have been paid
| by the American Bimetallic League and the
| American Bimetallic Union and that these
organizations can account for all moneys
| received and the use made of it,
| The Nebraskan asks that detailed ac.
count of these amounts be made public
which, he says, would prove OF much in
| terest.
Il now hope. my dear sir" Senator
| Thurston concludes. that you will frankly
| acknowledge the undue haste and stupidity
| with which you have misrepresented me ir
| this matter and l sincerely trust that yot
, will Immediately transfer TO the Chicago
| Chronicle the honor of an opportunity tc
| substantiate it's editorials
M'KINIEY Avn uANNA