The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-08-14
THURSTON'S CHARGE
That VIM. J. Bryan is in the Pay of
Silver Mine Owners.


Kansas City, Aug. IA reporter for
the Kansas City Journal asked Senator
John M. Thurston:
Has Mr. Bryan denied your charge
that for years he has been in the en-
ploy of the silver barons at a regular
salary?"
4 have never charged Mr.. Bryan
with being in the employ of the silver
barons. Let me give you the true his
tory of that affair. On July IL the Chi
cago Chronicle, which is the leading
Democratic paper of the west, in a
double loaded editorial charged that
Bryan was the subsidized agent of the
silver mine syndicate, and that his duty
was to agitate the free and unlimited
coinage of silver to the end that the
syndicate's holdings might be doubled
in value at the expense of the American
people. The editorial also declared that
since he left congress he had had no
other visible means of support. I men
ton the latter statement because it has
an important bearing upon a later fea-
ture of the controversy. In my Wis
consin speech read this editorial from
the Chicago Chronicle and stated that
1 had seen no denial of it from Mr..
Bryan. I stated further that if Mr..
Bryan would in an explicit manner de-
ny the charge, the Republicans of the
United States would accept the denial
as sufficient, and that I myself would
endeavor to give it as wide publicity as
had been given to the charge by the
Chicago Chronicle
About the time of my Wisconsin
speech the Omaha Bee reprinted the ar
ticle from the Chicago Chronicle, and
this smoked Mr.. Bryan out with an ed
itorial in the Omaha Herald of which
paper he is the OstenSible editor To
my surprise this editorial did not deny
the charge that Bryan was in the pay
of the silver syndicate in explicit terms.
It Indignantly and valiantly refuted
oh 17saa vfeyfI1
means Of support besides his pay as a
silver agitatOr by declaring that he was
employed as editor of the Herald at
salary which was sufficient for his COM
Portable living. By this time we began
to believe that there might be some
thing serious in the Democratic charge
that the Democratic nominee for pres
ident was hireling in the cause of a
silver mine conspiracy, rather than a
lofty minded patriot, who was in the
cause from his love of humanity. and
we asked again and again that he deny
the charge in specific terms. The reply
we received was that at the proper time
Mr.. Bryan would reply to his calumnia-
tors in a manner which would cover
them with confusion.
In my Omaha meeting last Saturday
night reiterated my demand for a de-
NAL of the charge from Mr.. Bryan, and
stated again that a simple statement
from him that it was false would con-
vince me of its falseness. A gentleman
rose in the audience and stated that
Mr.. Bryan would deny the charge at
the New York meeting which was held
last night I asked him if he was auth
orized to speak for Mr. Bryan, and he
replied that he was. Again I reiterated
my intention of accepting this denial
in good faith
And now" continued the senator, as
he drew from his pocket a copy of
morning paper, 4 fail to find in this
report of Mr.. Bryan's New York meet
ing that he has even alluded to the
charge. would do no fellow citizen
an injustice. I will not express my
opinion until I have read the full text
of his speech If do not find the de-
NAL there, which has been so frequent
ly and so boisterously promised, I am
free to say that I will be compelled to
alter my past non-cOmmittal attitude
toward the Chicago Chronicles charge"
MARSHALL band concert and fireworks