The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-04-28
SILVER And THE Unit RULE.
Senator DaliePS Latter 10 q Roanoke
Han.
HIS REASON FOR THEIR APPROVAL.
4 Discussion Of the financial Question
a Question set Forth by Asking
ifItis Iact-Itis
Opinions.

WASHINGTON, D. c., April 25.-spe-
ciaI.-senator Daniel has written the fol-
/ lowing letter 10 ". -. Hardaway, OF
! Roanoke, regretting his inability To- at
! tend "a meeting oil SILVER Democrats at
/ Roanoke on May "a. The senator says:
In these closing days Of Congress.
with appropriation bills pressing for COM
sldlfatl0n, i uouDt IL it VIII be possible for
InC 10 be with yOu upon that occasion,
bat it has long been my conviction that
a return TO the bimetallic system which
! 80 long prevailed ln this country d. nee
cessary TO the prosperity of our people.
and / would, therefore, be pleased 10 aa-
dress the meeting IL it were practicable
10 DO 80.
eff the ncgauved prophecies. the ac-
cumulated public debts. the paralyzcd in-
dustrles, the revenue deficits, the COM
mercial failures the increased taxes, and
the falling prices Of land, produce, and
labor which have followed upon the g0ld-
standard plans which the Democracy was
beguiled TO adopt. i'm company with the
Republicans-if these experiences of the
last three years have not opened the
eyes OF the people 10 the folly of closing
their mints and destroying their consti-
tuuonal money, it would Ecm vain TO
argue the matter.
SILVER A PIVOTAL POINT.
"some seem TO imagine that the ques-
ton whether or not We should have the
free coinage of silver as it existed prior
10 lsN, cOupreAcld- the financial issues
we have 10 deal with, and ! do not think
il is generally appreciated that the silver
question is the pivotal point On which
turns the whole scheme OF financial re-
vision.
Associated with the silver question. and
more or less dependent upon IL, are the
questions Of charging 10 vast degree
our public debt and Of retiring our green
back currency and silver ccrtilcat.s
"indccd, our whole currency system is
in confusion and this confusion can only
De corrected by restoring blmetaillsm or
by destroying existing circulation.
1T IS agreed ON AN hands that we
should keep our mints open to the free
coinage OF gold, and that there must be
radical reform a. 10 other elements of
our currency.
GGEENBACKS.
"The necessity for reform arises from The
fact that Ws have outstanding N4aOa00
OF ereenback Iapcr money. payable iu
coin mot gold only: some $t.Wlc) OF
coin certificates, issued under the Sher-
J. an act of 1850. and some }3,3,nHe1 cf
silver certificates, issued under thc H.and-
Allison act of ls,s. ia al. body oi >>I-,-
Oly00 of paper money, or half of all our
existing circulation.
"iuless We restore silver aa money
OF redemption we must retire this paper
money, and b. we retire it we must issue
bonds 10 buy sold IL pay 81. OIL
in. Should $50 retire it, there VIII
poe such "a vast contraction of our present
currency that there viii hc a further and
greater fan 600 prices or lands and commo-
dlues. "a paralysis ol trade. great iu-
crease of taxes. and, probably another
panic greater than amy wo have yct seen.
AeIlculursts mechanics merchants and
blL..5 would Dee involved in widespread
RUIN by such further contraction of the
currency and prosperous conditions inuen-
nitey postponed.
FORKS OF THE ROAD.
cit is easy t0 criticisc and object There
are great impoUiUeuls and difficulties %
be encountered m amy and all directions,
aut 10 must DE realized that We are at
the forks of the road GA this question, and
that we must go one way or ine other.
Gwen The tentative steps toward tle
gold standard laVef:o reduced our rtfc-
MUGS That We Lave already borrowed
>eg2. .Ou1oo0 OF gold without securing amy
permanent relief. M1re debts. more
"Rccognizng how olnic llL 10 is to move
.u any direction, but apprc.ltng tlat
move wo must. ann of toe opinion that
Tie most conservative and safe movement
wc can make would le 10 proceed ace |
cording TO the plan outlined in The Na-
uonal Democratic platform of l>.'-. when |
embodies the coinage of both gold and !
silver without discriminating against !
either metal or charge for mintaee.' and |
The removal of the lO per cent destroy |
ing tax that crusnes out State banks.
A QUESTION
This plan was unanimously indorsed !
in the Democratic Convention, 30 had |
the approval OF the people iu the presi- |
Dental election. and 30 had been pur- /
sued i do not believe the Democratic /
party would have met such disastrous |
defeat at the polls as that which follow
cd Is sudden turn or from its own dec
laratiors and toward the god standard.
THE UNIT RULE
"It is quite evident that the people are
in no mood 10 tolerate stradalcs or other
devices that look both ways. I believe /
The most courageous ANA direct course
to DE the safest course, ana that the Iuic
of tho majority is the only rule wmcn |
can tend toward harmony and thc III
tccrity OF organization. Inc alaie votes
as unit for President, whether ln the
electoral college or I'm Congress. Only
the state ls recognized In national con-
v,uuons as "a constituent body " the
Democratic people OF Virginia are ion
free silver. 10 would seem but right and
just that they should say so. as they
dd four years ago. and as they did ln
the State election when Governor Mc-
Kinlev was nominated and elected. Ger
tainly no man would wish TO represent
them otherwise than in accordance VITA
thcr wishes. ana if they are for lree
silver would 10 not bee becoming ana
lust. and ia accordance With tAe true
principles of the Democratic party ANA
vi republican government that Their
wishes should be rcspectedE
wishing You and your associates sue
cess, / am,
VERY truly yours,
"JOuN W. DANIEL
The House.
WASHINGTON, j.. c., April 27.-After
passing a few private blls ana others
Ia. o. Hf fNH.UHN IA