Kansas City daily journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1892-1897, 1896-10-25
CAN'T STAND BRYANIsM.
President of the Kansas City, Kas.,
Free Silver Republican
Club RESIGNS.

The many friends and acquaintances of
Captain C. ]. Hanks, of Kansas City, Kas..
will read with special interest what he has
to say to the Free Silver Republican Club
of Wyandotte county. The captain was one
of the original organizers of the club.
which has for its membership between 700
and 500 free silver Republicans. 1t is now
claimed that over one-half of the original
membership are ardent supporters of Major
Mckinley. and this does not at all inter-
fere with their convictions on the money
question. In their judgment. what they
favor on the silver question would not be
enacted into law even if the supporters Of
Mr.. Bryan could have their way about ma
tional affairs. There is a wide difference
between fiat money, they insist. and free
coinage. Mr. Bryan has taken up with the
fiat crowd" rather than with the free sill
Yer element. which at one time was SO
kindly disposed toward him. This change
of base on the money question indulged in
! by Mr.. Bryan and his management has
caused great change not only in the Free
Silver Club of Wyandotte county, but
, throughout the country generally. This
leaves the free silver Republicans of the
earnest variety but one alternative. in the
mind of Captain Hanks, and this situation
he recognizes in an announcement to the
CluD wnlcn reaQS as iOlfOWS.
ITO the Free Silver Republican Club OF
Wyandotte County. Kas.
"Gentlemen-I hereby tender my resigna-
ton as president of the Free Silver Re-
publican Club of Wyandotte county, Kas.,
to take effect Immediately. My reasons for
this course are as follows:
while I have been an ardent advocate at
all times for the free coinage of silver and
firm believer in bimetallism. as a Re-
publican, I cannot longer refrain from
entering my protest against the platform
adopted by the Chicago convention.
II have been Republican for more than
forty years and cast my first vote for John
C. Fremont in IS. My adherence to the
principles of the Republican party has
never waived. and I am convinced that in
this campaign there are other issues OF
grave importance to the welfare OF our
country than the issue of free silver.
while / am not in accord with the st.
Louis platform on the financial question,
have become convinced that the platform
adopted at Chicago goes too far in one re-
spect that is that it demands the free and
unlimited coinage of silver and gold at the
1atio of 16 to /, Independent of the action OF
any other nation. 1 am fully satisfied after
mature consideration that the wiser policy
is to await international bimetallism and In
the meantime l remember that we owe to
the Republican party the credit for the
coinage of over 400 millions of silver and
the fact that it is kept at a parity with all
other kinds Of our money. also reel as
sured that the adoption Of the Chicago
platform would drive from circulation the
six hundred millions of gold now in use.
I-pon this point I wish to observe that my
views were altered somewhat by considera-
ton of the fact that the report of the banks
of the country recently made to the comp
troller of currency showed conclusively
that they held four weeks ago more than
four hundred millions of gold coin which
must belong to the depositors. and must
necessarily count as an important part OF
our circulation.
"But / have weightier reasons for my
present course than these.
II cannot lend any assistance to the NOM
inee of the Chicago convention because.
aside from my firm belief in the advantages
of protection to American labor and Ameri-
can industries. and lifelong opposition to
the doctrine of tariff for revenue only,
which Cleveland's administration has DEM
onstrated fails, not only to protect our
manufacturers and wage-earners, but fails
to produce sufficient revenues to carry on
the government. Aside from this. the Chi
trgo pla'f forn attacks the integrity OF the
United States supreme court and declares
In favor of principle which means an
archy, or it means nothing; upholds Alt
geldism, which, being interpreted, means
that our national government Is powerless
to prevent the interference with its mails
by nnobs or to prevent the destruction OF
its property and the interference with COM
merce between the states by armed rioters,
except upon the request of the petty gov
ernor of the state where the riot occurs
This means that the reunion of the States
is rope of sand, and that the principle
of states rights was not destroyed, but
only 'scotched' when Lee surrendered at
Appomatox.
Il served four years in the war for the
preservation of the Union, and in order to
preserve it it became necessary to bury
this doctrine of states rights.
Now Ben Tillman, of South Carolina, and
Altgeld, the sympathizers of anarchists.
propose to resurrect it, and l do not pro-
pose to assist them. They can't use free
silver as stalking horse and get my vote
and my influence in support of their other
heresfes.
Il have no doubt that the majority of the
club feel as 1 do upon these points, and
will support the Republican nominees, state
and county. Respectfully,
&c. ]. HANKS"
IL