The San Francisco call., 1896-06-11
GOVERNOR BRADLEY'S VIE WS.
He Denies That he Straddled the
Money Question.

x
FRANKFORT, KY. June 10.-For near
ly week Governor Bradley has been
threa tening to give out statement in re-
ply to recent dispatch sent out from
Washington, to the effect that he was
originally in favor of a compromising
policy on the financial question, but was
induced by Governor Mckinley to make
the race for Governor of Kentucky last fall
OH gold standard platform, and further
that Bradley has since negotiated with
Mckinley and other Presidential candi
dates. Articles have also been sent from
here stating that Governor Bradley has
letters in mis- possession, written to him
by various Republican leaders, which
letters he intended to make public.
After laboring several days the Cover
nor tonight gave out the following state
ment, which was carefully written and
more carefully revised: 81 cannot PERM
the Washington dispatch to the Chicago
Record to pass unchallenged. In response
l deny that 1 ever was the representative
of Mr.. Hanna in any way, nor is it true
that my actions were ever controlled or
governed in the slightest degree by what
is politically called in that dispatch the
Platt- Clarkson crowd. There was never
any combination between those gentle
men and myself or any of my friends. L
have not attempted to make terms with
Mckinley or any of his managers. 1 have
not offered to trade any votes or any vote
for Vice. Pre- sldent, nor will 1 be a candi-
date for Vice President, nor would l accept
a Cabinet position.
81 did write to Mckinley, and at the
same time / wrote to number of leading
Republicans throughout the cou TRY con-
cerning the Kentucky campaign. The in
sinuation that l wrote favoring a straddle
on the currency question or that McKin-
ley advised me not to pursue such course
or said that the silver agitation was the
result of hard times, just as the greenback
craze was the result of the panic of '73, is
totally false. L did not write to him that
a majority of the people N Kentucky were
in favor of free coinage or that both parties
were rapidly drifting that way, My ex-
pressed opinion was that the Minnea polls
platform was too general and that the
party must make a clear and distinct selec-
ton.
My views are too we'll known to require
explanation in Kentucky. Weeks before
the convention assembled at Louisville the
Sunday Critic announced my declaration
that would not accept the nomination on
a free-silver platform and l gave the
Uourier-J Journal an interview almost as
explicit. have time and time again de-
clared in favor of the gold standard, with
every dollar made of equal value, and
against the free and unlimited coinage of
silver. Ny canvass was made on plat
form embodying these ideas and l adhere
to that platform now. l believe that
sound currency will be the leading issue
of the coming campaign. The honor OF
the Republic and the welfare of the people
demand its correct solution. 1t is far
above personal success or individual ad-
vancement, and in this hour of supreme
trial the Republican convention should
declare unhesitatingly in favor of the
single gold standard.
"There is no time for quibbling or eva
sion. We may lose some Western States.
This loss will be more than compensated
by the gain in the old slave border States,
but if l thought such declaration would
cause the Republican nominee to be de-
feated would none the less favor it.
Success at the expense of the National
welfare would be neither creditable nor
profitable. In justice to Mckinley will
add the statement in to-day's Courier
Journal that he wrote me recommending
the adoption of plank with strong free
silver tinge is not true, neither did he or
any one of the gentlemen addressed sug-
ppSt anVthinU Of the kind ~