The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-08-27

ii''ht -uShluiey > lorIndl leCCer, accepting
the Republican nomination for President,
was issued to-day. The following is a
liberal abstract, in which the salient
points are given literally:
TO Hon. John NJ. Thurston and Others,
Members of the Notification Commit
tee of the Republican National Conven-
ton:
Gentlemen: In pursuance to the
promise made to your committee when
notified OF my nomination as the Repub-
lican candidate for President, / beg to
submit this formal acceptance of that
high honor, and to consider in detail
questions at issue in the pending cam
paign Perhaps this might he considered
unnecessary in view of my remarks on
that occasion, and those | have made to
delegations that have visited me since
INC ST. Louis convention, but in view of
the momentous Importance of the proper
settlement of the issues presented on our
future prosperity and standing as n M
tion, and considering only the welfare
and happiness of our people, could not
DE content to omit again calling atten-
tlon to the questions, which, in my opin-
ION, vitality affects our strength and posi-
ton among the governments of the world
ana our morality, integrity and patriot
ism as citizens of that republic which.
for century past, has been the best hope
OF the world and the inspiration of man
KIND. we must not now prove false to
our own high standards in government.
nor unmindful of the noble example and
wise precepts of our fathers, or of the
confidence and trust which our conduct
in the past has always inspired.
For the first time since 1868, if ever
before, there Is presented to the American
people this year clear and direct issue
as to our monetary system, of Vast i'm
portance in its effects, and upon the
right settlement of which rests largely
the financial honor and prosperity of the
country. 1t is proposed by one wing of
the Democratic party and it's allies, the
Peoples and silver parties, to inaugurate
the free and unlimited coinage of silver
by independent action on the part of the
United States at n ratio of 16 ounces of
silver to l ounce of gold. The mere
declaration of this purpose is menace
to our financial interests, and has already
created universal alarm. 1t involves
great peril to the credit and business of
the country, peril so grave that con-
servative men everywhere are breaking
away from their old party associations
ana uniting with other patriotic citizens
in emphatic protest against the platform
OF the Democratic national convention as
an assault upon the faith and honor of
the Government and welfare of the peo-
pie. We have had few questions in the
lifetime of the republic more serious than
the one which is thus presented.
THE character of the money which
shall measure our values and exchanges
and settle our balances with one another
and with the nations of the world is of
such primary Importance and so far
reaching in its consequences as to call for
the most painstaking investigation and,
in the end, a sober and unprecedented
judgment at the polls. We must not be
misled by phrases, nor deluded by false
theories. Free silver would not mean
that silver dollars were to be freely had
without cost or labor. 1t would mean
the free use of the minis of the United
States for the few who are owners of sill
yer bullion, but would make silver coin
no freer to the many who are engaged in
other enterprises. 1t would not make
labor easier, the hours of LABOR shorter.
or the pay better. 1t would not make
farming less laborious, or more profitable.
1t would not start II factory, or make a
demand for an additional days labor. 1t
would create no new occupations. 1t
would add nothing to the comfort of the
masses, the capital of the people or the
wealth of the nation. 1t seeks to intro
duce new measure of value, but would
add no value to the thing measured. 1t
would not conserve values On the con
trary, it would derange ali existing
values. 1t would not restore business
confidence, but it's direct effect would be
to destroy the little that remains.
"The free silver plank adopted at Chi,
cago is that anyone who may take a guam
tity of silver bullion, not worth SO cents,
to the minis of the United States, have it
coined at the expense of the Government,
and receive for it silver dollar, which
shall be legal tender for the payment of
all debts, public or private. The owner
of the silver bullion would get the silver
dollar. 1t would belong to him and no.
body else Other people would get it
only by their labor, the products of their
land, or something Of value. The bullion
owner, on the basis of present values,
would receive the silver dollar for SO
cents worth of silver, and other people
would be required to receive it as a full
dollar in the payment of debts The
Government would get nothing for
the transaction. 1t would bear the en-
pense of coming the silver and the COM
munity would suffer loss by its use
eve have coined since 1878 more than
four hundred millions of silver dollars.
which are maintained by the Govern
ment on a parity with gold, and are full
legal tender for the payment of all debts,
private or public. How are the silver
dollars now in use different from those
which would he in use under free coin
age. They are to be of the same weight
and fineness; they are to bear the same
stamp of the Government Why would
they not be of the same value? / answer:
The silver dollars now in use were coined