Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-09-04


Madison, Wis, said: 81 happened to
hear w. ]. Bryan four years ago in his
congressional campaign in the first dis
trict OF my state. l pledge you, my
countrymen, and 1t is a solemn fact,
that from the beginning of that cam
paign to the end w. ]. Bryan advocated
no other issue, made no other argument
than that upon the tariff" If this Is
matter Of sufficient Importance to be
worthy of mention in this campaign the
truth at least should be stated. At the
commencement Of the campaign Of 1892
Mr.. Bryan delivered two speeches in
Falls City, Neb., one in the afternoon
on free coinage, to which was request
ed to reply, and one in the evening on
the tariff, to which Judge Lansing re-
piled. Judge Lansing and I were fur
nished with complete stenographic re-
ports Of the speeches and we spoke in
the afternoon and evening of the same
day that Bryan and Field had their
first joint discussion in Lincoln. The
policy to be pursued in these speeches
was this: The tariff was to be the main
issue and the argument in favor Of
free coinage was to. be met with the
statement that since the Sherman law
was providing a sufficient increase in
the volume Of money and consuming
the product Of our silver mines 1t was
best to let the matter rest till other ma
lions were willing to make some ar
IN do 20 he In -
the silver product of the rest of the
world. So when Mr.. Bryan sought to
discuss the silver question we gave but
a brief reply and that to the above
effect and then waded into the tariff,
our stronghold" and, by the way, got
licked on our own issue. That Mr.. Bry-
ans interest in free coinage abated In
the least during the campaign is not
true; in every speech which came to
my notice during the campaign made
1t my particular business to keep track
Of his arguments on the money ques-
ton, and wrote more articles on the
money question for the State Journal,
the leading republican paper of the
state, than any other contributor, and
perhaps more than any five. AS said
before, we sought to force the issue on
the tariff and he, happening to have
heard somewhere that there were two
sides to the question, took the side we
left and proceeded to wipe the ground
with us, leaving us sadder If not wiser.
Now, John, my dear boy, is 1t not true
that after carefully examining the sill
yer question you wrote some very in
teresting letters, one In particular to
Mr.. Burrows, written at my request and
in reply to ana invitation extended to
you by the Nebraska Bimetallic league.
who on my motion sent you the invita-
ton to address them? This letter, to-
gether with two others written by you.
is now being printed and Is attaining
wide circulation. If any of your friends
want to know all about the silver uues-
ton let them write to w. B. Crombie,
Neb., for "Thurston on Sill
ver." 1 notice that in these letters you
failed to say anything about the for
eigners owning 80 per cent of our sill
yer mines and about there being so
much silver lying on the dumps in
British Columbia. AS you are SO near
Canada you might just step over the
line and ask them why they persist in
importing silver when they have sill
YER of their own to throw at the birds,
for see by letter from Toronto to
The Chicago Record July 80 that the
Canadian jewelers. are importing silver
bullion for manufacturing purposes.
You speak about Mr. Bryan being in
the employ Of the mine-owners and at
the same time being in the pay of the
railroad. Now, John, my boy, is not
there a slight chance that you may be
mistaken? Remember how badly you
we're off in "Thurston on Silver" How
aver, If you are as certain of this as
he people Of Nebraska are that you
we're drawing pay as senator and as
'ailroad attorney at the same time you
could state 1t as fact. Invented facts
never fit we'll. Lies always come home
o roost. You are making lots of votes
or Bryan at home where the truth is
Known. Let the good work go on.-H.
:. Palmer in Chicago Record.