The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1896-12-03

ing Changed His Views on the FL
nancial Question-TeIls Him PLAINLY
that He Has Deserted the Cause of
the People.
ELLIOT CITY, N. c., Nov. ID, 'o6.
"Hon. J. &. Pritchard, Marshall, NC.
"DEAR SIR:-Yours of November
9Th, asking whether Or not | favored
your election to the Senate received,
Who shall be Senator is matter to be
determined by majority of the mem
bers of the next Legislature, but if were
a member Of that body would not vote
tor any man Senator who favored the
gold standard, or whose position on
the financial question $50 vital to the
welfare of our people, was uncertain
or equivocal.
"When you were elected to the SEN
ate two years ago, you were as out
spoken and as strong for the free and
unlimited coinage Of silver at the ratio
of 16 to as or any one else You
condemned the gold standard as one
OF the greatest curse, to our people and
our country, you condemned Cleve-
lands financial policy; and especially
Carlisle's policy in redeeming Treas
ury notes in gold alone But to-day
Senator John Sherman, the arch leader
of the British gold conspiracy, says
that their hope OF capturing the next
United States Senate for the gold stand
ard depends upon getting Senator of
their way of thinking from both Ken
lucky and North Carolina. 1t is un-
derstood that they want to elect Car
Isle from Kentucky and you from
North Carolina. Therefore, | take it
that you are no longer for the free and
unlimited coinge ofsilver, at the ratio
of I6 to I, but if you are, then Sher-
man and Mark Hanna must be de-
ceived as to your position.
"Besides, if you have been correctly
reported by the newspapers, you have
In some of your speeches admitted that
you have radically changed your views
on the financial question which question
is at all times the most important and
vital one in this or any other govern
ment, and which is especially SO at this
time in the United States. Again, you
had published in the Winston Rebub-
H6an few months ago a statement of
your great change on the money ques-
tion. The article, which the editor
said he was authorized to publish, and
which you have never corrected, stated
that you would vote for the free coin
age until March 4th, next, because you
were pledged to do SO, but that after
then you would become a sound mon
ey' man.
thus it seems clear that you have
decided to desert the people in this
great struggle against the money pow
er, and have gone over to the side of
the money changers, who bleed and
oppress the people.
"There is no longer any half way
or straddling ground in this contest.
Every man in Congress will have TO vote
for the free coinage of silver and more
full legal tender money for the people
or ne will vote with the bankers, bond
holders, spectators and gold gamblers
who live and grow rich by making
money dearer and scarcer. If this is
our position, then no member of the
Legislature who is not himself gold
bug, can vote to send you to the Sen
ate. You certainly cannot expect the
; vote of any Populist, neither can you
expect the vote of any silver Republ-
/ can, for when your State convention
passed a resolution approving your
Il course you had not given public no.
tice that you had changed your views
}. "Every man has right to change
! his views on the money question, OF
other questions, whenever he has rea
II sons sufficient for doing SO, but he ha:
. no right to complain if the people o
E. his State refuse to change their view;
because he changes his.
= "Having radically changed you
e position on the most vital issue befor,
: the country to-day, and now holding
= new views in conformity with those G
Sherman and Mark Hanna, you woult
not represent the sentiments and in
y ,erests of the people Of North Coroln;
). in the United States Senate any mor
= than did Senator Ransom after h
changed his views on the money ques
ton to conform with the views o
Cleveland and Carlisle.
"One vote may determine the posi-
ton of the next United States Senat
or the money question. In fact,
YOU are elected, or any man holdn!
the new and foreign views you have
adopted, it will almost surely give TIT
bankers, bondholders and gold trus
one majority in that body, and com
ple,e control of every branch of tint
Government and this probably th'
reason why that class of men are nov
showing so much interest and anxlet!
about your election.
alt is absolutely necessary tor tn
people to hold the United States Sen
ate in order to check the turthe
schemes of the monopolists and con
tractionis,s. TO do this it is necessar
for North Carolina to send free com
age anti monopoly men to the Senate
Therefore, favor the election WI
holds the same views on the tlnancla