The San Francisco call., 1896-09-26
B1SMARoK,s SILVER 1ErrER.
he Does Not Reply and May Not HGve
WTittrn 1t at all.

he Does Not Reply and May Not HGce
WTittrn 1t at all.
NEW YORK. n. Y, Sept. 25.-Prince
Bismarck 8 letter to Governor Culberson
of Texas has caused no end of discussion
and speculation in sound money German
circles as to its authenticity. 1t culmi-
mated on Tuesday in the calling of meet
ing by Secretary Crosse of the executive
committee of the Sound Money League, at
which William Steinway, the chairman,
presided. After full discussion of the let
ter, it was unanimously decided that Mr..
Steinway send the following cablegram to
Bismarck:
New YORK, n. Y, Sept. %.
To His Highness, Prince Bismarck, Friedrichs-
rtthe, Germany: The Sllverites and Populists,
who are agitating the unlimited free coinage
of silver in this country, make use in dema-
gogical sense OF the following letter alleged to
have been written by your Highness to Gov
ernor Culberson of Texas, especially among
the German-Americans:
FREDERICKSBURG Aug. "a, 1896.
"Honored Sir: Your esteemed favor of July
has been duly received. l have always had a
predilecti on for bimetallism, but l would not
| while in office, claim my views of the matter
! to be 'nfallibly true when advanced against
! the views of experts. hold to this very hour
| that it would be advisable to bring about
among the nadons chiefly engaged in the
worlds commerce mutual agreement In
favor of the establishment of bimetallism.
Considered from commercial and indus
/ trial standpoint the United States are freer by
| far in their movements than any nation of
/ Europe, and hence shou the people OF the
United States find 1t compatible with their in
terests to take independent action in the d.
rection of bimetallism, l cannot help but be-
| lieve that such action would exert most sal u
! tary influence upon the consummation of in
ternationsl agreement and the coming into
! this league of every European Nation. Assur-
!
most obedient servant, BISMARCK
We beg your Highness to cable us the exact
text of your letter if the preceding text
should either not be genuine or not exact
| Full cable reply paid.
GERMAN-AMERIcAN 5oUND-MoNEY LEAGUE,
William Steinway, President.
Mr.. Crosse, the secretary of the German
! Sound Money League, in referring to the
sending of the cablegram, said to re-
porter of the United Associated Presses
| tonight:
! "Although we know of Prince Bismarck
being in favor of the landed aristocracy
in Germany, which is the bimetallistic
| party of that country, and which party is
constantly clamoring for special privileges
| and high protective tariff, and has also
been the cause OF exclusion of the Ameri-
can hog from Germany, we had our
doubts that Prince Bismarck had written
letter which by many in this country
may be construed as an i'm proper inter-
ference with the internal politics of a for
eign Nation, and it was for this reason
that this dispatch was sent.
1--WE don't consider the letter in any
way misleading or hurtful to the sound
money cause, except among the ignorant,
| who may accept 1t as an Endorsement OF
| the unlimited free coinage of silver, which
it certainly is not. The German bimetal-
! lists are not in favor of the unlimited free
coinage ofEsilver for Germany, but they
IL -
they may even sincerely desire-that the
! United States should consent to the monu.
| mental folly and thereby secure to the
! European countries.the greatest advantage
over the United States they can desire.
We doubt whether Prince Bismarck rel
ishes the publication OF the letter, and il
the letter should be genuine this may be
the reason why he has not sent any reply
so far"
BERLIN, GERMANY, Sept. 25.-The let
ter of Prince Bismarck to Governor Cul.
berson of Texas, sent in reply to a request
of the latter to give his opinion on the
silver question, was cabRd back to this
country and was published by the news.
papers here. Many doubts as to the
authenticity of the letter were expressed
by the German press, il being held by
some OF them that it was campaign
document prepared in the United State;
TO aid the cause of the Silverites. In
quiries that were cabled from several diff
ierent sources from the United States
showed that considerable doubt existed
there as to whether Prince Bismarck
really entertained the opinion set forth in
the letter.
All doubt as to the authorship of the
letter is now regarded as having been se
at rest. The Hamburger Nachrichten
which is Prince Bismarck's organ, ha:
printed Governor Culberson's letter, which
was written last June