Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1896-09-02
Rrnan On BOltin1.

From letter to the Hon George A. Car
den, of Dallas: In June, 1895, ! was dis
cussing the silver question at Jackson, Miss.
when gentleman in the audience asked
me if would support gold standard can
didate on a gold standard platform if the
Democratic Convention should nominate
such candidate answered that while !
did not believe the Democratic party would
take such action, | would refuse to support
the nominee in the event that it did selec'
a gold-standard candidate on a gold.stand-
ard platform. 1t was this statement I"
which Mr.. Carlisle referred when he, few
davs later. called me PopuliSt and refused
to debate the silver question with me at
Lexington, Ky.
never retracted what said at Jackson,
and do not intend to. l am now private
citizen, and my vote is my own. Directed
by my conscience and by my best judgment
she'll use that vote to defend my rights.
protect my family and advance the welfare
of society. No convention can rob me oi
convictions, nor can any party organization
drive me to conspire against the prosperity
and liberty of my country.
expect to be delegate to the next Dem
ocratic National Contention, and shall d.
all 10 my power to save the Democratic
party from the grasp of plutocracy. | deny
the right of 81 convention to depsrl from the
principles az taught by the party in the past.
and then attempt to bind those who shall
participate in the hope of holding the party
TO its ancient position. In other words, If
Democrat attends convention for the
purpose of obtaining reaLimation of Dem
ocratic faith aud finds that the convention
repudates the conditions of the party and
announces an entirely new policy, he is not.
IN my judgment. bound to support such new
policy. 1t tariff reiormers, for instance,
attend the convention expecting an iudOrse
ment of tariff reform, they will not be bound
to support candidate who believes in
Mckinley tariff, even if he should be nom
mated by Democratic convention upon
platform declaring that the Mckinley bill
represents the Democratic idea upon the
tariff question. The money question is far
more important to our people than the tariff
question, and bimetalists who 20 to the ma
tional convention will not, in my judgment.
be bound to support the nominee il the con-
vention indorses The policy of John Sher-
man and gives the lie to all the efforts OF
the Democratic party for the last 20 years
to undo what Sherman did
Men who agree upon principle can sub
nit their personal preferences to the arbi-
trament of a convention, but men who bon
estly differ upon the paramount public ques
tious cannot afford to be harmonized by a
national convention. Mr. Cleveland would
not support a free silver candidate for the
Presidency, aud he should not do so If he
really believes that free coinage would ruin
the country, because mans duty to his
country is higher than bis duty to his
party. Whenever we speak Of nominating
a silver man we are told that We would lose
the vote Of the eastern Democrats. Why
are the Democrats of the west aud south
bound to support a goldbug, when eastern
Democrats to not feel them-elye- bound to
support a bimetallisl? Tie President has
set up golden image and has commanded
that we fall down and woFshipit for one
shall not do it, | shall refuse, not because
have ceased to be Democrat, but because
the Democracy OF Jefferson and Jackson are
dearer to me than the putocracy preached
by Cleveland in the interest Of Wall street
l write you thus at length because | feel
that the matter is OF great Importance aud
because have no purposes which care to
conceal. Very truly yours.
". J. BRYAN.
LINCOLN, NEB Feb Is, 1896.
The new hotel to be erected in Winches-
ter nv Henry and f. J Evans will De five
stories in height anl will contain about
6ftv he'd rooms rhe hotel has OeeH leased