The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1896-02-07

many of his party associates in the
Senate of the United States, acting
with the free silver republicans of
the West, were pressing the passage
of free coinage bill, he took occa-
sion to write letter to the Reform
Club of New York, in which he
distinctly opposed the doctrine.
Notwithstanding his known views
on the subject, in 1892 the South
was clamorous for his denomination,
notwithstanding that he was oppo-
sed by the delegation from his own
State, and Tennessee was the first
of the southern states in convention
to instruct for him. But you quote
the national platform of 1892, and
after enormously assuming it de-
cls for your doctrine, you, in
substance, charge that the accep-
lance of the nomination By presi-
dent Cleveland was a recantation of
his convictions, and his subsequent
adherence to them as betrayal of
his PARTY; and you do this in the
face of solemn declaration in the
platform that ''the dollar unit of
the coinage of both metals must be
of equal intrinsic and exchangeable
value or be adjusted through inter-
national agreement, or by such safe
guards of legislation as shall insure
the maintenance of the parity of
the two metals and the equal value of
every dollar at all times in tie mar
kets in the payments of debts" Tie
only offense the preside It ha. given
your committee to justify your as
sault, is that he has courageously
attempted to carry out the mandate
of the party, and has, at all times,
stood between the American people
and the EXTREMIST commercial disas-
ter.
But, gentlemen, / have said
enough on this line to make my
protest plain against the uncharita-
bic and prescribed tone of your adj
dress. The world over, your meth
cd of discussion is considered an
evidence of weakness. Men who
have arguments to offer which GO
to the judgments and consciences of
their fellow citizens, do not attempt
to pander to popular prejudices by
the use of such terms as 'fdeserter"
and s'griffin, when the understand
ing of men may be reached with
truth and reason.
have earnestly discussed this
question with my fellow democrats.
l have recognized this was a subject
about which good democrats differ
and, recognizing the differences, 1
have always felt that / had the
right to discuss it around the coun-
Gil fires of democracy. would not
prescribe any democrat; and neither
would force my views on the
councils of the party to its detri-
ment. / insist that we should work
it out inside of the organization.
As a public servant, | am directly
answerable to my constituency and
they can at any time retire me from
their service; but neither they or
your committee can require me to
abandon conviction acquired after
long and patient thought and inves-
tigation, or read me out of the par
ty. The least of evils that can be-
fall a public servant who considers
himself in the line of duty, is his
retirement to private station. If he
is right, his party will be right af-
ter awhile. He can afford to wait
for his vindication. / ask no quar-
ter of your committee in the coun-
ellis of the party. Reduce me to the
ranks If you please, or if you can.
In that event, / only ask you to
permit me to carry musket and
not to shoot me as "deserter.
The democracy means something
more, gentlemen, than the silver
question; it means the liberty Of the
citizens, the liberty of the State and
the liberty of commerce. Above
all, it has meant in the past and will
mean in the future, the uptIilding
of the southern states, their proper
relations to Federal Union and
their proper influence in the admin
istration of its affairs. We can
stand together for these greater
things, even though we cannot to-
gether worship the fetch of free sill
yer, coined at the ration of l6 to /.
In your address, you insist that
the recent great disaster which be-
fell the democratic party was
brought about by its want of prin-
ciple displayed in not steadfastly
adhering to your views on the silver
question. You will concur with me
in saying that the coinage of gold
and silver is exclusively in the prov
ince of the general government
Under the Constitution, no State
can coin either into money. There
fore, it is to congress we must look
for legislation on the subject, and
to the great national parties to
work out results. From this point
of view your cause is hopeless. If
there is one thing that the Ameri-
can people in the near future will |
decide against, it is free, unlimited
and Independent coinage of silver at
the ratio of l6 to 1. Its adverse
fate is as certain as was that of the