The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1896-09-03
THE LETTER or A PATRIOT
SENATOR WOLCOTT TO COLORADO
REPUBLICANS.
He Tells Why He Cannot Support the Chicago
i
Platform, Even to Secure Free Coinage In
America.

America.
Under date of July 81, 1886, Senator Ed
ward O. Wolcott, of Colorado, issued an
ms reasons for supporting Mckinley ana
mot Ioilowing his colleague, Senator IeAer,
out OF the; republican party. It is man
anu mas rallied to his support large ma
lority or the republicans OF that STATE.
ine reasons he gives are Just as gooq q va ~
this state as they are in Colorado, ana al
voters, of whatever party, VINO are tempt
ed by their desire tor Tree coinage 10 AZ
attention, should give them thoughtIui
consideration. The address Is as IouoHs.
..'ro the Voters of the state Oh Coloraoo, -
The people OF Colorado are entltieu 70
know at such juncture as TINS the views
or their representatives at washington.
among the great PriViieges W we frasS1m SsIS u Of
consc,cnce and freedom of speech, ana II
u snouId hesitate on thiS or on any otnel
nroner occasion to declare my DeheI anu
nv CONVICTIONS on any public question. !
-snoulo despise myself even more tnan 1
uespise those incendiary neWspapsas tna1 dmI
nysterical individuals VINO assume Ina s
@fnreats and Viluperation can cnoks Tue
uIterances of any self-respecting citizen
OF tolorado, VINO has an OPINION "
Dress or princlpie TO declare.
s.Isre silver question is most vital IN
-ternationai pimetalism at the former ratio
OIL scOuTSC, OC hhS AAASse
mernud of restoring silver as money
metal. because the disturbance OF vaIues,
Wnicn might follow the lnauguration VI
Tree coinage by lhe United states aione, any r1
would De avoided, and the question as "
me sxportaIion or hoaroing of gold would
be eiiminatsa Lies IN alone Could. Under wise
and conservative guldance-such suioat,s a,aS
Has shouid deserve and receive tne comar r
kfence OF ali classes OF our people-open
sre minis to the unlimited coinage Oh Shfef
and successfully MAINTAIN that metal at
parity with gold at the ratlo " ~ ~ ~ n,r.a :,
sDurlng the seven years OF my puphe seTv-
ice in the senate, L have always heIo lhis
view. My vote on all questons ahectnas
the currency has been Identical with lhal
of other senators usually known as SILVER
senators, and. while my utterances on trae tne
siiver question may not have Deen as Ire
nI1ent or as long as those OF others whose
views snare, neVertheless my IeGpru VI, VI.
TINS subject is clear ana cons!sten., ar, an
the views / hold expect always TO inali-
The financial plank of the national re-
nubncan platform is, in my OPINION. 1at
from satisIactory, and those members OF
the party who peiieve as DSnevs, VIZ VIZ
struggle earnestly and hopeIuhy JOE aaoms ome
non by the republican party OIL tne hu.
aIlane principle OF bimetaiism, animated
eyerv sn other great question involving hu-
man freedom and the welfare OF mankino
has stood for all that was tha1 cenain-
nance OF the gold standard means oniy
further impoverishment and suf1erlng.
1.-The platform contains, however, mos.
important statement, pledging the party
TO the furtherance OF blmetatism ny ~, IN
fernatlonal agreement. 10 the gooo n., aa..n
al thus pledge, the history OF the parry
on other questions requires the fullest
credence: the overshadoWlng Importance
OF the silver question makes y he eel ~
~ made by the republican party TO secure
10 this country the blessings OF b.nnetal-
SILVER viii again be restored 10 it's Place
: AZ 4 money metal at the old ratio. anu
that when this restoration comes; y WI, WI,
he ACCOMPLISHED through the action and
EFFORTS OF the republican party. Excspa gn ~
the money question, no man IN Coloraoo
Ia nor and American prooucrs and american
industries, and who loves his country can
read the platform Wiinopt nsaFt near aipr
Mckinley will bring to his high once
every quality needed by president OF this
Mr.. Bryan has been nominated for the
presidency on three separate platforms;
by the democratic party, the Ropulist
named party-the silver party.does not
deserve serious consideration. Most OF lts
members were present at us rsSeSo sna Gers ners
report the convention hall as being less
than half full. The democratic party
financial portion of which was everything
that could be desired, and the rest OF II
everything that Is in my tye o|Rnlon |ntepssts of
our country. decline to stand upon this
platform and vote for this candidate, even
with the ailuring Iree-felnag Seiever ia IN nrotec
tion, and shall not abandon that pehei.
The supreme court of the United States Us
pure and able tribunal; the highest Ju.
diciaI tribunal in the world. l will not
: help to smirch 1t. This government must
be enabled to pay its Its running ad fdr tSa
keep ii alive. shall consider that l vio- 10
publican congress has been neither waste
ful nor extravagant, and 1 must decnne
to certify to statement hae" 70 tb pe raii-
way strike at Chicago grew beyond con-
troll, and innocent lives were being sacrl-
ficed and millions of dollars worth OF prop
erty was being destroyed by lawless men;
when the sheriff was poWerless, and the
governor failed to perform MS duty' IN me
eral troops, under sanction of law, saved
further bloodshed and destruction, and
Who Values our liberties and believes thar
the rights guaranteed US by the constitu.
tion ought to be sacredly guarded against
The recent travesty at st; Louis. the
popuhst convention, has but Illustrated
the elements ba esndi6acW wnfh of Mr.
Every cranky quirk, every incongruous
and ludicrous and misshapen idea which
evolve. eve iS buzzed ed and Whirled through days
: of talk, but the net result was Bryan.
Government ownership OF ranroaQs, teIe,
graph and telephone lines, initiative and
referendum, silver money and more money,
had their advocates, and at the end, on
assurances that all who voted for Bryan
would be equally recognized, Mr.. Bryan
was the almost unanimous choice of the
convention.
because, therefore, I believe that free
coinage will come through the efforts of
sthe republican party, and because the
democratic and populist platforms. A Aex-
and hostile to the welfare of our country.
I shall not cast. my vote for Mr.. Bryan.
sI hold my commission from the repub-
lican party. Many of its members, includ-
ing some of Its leaders, in the exercise or
their judgment. have announced their in
: tention of leaving the party. / shall stay.
Ny loyalty to the party which has hon.
ored me is entirely consistent with my
loyalty to the highest and best interests of
the state represent in the senate of the
United States, and know no reason why