Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1896-06-25
MIR. WHITNEY OUT.
III DECLINES THE DEMOCRATIC
NOMINATION FOR PRESIDENT.
VT whitney Says in n Public state.
"e"' That He Is Not a Presiden-
""' Possibility, That He would
Not Run IL Nominated md Xyoula
NOT Serve IL Eiected-He is on
posed To Free Coinage.

Ubt. June 20. William e.
"ni.ney Today made public a state
- III when BE defines the political
SITUATION, makes his position clear as
aoS'IuS MS decision To remain in this
coGh'ry instead of going TO Europe.
"nu coiicl(ides by saying that he Is
,ot d presidential possibility; that he
YOU'D not run if nominated, and
Nouiu not serve ii elected" The state
ihent III part is as follows:
ma 1t necessary to make a public
statement ~embodying my views on the
oltualloh' TO correct misconceptions
anu save Tune now occupied in an
s"eFlhg questions. Far too much i'm
portahce has been attached 10 my de-
cislon to go to the Chicago conven-
tion. L have been practically out of
politics for four years and there are
now many Eastern Democrats who
can do much more than | can for the
party. | shall not assume any position
or leadership. My decision to stay was
simply based on the duty of every per-
son who believes in the party for it's
principles, to stay by and lend his aid
ana take his chances when the great
crisis is upon the Democratic party.
Fundamental differences of principle
exist inside the party, marked almost
by sectional lines.
The great question. to my mind, is
whether the party meets in convention
now as i'll 1850, with ISSUES and differ
enceS that are for the moment irrecon-
cliiable. For the past fifteen years
leaders of public opinion in the South
and West have been advocating as
the great remedy for existing ills the
free coinage of silver at 16 t |. with
or without the cooperation of other
nations.
1T has come to believed in, there,
quite generally and cOnscientiOuSly. A
large majority of the delegates to the
coming Democratic convention have
been elected by the people for the pur-
pose of Incorporating that doctrine
into the platform Of the Democratic
party.
Our people, on the other hand, en-
tirely disagree with these views, and
believe almost universally that it will
bring general ruin to the business and
prosperity of the country. 1t is deemed
n new doctrine when it is proposed to
be incorporated into the platform of
the national Democracy. 1t is true that
in no previous platform of the party
can it be specifically found. Conse-
cuently no party obligations hereto
fore assumed Oblige them to subscribe
TO it. Under these circumstances, ii
the results of the Democratic cOnven-
ton should be to establish as the Issue
of this campaign the free coinage Of
silver at q ratio of rs TO | independent
of other nations. in the intensity Of
feeling likely to arise, it is TO be serl-
ously apprehended that a disruption
of the Democratic party might occur.
Certainly, no substantial following
could be secured for the doctrine
among Eastern Democrats. They
might not vote the Republican ticket
for other reasons believing that the
Republican party stands for other is
sues detrimental to the country. but
the Democrats in the East would not,
in my opinion, vote for it..
This movement for free coinage
purports to have for its object the es-
adjustment and maintenance of gold
and silver as the money of the country
upon equal terms with each other and
with a parity of purchasing power.
If. by the proposed measure, that OBJ
iect could be secured, there would not
DE SuDStdillhdl ulSaSl'tihNb' 'hS
party. Every national Democratic
platform that has heretofore spoken
upon the subject has declared for both
gold and silver money. 1t is u ira
ditiOnal policy. But the maintenance
of the double standard at the present
time is not a question of desire; it is a
question of ability. The commercial
value Of silver has declined greatly in
the markets of the world.
Whatever the causes are n VINO
ever is to blame, the fact is that silver
has declined. and free coinage now at
rs TO | is the same as our offering for
all the silver In the world about twice
what IL is selling for in the market.
International exchanges have to be
Maid i'm gold, and it would seem plain
that If we. under these conditions,
omen our minis to the free coinage or
silver and gold at n ratio of COMPARE
tive value which is largely In variance
with the commercial value OF II w
metals. we must take the entire silver
surplus ourselves. maintain its parity
with gold. or else we shall go to a sill
yer basis.
Mr.. Whitney says that there Is
cround for the belief that formation
nj bimetallism will oon be an estab-
Iished fact. He says that If the Dem
ocrats should declare for free silver
tbev will be badly beaten in Novem-
her. He closes his statement by aD-
solutely declining to become a candl-
date.