The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-10-27
OFFUT FOR SOUND MONEY
ANOTHER PROMINENT DEMOCRAT
DECLARES HIMSELF.
VIII Not Support Bryan-Ex-Repre-
sentative Langstaff and William
f. English Are Also OF.

Charles G.. Offut, of Greenfield writes q
letter of some length to Sterling r. Holt,
in which he gives able reason why he
places country above party and hopes for
the defeat of Bryan. William Langstaff
is an ex-member of the Legislature and
has long been active in the Democratic
affairs of Marion county. Yesterday he
issued an address to his friends, declaring
that he endeavored to remain with the or
ganization until it was practically swat
lowed uD by the Populsts, but he can no
| longer act with them. Judge Offut's letter
is as follows:
THE gravity of the political situation
cannot well be overestimated. 1 firmly
believe that We are rapidly approaching d
crisis that will test the stability and wis
dom of our form of government, and the
strong, thinking men of the Democratic
party are to be congratulated on the pa
triotic stand they taking. 1t is es-
pecially gratifying that in this State such
able and trusted leaders of the party as
the Hon. s. p. Sbeerin, ex-Congressmah
now it may affect you personally po-
itically, have sounded a note of warning
that will ring, not only through Indiana,
but the whole country, as a bugle call to
duty. / am with you, heart and soul.
The Chicago platform is not Demo-
cratic PLATFORM; nothing like it ever en-
anated from Democratic convention be-
fore. 1t ic not only un-Democratic, but
| it is un-American. 1t is full of the rank
asst analysts it is an attack upon prop
erty and the holders of property, an as
saut upon the wages of the laborer and
the pension of the soldier. 1t aims at the
repudia ton of both public and private in
debtedness- 1t is full of paternalism, and
seeks to inculcate the doctrine that the
port the people, instead of the people TAX
ing care of and supporting the govern
.nent. It's financial VagarieS are baSeG
upon the absurd and ridiculous idea that
the government can create values by law.
DEMOCRACY FOR SOUND MONEY.
THE Democratic party has always been
in favor of a sound and stable currency,
whatever it's character, whether COM
| posed of gold, silver or paper. This idea
| If coming the two metals at a fixed ratio
| bearing no relation whatever to the COM
nercial or market value OF the same is not
| only novel, but it is absolutely new in the
| worlds history, and the history of metallic
coinage the world over teaches that it
| annot be successfully accomplished Ii
| you underyalue one of the metals it will
| instantly leave the channels Of commerce
| Ind trade. This has been demonstrated
| again and again. The ratio between the
! .wo metals Is now about 80 to /, and yet
! his visionary platform demands that they
| shall be coined at the ratio of 16 to THAT
| $ to say, so cents worth of silver coined
| nto a dollar shall pass for 100 cents in
| he payment of all debts, public and pri-
| ate A more preposterous and dishonest
| proposition cOulu llOl well De COHCelNSu Ol
| If the fiat of the government can in
/ :rease the value of silver bullion one
half, why not go the whole hog and
| by this omnipotent fiat make the silver
dollar the equal of the gold dollar. and lei
| the RATIO be j to l. 1t would certainly
make the silver dollar smaller and more
| IS no more senseless and absurd than the
| 2ther, the difference being cniy I'm degree.
been the champion of a sound and stable
| currency, every dollar of which shall be
| tqual in value, and is composed of gold,
| silver and paper. convertible at any time,
| the one into the other, without 'oss to the
| holder or the government, but It is nov,
| and ever has been in favor of law and or
| der, and any platform of any party, that
| lenies to the government the right Of set
! preservation, the right to enforce its own
md every foot Of American soil, and that,
90, without asking leave of an Altgeld or
Tiliman is SO foreign to, to the IDEA 6a and
| 'acy that no Democrat who believes in the
| principles of the party as established by
| Jefferson and practictd by Jackson 'rildeIi
| md Cleveland, is bound to support it,
| OUTRAGE ON CARLISLE.
| This platform and the teachings of its
| candidate have found fitting and necessary
| climax in the outrageous attack upon the
| Hon. John G.. Carlisle, the great Secretary
| of the Treasury, at Covington. KY,
1 the other night. 1t was attempt to
throttle free speech and inaugurate mob
| rule. What else could follow the labored
| and persistent efforts of Mr.. Bryan tic
| array one class of the people against an
other in his ORGANIZATIONS up and down
/ The country in search of votes?
/ Can it be possible that q man can be
| elected to the high Office of President upon
| platform that hasn't even the ele-
| ments of common honesty in it? That
| is opposed to the enforcement of law; that
| believes our highest court shall be made
the football of politics, reorganized, its
suit the whims of the party that may hap
| pen to be in power? If this be so, then VIC
are , poor as people indeed Inc Cd, :. .,o
] ularly nominated candidate of the party
and therefore Democrats are bound to sup
the the : Platform Well, ! Confess / Was dis
| posed to take this view of the matter my
self; | have been a Democrat from my
| have sat at its council tables and assisted
IN lighting its battles in many hard,
of the Jefferson jackson -Tiden- Fl endricks
| and-Cleveland school recognize the right
IF the majority to rule and, notwth-
| terly obnoxious to me. opposed to all my
| iGeas of true Democracy. still | made uf
| my mind to support the candidacy of Mr.
| Bryan upon the grounds of regularity
| and so expressed myself at different times
| But even that poor prop has been taker
| away. and now I haven even the poor eX-
| cuse of regularity to sustain and support
| me in casting a vote which my judg-
/ lIleilt, not olty HOW. Dut III dill after time
| would condemn: and | have concluded
| whatever the future has in store for me
| personally or politically, TO maintain my
| own self-respect and let my ballot execute
| a freemanS will
| PROP OF REGULARITY BROKEN
| with you. Mr.. Holt, l believe that the
| uEwarranted and unprecedented action oil
| the State committee in allowing the Pop
| u!ists to compel the dropping of five Demo
| cratic electors and in their stead the plac-
| ing on the ticket of five Populist electors
| absolves all Democrats from suppol ting
| Mr.. Bryan, and especially all those who
| like myself, consented to support him sole.
| ly upon the ground of regularity. Mr.
| Bryan has repeatedly said that he die
| not want the support of any man who does
| not stand on the Chicago platform with
| his heart and soul. 1t is matter of his
| tory that he voted for Weaver the Populist
| candidate, for President four years ago
| Two years ago he was the Populist can.
| didate for United States Senator in Ne.
| braska. and General Weaver himself SAID
! in putting Mr.. Bryan in nomination at the
| Populist convention at ST. Louis: He is o.
| us; he is one of u.s. and Marion Butler
| chairman of the national Populist commit.
| tee. in resent address issued TO the mem
! bers or that party. says: We have not be.
! come Democrats, but the Democrats have
| in the broad sense of the word become
| Populists.'
| In view of these facts Mr. Bryan does
| for him on the plea that either he or his
| POnuliSt electors ~,