Omaha daily bee., 1896-09-14
DRYAN'S LAST LETTER.

Chicago Chronicle (dem): Mr.. Bryan's
| formal letter is weaker even than his in
| formal but carefully prepared Madison
| Square Garden deliverance. 1t is an un-
| precedehted compound of shallow political
| philosophy, platitudes, errors and negations
| OF sound principles 1t is hardly deserving
| of serious criticism.
| Boston Globe (dem): Mr. Bryan's letter
| accepting the democratic nomination, ap-
| parently Is only hasty summary of his
conclusions on The propositions contained
| in the Chicago platform, and whoever look ed
to 1t for an argumentatve review of the
issues Of the campaign such as Mr.. Nc
kinley's letter, or indeed the letters of
post presidential candidates in recent years,
must have read with disappointment this
brief declaration of principles.
Louisville Courier-Journal (dem): Mr..
Bryan's letter accepting the Chicago nomi-
nation has the merit of being much shorter
than his speech of acceptance. Indeed, it
seems as If, impressed with the failure of his
sTeech at Madison Square Garden, he has
come to the conclusion that serious discus
sion Is not his forte, and has determined
to devote his energies to the oratorical ap-
peals to ignorance, prejudice and passion to
which he returned Immediately after his
Madison Square effort.
Springfield (Mass) Republican Gnd dem.)
The plea for home rule is all right and
federal Interference in the domestic affairs
OF state is to be condemned, but further
along in the letter Mr.. Bryan insists upon
the right Of the United States to regulate
interstate commerce in order that "the
interests of the whole people" may be
looked after-which is precisely the point
where the United States took hold at Chi
cago. 1t put down interference with the
transmission of the mails and protected in
terstate commerce, and did this not to med
die unwarrantably in domestic affairs, but
to protect "the interests of the whole peo-
pie"
New York World (dem.): Mr.. Bryan's let
ter of acceptance was written under per-
pleXities that should command the sym
pathy of all generous minds. He Is the can
didate of three different parties no two
of which stand for the same policies or agree
in their aspirations. He wants the votes of
democrats, whose concern is for lower tariffs
and larger individual liberty. He wants
the votes of the free silver republicans
who are primarily for higher tariffs and an
enlarged paternalism. He wants the votes
of ex-democratic populsts, whose dominant
desire Is to down the democrats from
whom they seeded and who are not at heart
for free silver, but for fiat paper money. 1t is
hard to ride three horses that are disposed
to run in different directions, and Mr. Bryan
is entitled to sympathy.
Washington Times (dem.): Mr.. Bryan's
reference to the gold and silver standard
of our constitution is another bmetallc
myth. That instrument empowers con-
Bress TO coin money ana regulate the
value thereof" but in no way does it refer
to a gold and silver standard, or to
ratio between these metals 1t prohibits
states from making anything but gold and
silver legal tender in payment of debts,
but says nothing about free coinage. We
are now nearer the money of the constitu>
tion than we would be II our mints were
open to coinage on individual account, for
in that event gold would be driven out OF
circulation. Bimetallism is impossible
without international agreement nor has
the United States ever been able to en-
force it. even when the commercial ratio
of gold and silver was nearly at parity.