The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1896-09-24
significant circumstance vour
Congressional career.
IN THE FIFTY-FIRsT co gss.
You have probably uos 8rpotfen

nearly twelve years before. | was
one of those Western members.
At tina: time GS90), when silver
bullion had fallen to less than Is
cents on the dollar in gold, you GER
talnly never gave any token that III
your opinion a law providing for
the free coinage Of that metal would
involve "fnancisl dishonor."
All through the long session of the
Fifty-first Congress you distinctly
the fact that the demone-
tlzation of silver was wrong. that
the Bland Allison law was too mar
row in its scope. and that something
further must be done toward silver
restoration. Your utterances 1.-THE
time plainly showed that you were
prepared 70 20 any length in that
direction, if the Republicans in Con
gress would only keep you company.
You, OF course, remember that
there was & very earnest demand
throughout the country for silver
Legislation and that there was
strong silver sentiment IN the House
Of Representatives, that the Repub
lican side was itself deeply tinctured
with the "free silver idea, and that
nearly every member on that side
conceded that some Legislation must
be had. You Will also recall the cir
cumstance that the Republicans in
caucus appointed committee of 10,
to endeavOr to frame a bill upon
which Republicans could unite.
The committee con sisted OF the sight
Republican members Of the coinage
con- mittee, of whom | WAS o.e, and
seven leading Republicans. not mem
bers of that committee, OF whom you
were one. SO that You and | Were,
for the time being, colleagues in
committee.
You will not hesitate TO admit that
you were one Of the most active
members of the committee, and that
none was more earnest than you IN
the effort to- formulate a measure
which all Republicans, including
those who were strongly for free
silver, might support.
You may not remember all that
you said during the debates in that
| committee, and neither do |. Bu;
| there is one statement made by you
| that | have never for a moment tor
gotten. In emphasizing the neces
sity Ct passing a "silver bill," in sub
stance, you said: 1--WE must pass s
silver bill; the country demands it
but we must pass it as a party meas
ure. | an prepared to support any
bill that we can unto upon. | caI
accept free coinage, or the Window
bill,' or anything else upon which We
| can agree, but it is imperative that
we have u silver bill"
''DIsHoNoK" 1890 AND 1896.
l grant that you showed q prefer
ence for some measure other thar
free coinage, and that after some
vacillation you threw your vote II
favor of what was called the Win
dom bill" l grant further that yol
may have expressed your willing
ness to vote for free coinage merel.
for effect, knowing that the condl
ton laid down was an lmpossibl
one, and that the Republicans woul'
never agree upon such a measure
Still, the fact IS that you SAID it, an
there was no inconsistency betwee
that language and your previous e
cord. If a majority of the Republ
cans had declared in favor of fre
coinage bill, | have no doubt tha
you would have kept your WORD an
voted for it. Therefore | ask yo
the further question: Did You /
: 1890 regard the free coinage Of 81
yer as meaning financial dlshoEor,
and consequently dishonesty IN tho>
7 who advocated their policy2 If no
5 the country will no doubt be great
1 interested in reading your eiucidi
t ton of the ethical differences b
0 tween free coinage in 1890 and frt
coinage In 1896.
: Finally, l deem it proper to r
5 mind you that up to the very day
/ your nomination you were not Il
: choice of the extreme gold standal
/ men. They looked upon your pa
b financ cial record with unqualified di
r favor, and the somewhat uncerta
language of the Ohio platforl
ii which was supposed to reflect yo
e position, filled them with dlstrust.
r In the end, however, you we
II nominated upon s. gold standa
e platform, and these same men a
'r now your enthusiastic supporters.
1t You have suddenly become as 6
'e thusiastic as they i'll your devote
N to the "gold standard" which y
u never failed to attack in Congre
1t when the opportunity presented
ne self; for even the Window bill" a
IN the Sherman law, both of which
al ceived your vote, recognized
n fact that the gold standard y
'e' wrong.
ne "Not only this, but you seem
nd have so apparently abandoned
he opinions OF q lifetime ON a quest
wv Of morals and reached the conc
sion that the free coinage of sill
ou would be both unwise and dishone
re- This change in your attitude is
ur extraordinary and so sud,
he that, feeling as do,
as deepest interest in every phase
ar the silver question, / address you
y7 this public manner, hoping that
!e, may find it not incompatible "
In the dignity of your present posit
for to fur aish in the same public man
ga An explanation that will be sa
by factory to both your friends I
nat your opponents. Very respectf'
est yours, h. +. BARTINl
Chicago, H., Sept. Z.
70 Big Hotel Fire Narrowly Averted.
Ugh ST. LOUIS, Mo-, Sept. 1S.-A
ght o'clock last night two alarms of
sill sounded from the Llndell hotel
be- the corner of Sixth street and W;
on ington avenue. An electric Il
ug- wire in the elevator shaft had set
lat to the woodwork on the fifth fl
rec and the flames communicated to
.sIe al ell oE<