The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-08-17
THURSTON In PRINT
He Essays to Answer the Letter Of
Hon. W. N. Stewart
QUOTES GOLDBUG JOURNALS
: enator Says He Never Charged
tryan With Being on the ray
Rolls of Liver Mine Own
ers-A Long Talk.

Omaha, Aug. Ex-senator John NJ.
Thurston to-day handed to the asso-
ciated press for publication the follow
ing copy of a letter which he mailed to-
day TO Senator Stewart OF Nevada:
Omaha. Neb., Aug. l6.-To Hon. VIII
liam Nj. Stewart. Editor the Silver
Knighi. Washington. ID. c., Sir: On
my return from q recent campaign tour
find your open letter Of Aug. l. which
you so kindly gave to the press of the
country before awaiting its receipt by
me. In Your letter YOU refer 10 the ad-
dress delivered by me-at the Chatauqua
assembly at Madison, Wis, on July 81.
You must have known when you
penned your letter that l did not make
any charge against Hon. William j.
Bryan of any kind whatever; that did
nothing except to read portions of an
editorial published In the greatest dem
ocratie Journal of the West. the Chica-
go Chronicle. on the 18th Of last July.
The editorial, as read by me. is as fol-
lows:
There was a time when the owners
OF the big bonanzas OF the Far West
were glad to occupy, by purchase. seats
In the United States senate. Sharon,
Stanford. Fair. Jones, Stewart and 9TH
ers gmtiiied their fancy in this manner
until the novelty wore off and then
they deputized attorneys and other en-
ployes 10 take their places and vote
for protective tariffs and free silver
OF late years. owing to the encourage
ment they have received from the re-
publican party, which always does
something for silver when 1t passes a
tariff bill. the proprietors of big bo-
N a hs.U a.,
a large number of orators. lecturers
and Other spokesmen on the road
preaching to the people. already limp.
ing, as result of bites by the free
silver curse. the sovereign remedy Of
applying the hair Of the dog to the
wound.
Among the many who have been
thus employed and carried on the pay
rolls of the big bonanzas for a number
OF years Is William ]. Bryan of Me-
braska, the paid agent and spokesman
OF the free silver combine. He has not
since his retirement from congress. had
any other visible means Of support
II did not, directly or qndirectly, even
express an opinion as to the truth or
falsity OF the charge thus clearly, ex-
plicitly, unequivocally and editorially
made by great democratic newspaper,
reputable and responsible. / did say,
and i still say, that the man posing as
an advocate of the down-trodden
masses Of his countrymen, holding a
crown OF thorns in one hand and the
bugaboo. a cross of gold, In the other.
owes 1t as a duty to every man, woman
and child in this country to say wheth-
er that charge. thus publicly and delib-
erately made. is false or true
Now, my dear senator, you must
have known and You did know when
you indicted your open letter to me,
tnat the charge was not mine; no, not
even by adoption: that had not even
expressed an opinion with respect to
1t, and no more than fulfilled my duty
as citizen insisting that Bryan should
tell the American people whether or
not the charge made by the Chicago
Chronicle was true. One word from Mr..
Bryan on the 18th day of last July
would have set the public right; one
word from him on any day since that
time would have accomplished the
same purpose. The charge thus edI-
torially made by the Chronicle while
the Chicago convention was still in
session was reproduced In many of the
leading journals of the country: II
no nv .ha o~.s'h " - an oWn
,,sh,Sh aa Woriu-Herald. OF
edi,or ca ~. la ia eiii,e managing
mada to a. In ,ha, elehce ever
15th dav ~ J,,,n ,. papeI Was on the
columns arnaa "a .hn Hau ~ is euitoriai
The c,bicayo Chna,inIu
BRYAN TO exnIain IN whose na', MI nl.
been since he dropped out Of congress
Sioux CITY JournaI M pr,.u a.,
not drop out ~ cnn,rassHh. !. .., usl
out-but he has baen IN tha o,',l ppev 81
the World Herald and n is gansr, ~.
conceded that he has fuIlv EARNED ~,
salary
"1'he press dispatches from, rirco,r
Neb.. show that Mr. Bryan wa. asLad
on the 1st day of August to make s,,ch
answer as he might desire 10 the chargs
of the Chronicle as read by me AT Mad.
ison, and the press report is TO tbe ef-
feet that Mr.. Bryan had nothing ito saw
except that he would answer In due
time and manner.
In a recent issue Of the Chicago
Post, another prominent, responsible
and reputable Journal. / find the state,
| ment that Mr.. Bryan's stated salary
from the silver mine owners or the
silver league was $1,000 per annum
paid to him in monthly checks which
went through the Lincoln banks.
also find in a recent issue of the PhiIa
delphia Ledger an article hv ita rali