The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1896-09-24
AN OPEN LETTER
TO MCKINLEY.
The Major Taken to Task for His
Monetary Record-What is
Financial Dishonol?
"MUsT PASS A SILVER BILL"

MUST PASS a SlLVEE blLL.'
., said Mr.. Mckinley In the 51st Con-
rrsm Ifthe Free Coinage Bills of 1873
,dtso0. .whichHe Favored, and For Ono
, which He Voted. Were Not Financi-
.ly Di-honest, WHY. Mr.. Bartine Asks,
:. Tree Coinage Dishonest In Is0G?-
sIn.Ids Financial History.
CuIcAGo, Sept. 1.-THE following
anon letter has been forwarded to
Mai. Mckinley:
Hon. William Mckinley, Canton
Ohio:
Dear Sir. You are the Presiden-
tal candidate Of the Republican
party. upon platform unequivocally
committing you to the policy of
maintaining the gold standard OF
this country until bimetallism can
be secured by international agree
ment.
AS neither you nor the party which
YOU represent, offers u suggestion
upon which we can ground q hope of
obtaining such an agreement, the
financial plank of the platform upon
which you stand must be regarded
as n declaration in favor of perma-
nently adhering to the present gold
system.
In your letter of acceptance you
treat the money question rs the
.oremost issue, and discuss it at con-
siderable length, giving to the pres
ent monetary policy of the Repub-
lcan party your unqualified indorse-
ment.
1t is scarcely necessary for me to
remind you that by such course you
have assumed position quite diff
lerent from the one you occupied
but "A comparatively short time ago
That very able men may and dc
honestly change their opinions upon
questions of wisdom and expediency
no fair-minded person will deny
That when they so change their opin
ions, it is both their privilege anC
their duty to shape their actions &C
cordingly, is beyond all controversy
But where the subject involve
moral considerations, where it is sim
ply question of right and wrong
of honesty and dishonesty th
same principle cannot apply, an'
the same latitude of change canno
be allowed.
1t is this distinction that ma
prompted me to address you through
the medium of an open letter.
No one can read your published
acceptance without being impressed
that YOU regard the maintaining 0.
the gold standard not merely as 4;
wise and judicious policy, but as alb
solutely essential to the preservation
Of our financial honor"
You assert that free coinage o
silver at the ratio of B to l woul'
at once lead to the "debasement" o
our currency to the level of a "53
cent dollar, impairing the obliga
tions of existing contracts" an
bringing long train of terrible ca
lamities In it's wake. ThroughOu
your entire discussion Of the ques
tion, the germinal idea is that parit
with gold is the infallible test Q
honesty in money, and that any cul
rency cheaper than gold at its pres
ent appreciated value, is, of nece'
sity, dishonest.
PERSONAL INTEGRITY IMPUGNED.
You are certainly aware that tn
campaign committee of the Repul
lican party is literally flooding ii
country with books, papers, an
pamphlets, in which it is broad
declared that the financial issue, ;
now made, is simply question
..honest money" VS.. 'dishone
money" There is no reason
doubt that you are in perfect al
harmonious accord with your COZ
mittee. Hence the conclusion com
irresistably that you regard the a
vocates OF unrestricted silver col
age rs being deficient in personal i
tegrity, ard as seeking to establi
monetary policy that will dishon
the American name.
Being one of those whose person
integrity is thus impunged | ma
free to remind you that in the ye
1878, as a member Of the House
Representatives, you voted for t
famous BLAND bill," providing
the unrestricted coinage of silver
the ratio of Is to |. At that til
the commercial value of the balli
which you voted to coin into q
lar was little more than 80 cents.
had been much lower, but at
time your vote was cast, it had ris
considerably as result of politi
agitation and prospective free &C
age. You will remember, am ST
that the Bland bill was at the ii
denounced as "repudiation" 6
rank dishonesty" by many of
prominent fnanciers who are 4
giving you their honest support.
In view of these facts, would
regard. it as impertinent for me to
quest public statement OF y
opinion as to whether or not
Bland bill was a dishonest" MT
ure, calculated to "debase" our
rency and "dishonor" the couu,
If you answer in the affirmat
in justice to yourself you should
form the country why you voted
it. If your answer be IN the M
tive. it should be supplement ted
an explanation of how an act
was honest in 1878 can be disho
in 1896.
1t is true, that the vote in q
ton was cast eighteen years {
but even then you were old enc
to know the difference between r
and wrong. 1t is also true that
yer was not at that time so far
low the gold level, but in this
nection you will allow me to
gest that there is no difference "
ever in principle, nor even in de
so far as the question of honest