The San Francisco call., 1896-05-01
WOLCoTT FOLLOWS PETTIGREW
The Colorado Senator Scores Populists
and Bows" Himself.


To the Editor Of the San Francisco Cdll-SIR:
The letter OF Senator Wolcott of Colorado,
which appeared in the news columns OF THE
CALL this morning april 30). is a notable pro-
duction and challenges attention; but within
the limits OF q brief letter it is impossible to
consider IL in detail as l would be only too
glad to do. l note the fact that it was trans
mitted from Washington while the great de-
bate between his colleague, Senator Teller, and
Senator Sherman of Ohio on the silver issue
was in progress, and quite agree with Senator
Sherman, the ablest champion of the gold
standard of values, that 1.-The time has come
Tor tina settlement of the silver question by
the people,; and further agree with him that
leach party should state its position honestly
aud manfully." In this view ofpolltical duty
senator Sherman is in full accord with the
gold-standard advocates in both of the old par
ties.
Ssnator Wolcott declines the issue, although
he represents a silver State, and declares in
his letter that. "There is no sacrifice | would
not make to secure the RECOMMENDATION of sill
yer.' and again that. "To secure the unlimited
coinage OF silver i would count party ties as
nothing" One would say that Senator VOL
colt is explicit enough, and that the logic OF
his position, thus explicitly stated, would
place him beside Senator Teller, who said in
debate with Senator Sherman that when his
party ceased TO represent the views he held TO
! be paramount to the countrys welfare he
would cease to act with his party. He had
helped to form the Republican party by leav-
ing the Democratic party, in compliance with
this principle, and If his party now declares
for the gold standard he will leave his party.
But Senator Wolcott declines this issue also.
He finds himself between the devil (the Popu-
list partly and the deep sea" political OBJ
livion), and he seeks TO make his way to safety
by the same means so successfully employed
by Senator Hill of New York, who in per-
pleXity has always found way out by eX-
claiming, al am Democrat"
"Under these circumstances and condi-
tions," says Senator Woleott, az desire to be
counted as Republican" and assures us that
he is still hopeful" that his party "may on
this great economic question yet rank itself
on the side OF humanity and civilization and
trusts that some common ground may be
found upon which bimetallists untainted with
Populism may stand"
Just how much hope" and "trust" he may
have that his party I'm ay yet rank itself on
the side OF humanity and civilization" can be
seen in this statement: cat this moment the
situation which confronts US is this: Both of
the two great parties are apparently opposed
to free coinage by the United States," and he
bows to the will of the gold-standard majority.
Quite as a matter of course Senator Wolcott
pays some attention to the Populists. "The
Populist party favors free coinage" he says
"but only as q means to secure more currency
and as a stepping-stone to unlimited paper
money" But he Jailed to prove this to be a
tionsl platform adopted at Omaha, in which
the third section of The financial plank reads
as follows:
1--WE demand that the amount of circulating
medium" including gold, silver and paper,
"be speedily increased TO not less than $50 per
capita" the estimated volume OF money in
circulation at the close of the Civil
War, the era of greatest prosperity ever
known in this country, as Senator VOL
cott himself will freely admit If that means
:"unlimlted paper money" Senator Wolcott
may find that surprisingly large number of
Intelligent American citizens are quite ready
TO vote for 1t. 1t would seem that Senator
Wolcott has so little respect for Popullsts that
he is willing to put himself on record over his
CAPABLE a
misstatement of their position on the money
question, which any intelligent man will
know to be false and intentionally misleading
by simply reading the Omaha platform.
man of senator Wolcott's conceded ability and
his high position is in bad way who can re-
sort to such puerile tactics in order TO excuse
himself for bowling to the will of the gold
standard MAJ jority when he represents silver
State. Poor Wolcott! Poor Pettigrewl Surely
the cause of humanity and civilization will
prosper with such faithful champions and
brave defenders.
But these dangerous Populists are not to be
let off by Senator Wolcott merely by gross
misstatement and perversion OF their position
on the money question. As IA further excuse
for his desertion OF the constituency which
sent him to the Senate OF the United States to
protect and defend their interests as a State
waxing warm and growing bold he relieves his
feelings in these whitening words: There is
In my opinion, one event which might involve
our country in worse disaster than mono
metallism, and only one, and that would be the
triumph OF Populism." OF course there is a
charitable view which fair-minded men
can take of Senator Wolcott's state of mind and
it is this: If ne has no more definite knowledge
or better understanding OF the principles of
the Popullst party than he displays in stating
their financial demands all men of generous
impulse will readily excuse him in his hour of
weakness when he yielded to the syren of the
gold standard and humbly Pettigrewed him
self, for in his present state of mind it would
seem unkind TO hold him to a strict account
ability JOSEPH ASBURY JOHNSON,
IL Essex street, San Francisco.