Potosi journal. (Potosi, Mo.) 1894-1929, 1896-09-23

nation by the payment OF our pub
lie obligations in deprecated mon
ey. To the poorer classes, because
business being paral yzed, men and
women, who depend ON their daily
toll for their daily bread, would be
thrown out of work, and thousands,
who now have at least a competen-
cy, would crowd the streets beg
ging for something to eat. And to
the debtors. because confidence be-
ing destroyed, the terms imposed
for loans would be so onerous, that
money would be out of reach of all,
except those who could offer gilt
edged security.
In times Of monetary disturb
ances and panies, all classes suffer
losses, but the poorer and debtor
classes, and those who do business
in whole Or in part on borrowed
capital, are the greatest sufferers,
because they are the most helpless
victims Of such disturbances and
am also intensely opposed to
Bryan's election, because he stands
Oh platform, every plank Of
which he says he endorses, and in
tends, if elected, to put into opera
ton, announces principles, in other
respects, that must lead to disorder
and anarchy and finally make this
Il government of the mobs, by the
mobs and for the mobs. Altgeld,
Waite, Pcnnoycr, Lcwc!ling, Dchs,
Coxey, Carl Blown and Tillman
set id omnc genus" support Bryan
and will be controlling factors in
his administration. And Bryan
and his platform announce the
startling doctrine that the supreme
court of the United States may be
packed with his tools to carry out
his revolutionary schemes. And
again he proposes to have law
passed prohibiting men who BoR
ROW GOLD from agreeing to return
gold, thus dcpriving the people Of
the liberty Of contract and that too
by Congress that uniuestionably
has no power to pass such a law.
There are others departures from
Democratic principles and tradi-
tions in the Chicago platform and
Mr.. Bryan's creed, but will not
stop to discuss them.
One word more. You assert
that | can hold the Office l now fill
for life and insinuatc that my
course is influenced by that fact.
If your statement, that my position
here is assured to me for life be
true, ] ask you, why should l not
be HONEST at least in the express
sion of my political opinions, espc-
ciaIIy when it is remembered that
in my refusal to support Bryan,
l have to part company with
some of my dearest relatives and
friends. with whom l have stood
shoulder to shoulder in the contests
for Democratic principles for a
quarter of century or more. l
have to inform you, however, that
while the Office l now hold is in
cluded in Mr.. Clevcland's last Civil
Service Order, my relations with
the Postmaster General as his con-
tidential adviser, are too close and
intimate for me to continue in the
office against his will, and my
resignation will be placed at his
disposal after March 4, 1897, no
matter who is elected president.
Permit me to add, that in my
opinion, patriotism should rise
above partisanism and the interests
of country should predominant
over those of party. l do not hesi-
tate to take a position, with all the
earnestness of which my nature is
capable, in this crisis, on the side
of the maintenance of public and
private credit unimpaired, Of Or
der and obedience to law, and
above all, of national honor. l
most heartily approve the Indian
apolis platform and shall support
Palmer and Buckner, who stand
on that platform and who symbol
izc, in their candidacy, the Blue
and the Gray and teach us that the
bloody chasm made by the late civil
war, has been at last closed.
In justice to myself, l ask you
to publish this letter in your paper.
Very respectfully.
/ JOHN L. Thomas.