Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1896-09-25
NOW THE POPULISTS
NOTIFY Mr.. BRYAN OF HIS NOMI.
NATION.
POPulists DO Not Ask Him to Re.
nounce Democracy, Hut Remain
True 10 Unswerving Advocacy of
Free Coinage of silver.

to William Jennings Bryan the fol
lowing letter officially notifying hin
OF his nomination by that body:
"Hon. William J. Bryan, Lincoln
Neb.-Dear sir: At convention o
the Peoples party held at St. Louis
July % to % of the current year, yor
we're unanimously nominated fol
President of the United States to bt
voted for at the approaching genera
election. 1t was known at that time
that you had been nominated by the
Democratic party at its convention
held at Chicago few days before tina,
time, and that you would in al
probability accept the same in formal
manner. Your nomination by the
peoples party was not therefore made
with any thought that you we're q
Populist or that you accepted all the
doctrines declared by the ST. Louis
platform.
cit was due largely to the fact
that the money question is the over
shadowing political issue of the age,
and because you have at all times been
an answering, able and fearless ad-
vocate of the free and unlimited coin
age of silver and gold in terms OF
equality at the mints of the United
States at the ratio OF 16 to l. 1t was
thought also that the observance OF a
patriotic duty required union OF all
reform forces, and the convention took
the liberty, without soliciting or con-
sulting you, OF placing your name be-
fore the people as its standard bearer.
"The convention was, in so doing,
guided by deep solicitude for the com.
mon welfare, and acting on its own
motion, prompted alone by desire to
bring about the best attainable results.
So much has been said respecting the
rehabilitation of silver by again placing
it in our coinage acts in the position
it occupied when stealthly demonetized
by the act of 1873, that it would be
idle for us to discuss the question.
"You will observe the closing
language OF the St. Louis platform
that the convention recognized
the money question as the great
issue of the day, and caused Populists
to believe you are in accord with them
on this question. 1t has at no time
been expected, nor is it now, that you
will abandon your adhesion to the
Chicago platform, nor that you will
accept all that is declared in the peO-
ple's party platform, however gratifying
the latter would be to all Populists.
1t must be understood that the party
does not abate one jot of loyalty to it's
principles. We have declared our
selves in favor of many important re-
forms, in our judgment essential to
the liberation of the people from q
present unjust and iniquitous in
dustrial bondage.
"In accordance with the precedent
OF our party We take this method OF
notifying you of your nomination. We
shall not send com mittee, according
to old party customs. In drafting this
letter of notification of the great honor
that has been conferred on you by our
party. it is needless to assure you that
you have the confidence and esteem
of all. Your known integrity. COM
potency and eminent fitness for the
position justly entitle you to a high
rank among the great statesmen OF
the nation. We feel, in the event of
your election, which now seems Ger
tain, you will carry into the executive
tho principles of monetary reform.
The peoples party will exact OF you
no promise further than those made
in your public utterances and exem.
plified in life devoted to the welfare
of the race; nor will it ask you to
abandon the party of which you are
an honorcd member.
"By your nomination our party has
risen above mere partisan surround
ings, adopting high plane of patriot
ism, believing that division of forces
would result in the election OF William
Mckinley, the foremost advocate OF
deeply burdensome and unnatural
taxation and the criminal policy O
the single gold standard, which would
ultimately, if not checked, result II
the disintegration and destruction o
our government. Your election to th'
chief magistracy of the nation woult
be regarded rs a vindication OF TIT
right of the people to govern, and w
entertain no doubt that you will prov
q worthy successor of the worthy JET
ferson and Lincoln, and that you
public life, like theirs, will illustrate
the purity and loftiness Of American
stateemanship.
"Your extensive and intimate knowl
edge of public affairs and the dutie
the office will impose, gained in lif
that has been devoted to upholdinI
the cause of the people, as we'll as you