The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-10-11

| their cloaks.
For the last three years darker and
darker have the clouds OF free silver
/ gathered, closer and closer mas become
/ Are rorey market; more and more nave
industries stopped. hrmer and frmer nave
moneyed circles chung TO their sound uoi-
I lars, afraid 10 put them In circulation.
Nearly all the money In the country
I after characterization was active; there
was confidence. Now, while the per cap
/ ita IL greater, more than one-thlrd Is
dormant and locked up commence Is gone.
/ Let the agitation cease, restore cOill-
dence; remove the fear Of free, unlimited,
and independent coinage, ana prosperity
I viii come again. and there VIII be rev
I idle hands.
The supporters Of the Chicago platform
! and nominees who are devoting so much
/ time and attention TO me. charge tnat
I ! voted FOR free coinage. and am, there
/ fore, inconsistent ia opposing IL now.
on August p. 1895. | published my Views
/ In an open letter in the Richmond DIS
patch, which, / was pleased TO ma, were
endorsed by this old and influential Jour-
/ mai In an editorial from winch quote rs
| follows:
we publish this morning an open let
/ ter from Governor O'FerTall, giving IN
| concise, well reasoned and able argument
| his views on the silver question. IL VIII
| be a popular document. We have seen
/ nothing better calculated to attract the
! attention of the masses and convince
/ them that there can be no free silver
/ coinage In this country at the ratio or
1 10 TO THAT Is. without the cooperation
I or other nations. III anybody says tnat
/ Governor O'Ferralls views have under
I gone "A change. he replies that whatever
may have been his views heretofore, MS
present views are the result OF much stuuy
and readirg, ana are his mature convic-
tons lie n8les no apology Tor an
nouncing that lie Is wiser than he used
10 be-
IN view of tits editorial you can wen
ina CINE that / vas surprised 10 md re-
Gently Ia the columns OF he Dispatch
criticism OF me for not studying the
subject before casting my votes for free
silver in Congress, particularly when 1
CO.'S idered that this able journal, with
nearly q Tree years longer In winch 10
study the question than | hao IN Con-
grcss, has found II necessary TO change
its position.
teke 1t that II Is as much the duty
Of a journalist who assumes TO lead aud
Instruct the people as il is the duty OF
member Of Congress to carefully study
every leading question before giving his
opinion. ! must, therefore, conclude that.
iuaemuCh as the Dispatch cntcrtalns now
cincient views On the money question
from what IL did when II endorsed my
letter 50 warmly. that II had not studied
the Question WI en- the editorial Of August
-. 1880 was written. / must conclude
that, like myself while / was in Congress.
II was too busy 70 give the matter seri-
Gus consideration prior 10 August -. 1885.
But my fellow Democrats, the fact Is
that l did not believe six years, or even
three years ago, that the silver question
would ever become a leading issue, ana
l did not. therefore. take the time de-
manded by the special duties assigned me,
10 give u careful thought and cOnsdera-
ton. ] had doubts as 10 the practicable
~ Of free coinage. but ! resolved these
doubts in Il vOr Of II. a careful cXamina-
ton relieved me Of my doubts. Why,
change on the money problem has been
the order ol the day. Silverites have
changed to oddities. and vice We. sa. every
where. Prominent men all over the coun-
try have changed from ono side 70 the
other. ditorg have changed their views.
Senator Stewart the great silver leader.
voted I'm the Senate OF the United States
for the den onctization act of 1873 and de-
clared for the gold standard. Every f~ee
silver supporter In Virginia has changed
since be endorsed the State platform IN
lS' which declared for bimetallism by
and through international agreement. Has
he forgotten this2
Yes. let my critics make the most Of the
charge against me Of Inconsistency but
let them be careful lest they Boz hoist
with their own netard."
Let them ring the changes and continue
their assaults for n an comes with poof
grace from gentlemen who have forsakcn
every principle OF Democracy ana gone
over with bag and baggage 10 Popu
and support Populistic candidates II
they have a right 10 change their Demo
cratic principles which are rs old MS this
republic and known and read OF all men.
have I not the right 10 change my opin'
ION uuOn a new question: If they think
they have been in error in adhering TO
the fonots of Democracy and believe
P0puliem S. good FOR the country. rs hon
est mon they should do inst what they
have dono-embrace PODulistic faith with
al d M r.I
lay AT their door MS much 7 may re-
grot their departure. but | insist I shall
be as free 10 ronounce my adhesion 10 a
doctrine which. II put in practice. would
I believe. wreck and ruin the business
and material interests Of this country.
THE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE.
Having now stated as briefly ass possible
some Of my objections 10 the Chicago plat
form / Will indicate my objections TO the
candidate Of the Chicago Convention for
President. i otJect 10 him upon the
ground that he is not Democrat.
4 here asset ana challenge contradiction
that William Jennings Bryan was en-
dCrsed by the POpuIlsts for Congress and
elected by their Votes Ia 1880. 1 here ass
sert and challenge contradiction that he
voted for the Pouriist electoral ticket for
President in 1872 oyer the regular Demo-
cratic electoral ticket, which received the
support of the loyal Democrats Of his
stale numbering 2ft3 ! here assert and
challenge contradiction that he refused
recently 10 support a regularly nominated
candidate OF the Democratic party FOR
judge in his State. further as-ert ana
challenge contradiction that iu % his
sympathies were with the POpuiis Is 81
the guDernatOrial contest in virginia and
that 20 well WIS This understood tl.t be
was requested by the POpuiists OF his con-
rrcssiOnaI district Boz Nebraska ant in-
gited in person By the chairman of the |
pOpulis- party OF virginia 10 canvass the |
State for the Populist nominee and |
against me-. the Democratic nominee. |
Why he G.l not come let him say.
and now Gaping the climax. he has |
accepted the POpIIlst nomination for |
prc-l dCnt with all tAat an acceptance Inn |
plies.
AS have said. 7 have never voted for |
any man who was not Democrat in the |
thirtv-four years Fl have been "A voter |
and Will not break my record by casting |
my ballot for william Jennings Bryan. |
for DIS political principles and HIS afliia-
tions and sympatlies with the enemies |
of Democracy render him unworthy OF !
Democratic support
Ny fellow Democrats. have now an
swercd my critics through the medium Of /
this letter. end / have given yol my yea
sons for my course IN the pending politi- |
cal campaign / have addressed you |
without ieftrye. as I have always done.
Many OF you may differ with me. IL 80. |
have 10 quarrel With you however mucn |
Z may think YOU are wrong. ] accord 20
You honesty and sincerity. AMI am sure
those Of you who lave not allowed your
us .eiCns 10 become inf7ncd viii concede
10 me tho same devotion 10 Democratic
principles as when / stood shoulder 70 |
shoulder with YOU in the fierce struggles |
NJ Democracy with Repubicanism. Ma
hOnism. and PODulis m. J need not say 10
You that I hurI back with 'he contempt
which 10 merits any insruation or intima-
ton. come from whatever source II may,
that 7 am anything but what I have al
ways becn-a DcWOcrat pure and simple.
lnnnIIIfll WITH plnmIl.m untlintnl with |