Great Falls weekly tribune., 1896-09-18
William j. Bryan Was Nominated by
the POpulist Party for
President.
The LETTER OF NOTIFICATION
Free COinag Of Silver Is the Great
Issue and Is So RecOg-
nized by All.

committee, mailed to w. j. Bryan today
the following letter, officially notifying
him Of his nomination by that party:
ITO Hon. William j. Bryan, Lincoln,
Neb.-Dear Sir: At a convention OF the
peoples party held at st. Louis from
June % to 25 of the current year, you
were unanimously nominated for presi-
dent OF the United States to be voted
for at the approaching general election.
1t was known at the time that you had
been nominated by the democratic
party at the Chicago convention, held a
few days before that time, and that you
would in all probability accept the same
in formal manner. Your nomination by
the peoples party was not, therefore,
made with sny thought that you we're
populist or that you accepted all the
doctrines declared by the ST. Louis plat
form. 1t was due largely to the fact
that the money question is the over
shadowing political issue of the age and
because you have been at all times the
answering, able and fearless advocate
of the free and unlimited coinage of sill
yer and gold on terms of equality at the
mints of the United States at the ratio
of 16 to /. 1t was thought, also, that
the observance of patriotic duty re-
quired a union Of all the reform forces
and the convention took the liberty,
without soliciting or consulting
you, Of placing your name be-
fore the people as its standard
bearer The convention was, in doing
80, guided by deep solicitude for the
common welfare and acted 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
il in our coinage acts in the position it
occupied when stealthily demonetized
by the act of 1873 that it would be idle
for US to discuss the question. You will
observe by the closing language of the
st. Louis platform that the convention
recognized the money question as the
great issue Of the day and because the
populists believe that you are in accord
with them on this question you will re-
ceive their ballots in November 1t
has al no time been expected or is
it now that you will abandon
your adhesion to the Chicago plat
form, nor that you will accept all
that is declared in the peoples party
platform, however gratifying the latter
would be to all populists. 1t may be
understood that the party does not abate
one jot or title of it's principles. We have
declared ourselves in favor Of many i'm
portsnt reforms, in our judgment, essen
tial to the liberation of the people
from the present and unjust and iniqui-
tous industrial bondage. In accord
ance with the precedents OF our party
we take this method of notifying you Of
your nomination. We shall not send q
committee, according to old party Gus
tom. In sending this letter of notifica-
tion Of the great honor that has been 30
justly conferred upon you by our party,
it ia needless for US to assure you that
you have the confidence and esteem of
all. Your splendid abilities, known in
tegrity, competency and eminent fitness
for the position justly entitle you to
high rank among the great statesmen Of
the nation. We feel that in the event Of
your election, which now seems certain,
you will carry into execution the princi
pies of monetary reform to the end that
the people shall enjoy better industrial
conditions. 1t is not anticipated that
this can be done with undue haste
or so suddenly as to wrench or disjoint
the business interests OF the country,
but that it will be done gradually and in
q way to infuse confidence and hope OF q
better condition for ALL The peoples
party will exact Of you no promises fur
ther than those made in your public ut
terances and exemplified in life devoted
to the welfare of the race, nor will it ask
you to abandon the party OF which you
are an honored member. In your nomi
nation our party has risen above mere
partisan surroundings, adopting high
plane Of patriotism, believing that di
vision OF forces would result in the elec
ton OF William Mckinley, the foremost
advocate Of deeply burdensome and un
natural taxation and the criminal policy
of the single gold standard, resulting ul
timately, if not in some manner checked
in the complete destruction and disinte
grafton of our form Of government. You
election to the chief magistracy of tn
nation would be regarded as vindica
ton of the right Of the people TO govern
and we entertain no doubt that yol
will prove worthy successor 0
the immortal Jefferson and Lincoll
and that your public life, lik
theirs, will illustrate the purity ant