Evening star., 1896-10-08
Preliminary Sparring Between Rep
resentatives Of the Disputants.
MR.. HUTCHINS SUGGESTS some POINTS
Mr.. Davis Second Makes New
Proposals Today.
WHAT IS THE QUESTION

Mr.. StilSon Hutchins and Mr.. Henry E.
Davis. with the arrangements Of which the
public is perfectly familiar appeared last
night to be in danger Of ''indefinite' post
ponement, because of the failure of the Sec
onds to come to agreement. but negotia-
tioEs were reopened today and there SEEM
ed to be a good prospect that the debate
would come off. After Mr.. Davis had
thrown down the gauntlet and Mr..
Hutchins had accepted the gage. the
respective principals selected their seconds
in the persons of Mr.. c. V. Gates and Mr..
Thomas q. kalbfus. The Star yesterday
published the letter addressed by Mr.. Gates
TO Mr.. kalbfus. proposing the details of the
debate on behalf of Mr.. Davis. In response
to Mr.. Gates Mr.. kalbfus replied as follows:
Dear Sir: Your favor dated October I,
and handed me by you, makes proposals
touching the challenge of MIR. Henry E.
Davis to Mr.. Sriison Hutchins to JOINT de-
bate on the currency question, and L have
the honor to reply thereto as follows:
1. Assuming that Wash.n ton. D. c.. is to
be the place. the date named by you, Octo-
Der 10. and the hour, pm, is satisfactory.
. In reference to the hall where the meet
ing shall take place, 1 suggest Convention
Hall. that being the only one large enough
to accommodate the thousands of people
interested.
J. agree that all expenses incident to the
renting Of the hall used in general shall be
borAe by Mr.. Hutchins and Mr.. Davis.
t.. agree that admission to the debate
shall be by ticket only, without special
reservation of seats, the total number of
tickets to be equally divided, and that the
tickets issued to you be of one color and
those to me to be of another color, and that
SPECIAL arrangements be made for the press,
but must object to the proposal to divide
the hall by Line through the middle SO
that the holders of the tickets of one color
shall occupy one side of the hall and the
holders of the other tickets the other side"
see no good to be effected by such divis-
ion.
). agree that ushers be provided equally
by you and me to seat the people.
6. agree that you and l shall act as Sec
retaries. but do not think there will lie any
need of board of vice presidents to settle
any question during the debate. A respect
able and experienced presiding officer is all
that is needed, and l think that you and 1
can easily agree upon one This is not a
debate for a cup or any prize whatsoever,
and no award is necessary.
In regard to your proposal that the debate
shall occupy three hours, l do not think
that any audience will care to remain so
long. and propose the usual terms: Three
fourths of an hour to the person opening,
and one and one-fourth hours to the person
replying, and fifteen minutes in reply by the
person opening, the choice to be decided by
lot.
Having agreed to nearly every proposal
made by you L suggest the following addi-
tional: To insure correct report and publi-
cation of the debate, namely. that compe-
tent and reputable sienographer be en-
ployed to take down the speeches, and that
the speeches be published in The Evening
Star and the Washington Post, the cost of
reporting and publishing the same to be
borne equally by Mr. Hutchins and Mr..
Davis
In relation to your proposal that the uues-
ton be as follows: Whether the independ-
ent and unlimited coinage Of silver at the
ratio of 1t to l, as proposed by the Chicago
convention. is advisable l must object to
any such limit. In his letter accepting Mr.
Davis challenge, Mr.. Hutchins agreed Ito
debate the gold and silver question: and
this, 1t must be presumed, was satisfactory
to Mr.. Davis, as his letter of October to
MIR. HutchlnS would imply. The topic to be
discussed must comprehend the entire gold
and silver issue, as proposed by Mr. Hutch
inS. II Mr.. Davis wishes to defend the In
dianapolis platform, he is at liberty to do
so. II he prefers to defend the st. Louis
platform, he is at liberty to do so. If he
finds it possible to defend both he Is at
liberty to do so: all questions arising cut
of the main question should be incident
with the limits of the debate. Mr.. Hutchins
VIII defend the Chicago platform. and will
not assail any previous national democratic
PLATFORM"
Kaibfus has made the public announce
ment that MIR. Gates and himself met ut his
office yesterday evening and discussed the
| question for two hours without result. Mr.
agreed upon nearly all the details, but could
rot reach an understanding upon the man.
ner of selecting presiding officer. Mr..
kalbfus said he regarded Mr. Gates plan
10 select two vice presidents, who in turn
would select a presiding officer, as imprac-
ticable. Mr.. kalbfus also declares that Mr..
Gates also insisted upon shifting the subject
matter 0f the debate from the gold and sill
yer question to the question of free coinage
of silver at a ratio of IL to l, and would not
consent that his principal should discuss
any other; that he became convinced that
Mr.. Gates did not desire fair debate of the
financial question
Mr.. Hutchins Writes a Letter.
! Mr.. kalbfus today received the following
| from his principal, Mr. Hutchins:
1 have just seen the correspondence in
| the Post, and as have to leave to keep
| my appointment in Wilmington, 1 send you
| this note.
| Do not allow the discussion to be put off
on account of inybody's captiousness as to
the form Of statement of the question at
! issue. l am willing that 1t should be:
That Bryan's election would benefit the
| country:
That silver and gold should have equal
| rights at the mints;
| That Mr.. Davis has no reason for leaving
| his party unless he claims that he has
| been in a trance for the last twelve
| years,
| That the decentralization of silver in 1873
| was both crime and a disastrO IS injury
| to every man in the United States not a
! capitalist or large money holder;
, or even
! That Mckinley will be forced to sign q
| free silver coinage bill-if he is elected
| The discussion of any one of these topics
opens wide ield-a field that neither OF
| us can cover in thrice two hours.
Mr.. Davis may give what blows he car
| and he must take what he gets.
| OF course there is belt line in politica
as we'll as pugilistic discussion, and no gen
| tleman strikes below it.
1t is our politics and not our characters
| that will be in issue, and what we would
do if We mad chance, and not what VIZ
| have done.
1 shall hold myself perfectly free to dras
in any fair feature Of debate that in my