The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-08-17
OPEN LETTER TO STEWART
IN REPLY TO STATEMENTS MADE
BY THE WHITE METAL
LEADER.
HE QUOTES FROM THE PRESS.
Statements That Bryan Is In the
Pay of Mine Owners-Bryan
Fails to Refute.


copy of letter which he mailed to-
day to Senator Stewart, of Nevada:
To Hon. William Stewart, Editor the
Silver Knight, Washington, D. c.
Sir: On return from my recent cam
paign tour, I find your open letter Of
Aug. 1, which you so kindly gave to
the press of the country before await
ing its receipt by me.
In your letter you refer to the adj
dress delivered by me at the Chau-
tauqua assembly at Madison, Wis, on
July 81. You must have known when
you penned your letter that did not
make any charge against Hon. Will
lam ]. Bryan Of any kind whatever;
that l did nothing except to read por-
lions Of an editorial published in the
Chicago Chronicle on the 18th of last
July. The editorial, as read by me, is
as follows:
There was a time when the owners of the
big bosanzas of the far West were glad to
occupy by purchase seats in the United States
senate Sharon, Stanford, Fair, Jones, Stew
art ana Others gratif1ed their fancy in this
manner until the novelty wore off, and then
they deputized attorneys and other employees
TO take their places and vote for protective
tariffs and free silver
OF late years, owing to the announcement
that they have received from the Republican
party, which always does something for silver
when 1t passes tariff bill, the proprietors
| OF the big bonanzas have found it profitable
TO keep large number of orators, lecturers
and other spokesman the road, preaching
to the people already limping as result of
bites by the free silver cur the sovereign
remedy Of applying the hair of the dog to
the wound.
Among the many who have been thus en-
ployed and carried on the pay Tells of the
big bonanzas for number of years, is
William j. Bryan, of Nebraska. The paid
agent and spokesman for the free silver com
bine has not since retirement from congress
had any other visible means of support.
| did not directly or indirectly even
express an opinion as to the truth or
| falsity of the charge thus clearly, eX-
plicitly, unequivocally and editorially
set forth by a great Democratic news
paper, reputable and responsible
I did say, and 1 will say, that the
man posing as the advocate of down
trodden masses of his countrymen,
holding crown of thorns in one hand
and the bugaboo, a cross of gold, in
the other, owes it as duty to every
man, woman and child in this country
to say whether that charge, thus pub
licly and deliberately made, is false or
or true.
Now, my dear senator, you must have
known, and you did know, when you
indited your open letter to me, that
charge was not mine; no, not even by
adoption; that l had not even ex-
pressed an opinion with respect to it,
and that l no more than fulfilled my
duty as citizen in insisting that Mr.
Bryan should tell the American people
whether or not the charge made by the
Chicago Chronicle was true One word
from Mr.. Bryan on the 18th day of last
July would have set the public right;
one word from him on any day since
that time would have ACCOMPLISHED
the same purpose. The charge thus
editorially made by the Chicago Chron-
icle, while the Chicago convention was
still in session. was reproduced in
many of the leading journals of the
country; it came to the attention of
Mr.. Bryan's own paper, the Omaha
World Herald, of which he was at the
time managing editor, and the only
reference ever made to it in that paper
was on the 18th day of July, when in
its editorial column appeared the fol-
lowing, headed I'm Whose Pay?"
''The Chicago Chronicle wants Mr.. Bryan
to explain in whose pay he has been since
he dropped out Of congress.-Sioux City
journal.
he stepped OUTPUT he has been in thtV EN-.
ploy of the World-Herald, and it is generally
conceded that he has fully earned his sal
ary.'
Mr.. Thurston, after making the
above quotations, says that Mr. BRYAN
was asked Aug. 1 to make an answer
to the Chronicles charge But" adds
he, "Mr. Bryan had nothing to say ex-
cept that he would answer in due time
and manner" Mr.. Thurston then makes
the statement that the Chicago Post
OF recent date had said:
Mr.. Bryans stated salary from the silver
mine owners or the silver league, was Sc, 900
per annum.
Continuing, the writer quotes from
the Philadelphia Ledger of recent is
sue as follows:
Those familiar with Mr. Bryan's political
career are aware that contributions from sill
yer miners to the expense of his lectures be-
gan before his general stumping tour of
the country two years ago.
The Ledger goes on to say that in
his campaign in 1892 for reelection to
congress ''he Bryan was materially
assisted in the expense of his campaign
by donations from Denver Referring
to Mr.. Bryan's campaign in 1894 when
he ran for United States senator, the
Ledger is again quoted:
During his so-called lecturing tour there
is no reason to doubt that the salary and
expenses were met by those most strongly
and personally interested in free coinage
There has never been any denial out West
that Mr.. Bryan was employed at a fixed com
pensation to preach the gospel of free coin
age, and the funds from which his comDen-
sation came we're in very large degree de-
rived from the mine owners.
Mr.. Thurston, continuing, says he
would be the last man in the world to
assail the character of Mr. BRYAN. and
adds: 1T is not just to the American
people that charges of this kind should
go unanswered. He is the man. and
the only man, who can make definite
and conclusive reply" He suggests
that Senator Stewart turn his bat
teries upon those reputable editors and
newspapers making the charges" and
states his surprise at Senator Stewart
and his fellow silver mine owners
remaining silent and not publicly an
swering the Chronicles charges
Senator Thurston mentions Senator
Stewards statement that contributions
for the circulation of silver literature
have been paid by the American BIZ
metallic league and the American BIZ
metallic union, and that these organi-
cations can account for all moneys re-
ceived and the use made of it, The
Nebraskan asks that a detailed ac-
count of these amounts be made pub
lie, which. he says, would prove of
much interest.
Il now hope, my dear sir" Senator
Thurston concludes, that you will
nkly acknowledge the undue haste
and stupidity with which you have
misrepresented me in this matter, and
l sincerely trust that you will irnme-
diately transfer to TIE Chicago Chron-