The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-11-01
MIR. SCOTT. or ACCOMAC.
0narcnnk. Va. Oct0Der ~ wv.

OuaLLDlhf Geo
~ the Editor of The Times.
SHIN reply to your inquiry OF me -''i'
INST will answer very briefly "ltAoD'
attempting TO argue the ques'IoH - --0S
and unlimited coinage OF silver.
INV sre YOU sound money Dem
ocrat? .... .,,,,st ~
,,aoe.eitv be the currency IN oiuel 10 l4-
ei,re and secure the greatest good 10 TIE
greatest number OF all our people
Because no such thing as unsouhd
money is authorized and recognized ny
the Constitution or laws or the DAl'0d
States. .
because an the fathers Of the coun
Decentralization. Morris, Hamilton Je1-
ferson. Madison. jackson, Benton ~ eo-
etnr. calhoun and later Iliden ana CleNc-
land-wero an in f0Var OK SOUND money
and against any and all schemes 10 u1
base or lessen the purchasing power OF
o,,r money which would inevitably be
fine result If free coinage bAi snoulu
,,a-s-ve would Immediately descend from
tho cold standard To silver mon0metalsn,
which would contract our volume OF
,nonov-bv driving out all OF our 500, voy'"JJ
OF gold. and bringing down the DaIahce
~ our circulating medium 10 the COM
nercial value. which 10 day Tor SILVER
is 5l-couts and the paper money also'
could be 10 higher I'm value then me Sill
yer money behind it.
The effect of all this would be 10 drive
out az least two-thirds OF the volume OF
our present circulation. and so contract
the volume that all business would new
tehl, stagnate. Persons who now ind
work would become tramps' because
canital would not open the factories. and
Il would be safe and profitable.
Answer. Because 10 Democratic plat
form Rational or state has ever declared
for free and unlimited coinage or silver
al any ratio, until the Chicago convention
which nominated MI. Bryan lou may
search all the Democratic platforms
within the memory Of our people say
from 1882. when Jackson was elected, ana
We can find 10 such principles as Is con-
tanned in the Chicago platform or 4cso
Indeed, In the convention 81 Lt--the near
est approach We have TO the principle
some enthusiastic delegate did offer a
resolution for free coinage Of silver but
IL was Immediately but down by the de-
cisive vote OF sl3 against II TO II votes in
favor OF II. All Democratic presidents
make me a sound money Democrat.
3. Because this government alone or nn
the governments on earth combined can
not make the commercial value Of gold
and silver. The same At oil times lesls-
latiOn IS not and can't be effective against
tho law OF supply and demand.
This law must regulate the commerclal
value OF the two metals.
Answer. There cannot be bimetalism
except in the way We now have II, under
limited coinage BY the govern
ment and by the government be-
coming responsible for the diner-
ence between tho commercial ana
coin value Therefore IL we are 10 have
the use OF both gold and silver, the coin
age must be on government account, ana
not free and unlimited These are some
OF the reasons which compel me to be
sound -moncy Democrat
Secondly. You ask me what IS 20 be the
truo Democratic party Of the future
have no doubt or hesitancy IN answering
the party now led by Palmer and Buck
ner. because they have not or the party
following them departed from Democratic
principles rs laid down in former Dom
ocratic platforms for seventy years. But
history will repeat Itself. In 1860 Steven
A Douglas received At Charleston the
regular Democratic nomination FOR Presi-
dent but the Democrats Of the South did
not believe IN Douglas "Squatter Sover-
eighty doctrine. and a split occurred. the
Southern Democrats boted and in Balti-
more In the same month Douglas was
nominated John &. Breckenridge received
tho nomination from those Democrats,
who believed i'm tho doctrine OF popular
Sovereignty as ~ was the ntermed. Both
Douglas and Breckenridge were beaten by
Mr. Lincoln, and the war ensued. and the
Democratic party was broken and dis