The San Francisco call., 1896-10-08
NOTINCONSIST
Judge E. V. Spencer Tells
Why He Supports Viii
liam Mckinley.
Judge e. V. Spencer, the well-known
lurlst OF Lassen County sends the follow
Ing open letter to the Sacramento Bee:

Judge E. v. Spencer, the well-known
lurist OF Lassen County sends the follow
ing open letter to the Sacramento Bee:
| sUsANvILLE, Lassen County, Cal.,(
| October 2, 1896. I
To the Sacramento Evening Bee-MY DEAR
BEE In your paper of September 10, 1896,
you have seen fit to republfsh letter written
10 you oy me on March 49, 1885, In which let
| yer Endorsed the declarations of the Bee
favorable to the coinage of silver; then you
Puollsned an interview with CALL reporter
| IN which l declared myself strongly in favor
oI Mchlnley; then you were pleased to say
| tnat l should remember that Bryan's state
ments are to the same tune sang in March OF
this year:
In connection with these statements you
nave tried to hold me before the public as an
example OF political inconsistency.
Under strong headlines you have placed me
as spencer against Spencer" My attention
having been but recently called to this publ.
| cation embrace the first opportunity to call
your attention to the error into which you
| nave fallen in your attempt to make me ap-
| pear to be inconsistent wi tn myself.
FIrst-My letter of March 1S does not say one
| word about Mckinley or protection.
Second-ln my interview with THE CALL
did not say anything about silver except to
say that "Mr. Bryan proclaims himself the
iriend OF the laborer, and all in the same
breath he declares himself in favor of giving
the work to the foreigner and OF opening our
mlntS 10 foreign silver"
Now my dear Bee, call your attention to
Ihe TACT that your alleged inconsistency is not
apparent Tom any language used by me in
the matter published by you.
II there is any inconsistency, 1t must be
Iound IN your apparent superstition that am
now opposed to the coinage OF silver and that
l am supporting Mr.. Mckinley because of his
opposition thereto.
But beg to assure you that the apparent in
1erences which you seem to draw from my
statements are grossly incorrect. l am not
supporting Mr.. Mckinley for either of the rea-
sons suggested, but am supporting him for
reasons greater and more important than
either Aud, as you have sought to place me
IN an uncomfortable position before the pub
nc, trust you will do me the justice to give
the same publicity to my statement of the SUBJ
lects referred to in your publication.
AND allow me to assure you that ii there is
any apparent inconsistency in the position oc-
now, l am more deeply interested in knowing
that am right now than am in an attempt
to explain away such Inconsistency.
1t matters but little what notions you or l
may have entertained last March, but it is i'm
portant that we should be prepared to vote
right when the time comes.
And first let me say that 1 have never been
IN faVor OF the unlimited coinage of silver. for
nave never been able to understand how 1T
would benefit the American people to have
tne foreigners silver coined in our mints. But
L nave been in favor OF coming all the silver
produced from the mines located within the
borders OF the United States.
But, my dear Bee, it does not matter just
now what | would have or what you would
have II we could, or what either of US said or
thought before the conventions we are now
compelled TO choose in this contest between
two candidates, two platforms, two conditions,
and in common with the multitude we must
go TO the polls not to have what we would, but
10 choose which of these two we will vote for.
1cannot get all of that which would please me
best from either party. But when the great
multitude of the wise men from the East met
in the convention, of my party and yours, and
after careful deliberation determined that
the little handful OF delegates from the shores
OF the Pacific were mistaken in their thought
as TO what was best for the whole people OF
this great Nation. And after that ma
Jorlty had decided that it was not wise
and that it would not be for the best
interests OF the majority of our people to
embark in the free and unlimited coinage of
the silver OF the world, and wnen that ma
jority declared that in their best judgment it
would result in driving the gold out of the
country and IN leaving US with silver alone,
that il would produce panic and distress and
Generalization in business everywhere in our
land, am free TO confess that the Judgment
OF the multitude causes me TO hesitate and to
begin TO think seriously whether they might
not be right and l wrong, even in my desire
for the coinage of our own product OF silver.
My modesty and a full realization of the
all led me to take off my bat and bow re-
spectful regard for the aggregate wisdom of
that Republican statesmanship which has fed |
this Nation through its darkest days and |
hardest struggle TO q condition of solidity |
strength, wealth and prosperity, which have |
made it the marvel of the nations OF the EARTH |
universal rottenness OF mankind, SO that when |
/ have heard men and newspapers cry out |
out against the st. Louis convention and de- |
clare that il was controlled by the money of |
Wall street, have thought il possible that |
such declarations might arise from the fact |
that the parties making them would not dare |
to trust themselves within the reach OF temp |
tation.
Giving full faith and credit to the honesty |
aud sincerity of all the conven tionS, we find |
ourselves compelled to choose between Demo- |
ttn trod q ND N nQf llad lear
on the one hand and Republican protection |
and sound money on the other, SO l am |
ready to declare that will not swallow Bry- |
anistlc and Democratic free trade, even though |
covered ever so tngenuously under coating |
OF silver.
But most unhesitatingly declare myself in |
favor of protection as the source from which |
the American people, and particularly the |
laboring masses, can receive greater benefit, |
more lasting success and prosperity than from |
any other source OF relief within our reach.
And no matter how much might believe in |
the wisdom of coming silver, when that con- |
sideration is put in the balance as against |
protection to our industries, 1t sinks into in
significance.
Protection win afford sure relief and sure
employment to the American laborer of every
kind.
1t will make manufacturing profitable and
will thus reopen our workshops which have
been closed by that Democratic fraud, ia
tariff for revenue only" and will thus furnish
labor for millions OF our now unem ployed. IL
will make the production of sugar profitable,
so that we shall be BILE to produce what we
consume at home, and in this item alone will
save hundred millions year of our money
10 be distributed among our own people in
stead OF being Sc mt oct of the. country as now
to pay cheap labor in other lands for what we
consume. This sugar item alone will furnish
more labor for the unemployed and will bring /
more prosperity to our country and keep more
money in the country and in circulation than
1t is possib.e for the coinage OF silver TO do
der the most favorable conditions which any
reasonable man can anticipate.
With our mills ana manufactures producing
the commodities we use, and the produce of
the orchard, vineyard and farm protected
from foreign competition, the farm will pay,
and with our wool, lumber and other products
properly protected and our money kept at
home labor will be plenty and the laborer well
paio. and the sunlight of prosperity and hap
piness will shine in at the poor mans window
and all will be we'll as it has been in the past |
when you and l, my dear Bee, were hurrahing
for the grand results of Republican protection |
and were warning the people to beware of the |
dangers of Democratic free trade, and were |
pointing out the ruin 1t had wrought in the |
years gone by.
Ny dear Bee, in your support of Bryan you |
seem to have forgotten that Mr.. Bryan is and |
nop haa 4 ,efa a,x6