Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-09-18
MIR. HAYDON REPLIED.
a Case of Reckoning without Ones
Host


Mr.. Raleigh +. Haydon of Iryjngton
has written the subioined open letter in
reply TO communication he Received
from Mr. Harvey L. Wilson. secretary
OF the State Committee of the Boilers
party, in which Mr.. Wilson sets forth
that he Wilson) had been Informed that
Mr.. Hayden was an advocate of sound
Democracy and sound money. and would
not support the Populistic platform of
hlcago, but rather would lend his aid to
the maintenance of Democratic principles
as enunciated at INDIANAPOLIS The Will
son letter further stated that If this in
formation was true. he would be glad TO
furnish literature to Mr.. Hayden and
such of his friends as desired il.
THE OPEN LETTER.
Irvington. Va. September II. 1896.
Hon Harvey l.. Wilson. Richmond Va:
Slr,-ln reply TO yours of the 5th in
slant, duly received. / beg to say that.
though at first opposed 10 the free and
unlimited coinage Of silver by our gov
eminent. l have never believed that the
adoption of such a policy would mean
absolute starvation. as the advocates OF
SOUND money predict. During more
imam four years which ! recently spent
In deprecated silver-basls country. /
noticed that the people generally, and the
laboring class in particular. as compared
with their peers here, lived and dressed
as well, if not better; jingled as much
money in their pockets. If not more:
worked as little. much less. indeed. and
spent much more for the pleasures and
frivolties of this life. and this, too i'm the
face OF the fact that nearly all OF the
prime necessaries of life were imported
and paid for In gold. / noticed, further
more that money was more evenly di-
vided; that "cornering'' was unknown.
and that, therefore. millionaires were not
made in day. l do not mean to say
that that country was financial para
disc, but it was certainly the equal, il
not the superior. of this I'm the earning
OF money by labor; hence my opposition
TO free coinage of silver was not based
upon the fear that thereby this nation
would be reduced to beggary.
In the first place. the American dollar
of to-day is looked up to all over the
world, which Is a cause for pride: second
ly, l feared that so radical a change in
our financial system would produce a rev.
olution, whose results | could not fore
see. and. thirdly, that our government
alone could not consistently undertake
10 enhance the value OF silver without a
limit.
Having given the matter earnest study
and thought, and having carefully fol-
lowed the trend of events since the meet
ing of the Chicago convention. have de-
liberately arrived at the conclusion that
the conditions which confront US fully
warrant the laying aside of all such OBJ
jections as / held, and that by support
ing the action OF that convention. l
shall best subserve the interests of the
Democratic party and the country gem
orally.
1t is not my Intention to make any
argument In favor of free-sllver coinage
i shall rest the matter upon the honest
assertion that practical experience and
careful research give me not the slightest
cause to believe that its adoption will be
OF any disadvantage TO our prosperity.
Besides, sir. i have always co-operated
with the Democratic party, the triumph
OF which. especially In this section, con-
slider absolutely essential 10 our happi-
ness and well-being. Neither will ] argue
this; suffice II for me that, in my opinion,
II Is true, and that the defeat of Bryan
means the victory Of Mckinley. cannot
believe that even you entertain any hope
that Palmer will be elected, or that
Democratic votes received for him will
benefit any one but Mckinley.
i took part In the primaries here as 1
usually do. and voted against the free
silver movement, but / was in the sad
minority. and gentlemen as true and
tried as l am. as intelligent as l am. and
possessed OF as high sense OF honor as 1
am, were fairly and regularly elected to
represent the Democracy of this county
in the State convention. / know there
was no irregularity here. nor have
heard Of any either at Staunton or Chi
cago-nothing In the wide world to kick"
about, except that the minority could not
rule! Is this a justiiable cause for the
position of the faction which you repre-
sent? No. ] assure you. In all kindness
and brotherly love. that you are wrong.
1t Is every mans right to withdraw from
a convention when measures are adopted
by that convention 10 which he cannot
reconcile his principles, but In doing so
he forfeits his right to place In the
councils Of the party. OF which that con-
vention IS the duly constructed exponent.
commend every man for uphoIding his
honest principles. but let him do so