Daily camera., 1897-09-18
GORDON REPLIES,
The Democratic Nominee for the Supreme
Court Denies Being a White Wing.

The Democratic Nominee for the Supreme
Court Denies Being a White Wing.
John A. Gordon, the Democratic
nominee for justice of the supreme court
has written letter replying to and
denying the allegations that he is gold
bug Democrat.
The letter opens by accepting the
nomination of the party. The accusa-
ton of the newspapers concerning his
stand on the money question is emphat-
ically denied. He says:
"And most emphatically say that l
have never, by vote, act or word, oppos-
ed the free and unlimited coinage of sill
yer at the ratio of I6 to as now advo-
Gated by the Democratic party of the
nation, but have always favored that
doctrine and have advocated what l
conscientiously believed TO be its best
interests"
In refutation of the charge that he sup
ported Cleveland in 1892, he makes
statement that puts an entirely different
phase on the question than the one re.
ported. He says that he was delegate
to the convention and was member of
the committee on resolutions; that those
resolutions were strong for silver, but
that the majority of the committee went
further and endorsed the Populist
nominees, He states that the majority
of the committee declared for silver, but
had maintained that its hope Of restora-
ton was in the Democratic party and
that the majority report placed the con-
vention out of the Democratic party.
| He goes on to say "If am to be con-
demned as an enemy of silver, because
in 1892 desired to stay with the Demo.
cratic party and support its national or.
ganization and nominees for president
and vice president, then such silver ad-
vocates as William J. Bryan, James K.
Jones, Richard P. Bland, John Daniel,
John T. Morgan, David Turpie, George
G. Vest, Joe Blackburn, Benjamin Till
man, John P. Altgeld. John H. Reagan,
the late Isham G. Harris and host OF
others, were equally as culpable. for they
were all supporting the Democratic or
ganization and the Democratic national
ticket in 1892. These were the men that
looked to at that time as the true ex-
ponents of Democracy and as the true
friends of the silver cause. If support
ing the national Democratic party in
1892 was treason to the silver cause, then
supporting. that party in 1888 must at
least have been of doubtful propriety.
Whether l was right or wrong in 1892,
believed that the course then pur-
sued was for the best interests of the
silver cause. accord to those who diff
fered with me at that time the same hon.
esty of purpose that claim for myself.
But whatever differences of opinion we
might then have had as to the best
course to pursue, there is no ground for
difference now. Every true friend of
silver must look with hope to the success
of the Democratic party"
Mr.. Gordon states as his conviction
that while these state elections are but
skirmishes, they are skirmishes that will
point the way for the greater Democratic
victory for silver and Bryan in 1900.
After giving a sketch of the various
Democratic conventions favoring silver
in which he had taken part the letter
concludes:
"One other plank of the platform on
which l was nominated deserves notice
by me, for the reason that it is compare
lively new in politics and refers specially
to the judiciary. The clause of the plat
form which indorses that declaration OF
the Chicago convention which protested
against government by injunction, and
the usurpation of arbitrary power by
courts of justice, meets my hearty ap-
proval. The founders of our government
wisely divided the powers of government
into three departments, the executive,
the legislative and the judicial, and
neither of these departments should be
permitted to entrench upon the functions
that properly belong to another depart
ment. And while an unwarranted as.
sumption of power bv any one of the de-
partments is dangerous to our insttu.
tons, an unwarranted power assumed by
the judiciary is most dangerous for the
reason that the acts of courts become
precedents to be followed by the courts
of the future. The power of courts to
issue the writ of injunction and to punish
for contempt in proper cases is neces-
sary, but such power should not be so
abused as to create ofenses or to over
ride the constitutional right of trial by
jury.
"While unquall6edly indorse the en-.
tire platform of the convention. no other
part Of it needs to be Specially noticed