Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1898-11-04
THAT "GHOST" AGAIN
CHAIRMAN TOWNSEND'S BUSTER
CIRCULAR.

v
CIRCULAR.
Democratic State Central COMMITTEES
Floods tho State With Sensational Scare
Grow Literature-The McClcary Dill tho
A.ogie Man They Garble Chairman Han.
mas Letter-Dare Not Print it In Full.
The Democratic state central CON-
mittee have flooded the state with cir
culars raising the bogie man of the Nc
Cleary bill. In our last weeks issue
this matter was thoroughly considered
but in view of the appearance Of these
circulars it is we'll to call the attention
of our readers again to this matter.
The Democratic circular states in its
heading that the McCleary bill is the
real issue of 1898. In this way they are
endeavoring to throw overheard that
part of tho Marshalltown platform
which endorsed free silver and proposed
Mr.. Bryan as the Democratic candidate
for the presidency in 1900. They are
also endeavoring to befog the people
with this boyle man which they have
conjured up.
The circular says that the McCleary
bill is the comprehensive and enlight-
ened monetary legislation, which was
promised by the Republican platfol m.
They then say that this McCleary bill
is an administration measure. 10
prove this the circular refers to the In
dianapolis monetary convention. over
which our own Governor Shaw presid-
ed, which they claim was approved by
Mckinley. This convention, says the
circular, formulated the plans from
which this bill was constructed. The
circular then quotes from the address
sent out by Chairman Hanna of the
sound money commission, under date of
the 10th of last July, and claims that
$50 of the POS Republicans and gold
Democrats signed the petition asking
for tho consideration Of some sort of
currency measure and are pledged to
vote for the McCleary bill. Further on
in the circular occurs the following
! statement:
''In letter written Sept 30, in an
swer to q direct question Mr.. Hanna
says: The only currency reform bill
reported to the present congress during
the last session was that reported by
the banking and currency committee.
known as House Bill No. 102S9, and
that, take it, is the one You refer to as
the pending measure.
This was as much of Mr.. Hanna's let
ter of Sept. 30 as Chairman Townsend
! of the Democratic state central commit
tee dared to quote. Immediately fol-
lowing this quotation, which he gar
bles, is this expression: mo MEM
Der OF CONGRESS WAS COMMIT
TED TO THIS BILL, EXCEPTING
THOSE MEMBERS OF THE BANK
ING AND CURRENCY COMMITTEE
SIGNING THE FAVORABLE RE-
PORT"
Farther on in the same letter occurs
the following statement which, of
course, does not appear in Chairman
Townsend's circular: ''Neither the
language nor the intent of the petition
committed them to vote for the bill. In
fact one free silver Democrat signed the
petition in order that the subject might
be brought before the house,
In closing this letter Of Sept. so,
Chairman Hanna says: Il have no
doubt that whenever the Republican
caucus of the house shall agree upon a
reasonable currency measure that Major
Lacey will vote for it; but as yet no
i! such caucus agreement has been reached
AND THE PARTY DOES NOT
STAND COMMITTED TO THE DE-
TAILS OF ANY CURRENCY MEAS
URE"
OF course the Democratic state cen.
trail committee would not print these
extracts from Mr.. Hanna's letter. They
knew that Mr. Hanna told the truth
when he said that no one was pledged
to support the McCleary bill as reported
to the house. On this question Mr..
Lacey, who is one of the men that Gen
eral Weaver charges especially with
being pledged to the bill, says: Il can
say to you that am not committed to
the support of it, and there has been
practically no consideration given it by
any congressman outside of the three
men who drew it, It has not been con-
sidered in caucuses and not Endorsed in
any platform, and Chairman Walker is
actively opposing it. Its details have
not been examined by Republican con-
gressmen and General Weaver is the
first man to make the discovery that
this particular bill Of the $4,000 pending
in congress is Republican party meas.
ure. He knows better"
Congressman Henderson states posi-.
lively that he is not pledged to the bill
and furthermore will not vote for it in
its present shape. Congressman Hull
and Hepburn say the same thing, and
in fact all tho other members in con-
gress from Iowa stand unpledged to the
McCleary bill, and furthermore they
will never support it as it now is. The
congressman from Iowa who will be
elected Oh the Republican ticket are
pledged to comprehensive and en-
lightened monetary legislation bat
| they nrnnnsn that this LEGISLATION shall