The Springfield herald., 1898-04-01
TELLER ON FUSION.
He Wants . Union of Silver Forces, nut
Will Not Combine With Regular Re-
publicans.

Denver, March 2S.-The Republican
publishes the following letter from
Senator Teller:
1.-The agreement to unite the silver
forces of all parties was meant beyond
question to apply to all sections of the
country, and certainly not less to Colo
RADIO than to any other state. Indeed,
II any exception is TO he made in that
state, it should be in the direction OF
greater unity of action there than else
where, for the reason that the people
there have given the silver question
more attention than have those of 9th
er sections, and are, therefore, better
prepared to set an example to other
communities. If the silver people of
Colorado cannot unite upon candidates
they cannot well expect others to do so.
Especially am l opposed to any
union of forces on the part of Silver
Republicans with the Mckinley Re
publicans. On this proposition desire
to make my position so plain that 1t
cannot be misunderstood. The Repub-
lican party is the only political organ
ization that is now opposing the free
coinage of silver in the United States.
Hence 1t is with this party that we
must contend in the future unless we
abandon our efforts to secure a proper
recognition of silver in our monetary
system. We will never secure any
financial relief through the agency OF
the Republican party, and every par
ticle of support that we give to that
party locally or nationally strengthens
it in It's defense of the gold standard.
To talk further about international
bimetallism under the present admins
tration is absurd. and | observe that
the effort on the part of Republicans to
maintain the position that an interna-
tional agreement can be secured haS
been much abated of late. l think II
is becoming well known now that even
IL European consent could be secured
to an international understanding the
leaders of the Republican party would
not assent to il. Indeed. there is very
little pretext in any quarter that inter
national bimetallism will be farther
pressed, and. this being true, the ne
publican party fully accepts the gold
standard. leaving no excuse for a Sill
yer man to stand with IT under any cir-
cumstnnces. .
SIN view of this and other facts an
alliance with the Republicans is not to
he thought of. and such nm alliance, If
made, would end only in defeat and
disgrace. | am opposed to such O.
combination, and | will not support a
ticket so made.
81 do not intend to try to dictate the
nominations of the Silver Republicans.
but I shall reserve my right to oppose
by my vote and influence any man
they may nominate who will animate
with the gold party. and II there is
any alliance or any union of effort be
tween those two parties | will, to the
best of my ability. do all can to Sc
cure the defeat of the combination.
"As / said at the outset my opposi-
ton to such an alliance is based on the
Importance of the contest for proper
financial system. In my opinion the
question is too important to be sacrl-
feed for mere official position, even II
success could he assured by making
such n combination and | do not be-
lieve it could be so assured. Such nj
least is the position |. ns one indlvld-
uni Silver Republican. will take.
"As to the suggestion that there
should be no effort to unite the silver
forces in Colorado, il is 10 my nlno
but slightly less mischicvous than that
for uniting with the gold standard adj
vocates No party is ever safe when
II grows too confident, and ! think
there should be union of silver forces
all along the line If we would win In
1900"