Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-04-25
NOT SENT OUR PAPERS
The Following Reply of Hon. w. Jen-
nings Bryiin TO Hon. Perry Bel
mont Was Not Sent 10 Our News
is Now Given by tho Associated
Press.
Lincoln. Mob. April s. 1859.

Dear sN4t,-b pom my return 10 Lincoln
l found your letter containing the orig
inal letter and postscript given to the
press some days before. l cannot find
anything in my letter to which you can
consistently object.
You began your speech in Madison
Square Garden. August Is, 1896 by say
ing that it was time for plain speak
ing ana proceeded to accuse the Chi
cago Convention of a "betrayal' of the
Democratic party. In your Brooklyn
speech, September 10. 1896, YOU spoke
Of the Chicago platform as "the strange
doctrines born in Chicago, of Il coalition
between the unthinking clement of the
old party and the Socialists, who mas
querade as Populisis." 1t seems tina,
in using the words betrayal" and
masquerade" l umconsciously fell into
the style which YOU employed in 1896,
but | did not reflect upon the intelli-
Sence of the gold standard advocates
hy characterizinS them as an "unthnk-
Ing element"
CITES CRITICISM OF BELMONT.
My letter was much more conserva-
tive in tone than the editorials and res.
buttons directed against you by the
Democrats of your own State in 1896.
In your book, volume D. page -, you
reproduce an editorial which appeared
IN tine Brooklyn Citizen of October s.
1896. That editorial was more severe in
Us condemnation Of YOU than the New
YORK Journal editorial from which YOU
quoted in Your letter. and Yet instead
or suing the Citizen you contented
yourself with furnishing evidence to
show that your father shared your
:. IA Ton,
You ask, first, that point ont where
in your uttarances are ''unpatriotic, nm
Democratic. un-Amcrican or in conflict
with the Democratic creed as set forth
i'll Jeiterson's first Inaugural address"
we nave no accepted standard by
which 10 determine whether u given
opinion les patriotic or American, but
we have means of determining whether
an opinion is Democratic and in accord
with the teachings of Jefferson [ pre-
sume YOU use the word Democratic i'm
the party sense, otherwise that term
would he as difficult To define as pa
triotic" or "American."
THE PART TO JUDGE or DEMO
CRACY.
The right to determine what is Dem
ocrat!c in :; party sense belongs to the
Democratic party. The Chicago con
Ycntion was more purely representative
IMAM any other convention held in re-
cent years, because the rank and file of
The party spoke ON public questions
through instructed delegates The Chi
caSo platform is the latest authorlta-
I'VE definition OF Democracy as applied
10 existing conditions. If Il minority
OF the delegates TO Il national conven-
ton, representing n minority of th,
members Of the Democratic party, has
right 10 determine what is Demo-
cratic. then each member OF the party
| mas Il right 10 define Democracy for
himself. ana TO assert that he is a bet
ter democrat than any one else
Unless You insist that each individual
can define for himself what is Demo-
crane. you must admit that the opin-
IONS Of the Democrats who supported
the Chicago platform ought 20 out
weigh the opinions of the lG3 600 who
supported the indianapolis platform.
ss-il ~ -: - = :. ! r.
! TO your own state, the opinions of the
a3l.296 who voted for me ought 10 out
WeiSh the opinions Of the 1898 who
Joined you in the support OF Palmer and
Buckner
MEASURING BY JEFFERSON.
You ask that your opinions be meas
urcd hy the Democratic creed set forth
in Jeiferson's first Inaugural message
AS ina; message dealt with general
principles, ana not with particular
measures. those principles must be an
r'.ed TO the present issues before COM
pnr!aon can he made. Tie parent riin-
c!ple is tho one placed first in the cata-
losue. namely: Equal and exact JUS
iice to all men. of whatever State. or
!erSras.on religious OF poiiticai" JEFF
isrson political creed was condensed
INTO the motto: Equal rights TO all
and special privileges to none"
Let me apply this principle to three
Ia i |.
pos ton in the volumes sent to me.
First standard Money.
second Paper Money.
Third Income Tax.
DOUBLE STANDARD IN JEFFER.
SONS DAY.
Jefferson favored the double standard
as against the single gold standard.
ana during MS administration our ma
iion had The free ana unlimited coin
"5e 81 Eo.d ana silver Il the legal ratio
@: h'teen 10 enc. The ratio was
changed - sixteen to one during Jack
son's administration
me chicago platform pronounced
aea.nst The sold standard. ana in favor
O.. 'Ae return 10 the free ard unlimited
coinage o.; sod and silver q, the ratio
~ sixteen 10 oHe. without waiting for
tae aid or conseu. II any other nation.
As a delegation 10 The Chicago conycn-
iion Noh voted for a minority report
which declared against independent
Tree coinage on the ground that /.
WoHiI Not only impcr!i ctr finances,
b"t would regard o: entirely prevent
International bimctaiilsm. TO whi,h the
effort CT the government should be
steadily directed" As DELEGATION 20
;he indianapolis convention two months
"a 'e' Sod supported a platform which
cec!aied IN favor oi Inc gold standard
without adding any declaration IN favor
Of iutaIna. toEal binaf,1lfsr, Vo,, ,,,,.