The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1899-04-19
FALLACIES.
OF GOLD DEMOCRATIC CON-
YENTIoN SHOWN UP.
Bryan'S Clear and FOrceful Reply
TO Belmont.
Leaves Them No Ground to
Stand OH ana Maintain They
Arc Democrats.

LINCOLN, April 1O.-Col. w. j.
Bryan today mailed his answer to
the last letter received from Perry
Belmont. The correspondence
dealt largely with the rival Jeffer-
son dinners to be held in New York,
but Bryan ignores that matter and
devotes his attention to the differ
ences existing between himself and
Belmont on the questions of.Dem-
ocratio party policy.
His letter in part follows: Gin
coin, Neb., April 8.-Hon. Perry
Belmont, New York: Dear Sir
Upon my return to Lincoln L found
your letter containing the original
letter and postscript given to the
press days before. I cannot find
anything in my letter to which you
can consistently object.
"You began your speech in Mad
ison Square Garden on August
18th, 1896, by saying that it was
time for plain speaking, and pro-
decided to accuse the Chicago con-
vention of betrayal of the Demo-
cratic party. In your Brooklyn
speech September 18th, 1896, you
spoke of the Chicago platform as
strange doctrine born in Chicago
of coalition between the unthink-
ing element of the old party and
Socialists who masquerade as
Populists.
"In using the words, betrayal"
and masquerade" unconsoiously
fell into the style which you en-
ployed in 1896, but did not re-
fleet upon the intelligence of the
gold standard advocates by charao-
terizing them as the unthinking
element. You ask first that 1
point out wherein your utterances
are unpatriotic, undemocratic, I'M
American and in conflict with the
democratic creed as set forth in
Jefferson's first inaugural address.
ave have not accepted the stan
dard by which to determine wheth-
or the given opinion was patriotic
or American, but we have the
means of determining whether the
opinion is Democratic and in nc
cord with the teachings of Jetfer-
son. L presume you use the word
Democratic in party sense 9th
erwise, that term would be difficult
to determine as patriotic or Ameri-
can.
1.-THE right to determine what is
the Democratic party sense be-
longs to the Democratic party
The Chicago Convention was moro
purely representative than any
other convention held in recent
years, because the rank and file of
tho party spoke on public quest
ions through instructed delegates.
The Chicago platform is the latest
authoritative definition of Democ-
racy as applied to existing condi-
tions.
If the minority delegates at the
National convention, representing
the minority members of the
Democratic party, had right to
determine what is Democratic, then
each member of the party had a
right to define Democracy for him
self and to assert that he is bet
ter Democrat than any one else.
Let me apply this principle to the
question upon which you have
taken the position in the volumes
sent me: First, standard money;
second, paper money; third, income
tax. Jefferson favored the double
standard as against the single gold
standard, and during his admins
tration our nation had free and un.
limited coinage of gold and silver
at the legal ratio of Is to 1.
"The ratio was changed to l6 to
l during Jackson's administration.
The Chicago platform pronounced
against the gold standard and in
favor of return to the unlimited
coinage of gold and silver at the
ratio of 16 to 1 without waiting
for anv other nation.
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