The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-04-10
Denies the Latter's Right to De-
fine Democracy.
THE PRINCIPLE APPLIED
The Chicago Plat orm Is the Last Au-
thor a i've U.terancs--The Most
Gigantic Crime OF Any
Age.


thus far has dealt largely with the
rival jefferson dinners to be held in
New York, but Mr.. Bryan ignores that
matter and devotes his attention to
the differences existing between HIM
self and Mr. Belmont on questions of
democratic party policy. His letter in
part follows:.
Lincoln, Neb,, April s, 1so9.-Hon
Perry Belmont, New York: Dear Sir
Upon my return I found your letter
containing the original letter and post
scrip given to the press some days be-
fore. I cannot find anything in my
letter to which you can consistently
object.
You began your speech in Madison
Square Garden, on Aug. is, 1896, by say
ing that it was time for plain speaking
and proceeded to accuse the Chicago
convention of a betrayal of the DEM
ocratic party. In your Brooklyn speech
on Sept. Is. 1896, you spoke of the Chi
cago platform as the strange doctrines
born in Chicago of a coalition between
the unthinking element of the old par
ty and socialists who masquerade as
populsts.' 1t seems that in using the
words betrayal and masquerade
unconsciously fell into the style which
you employed in 1896, but I did not re-
fleet upon the intelligence of the GOLD
standard advocates by characterizing
them as 'unthinking element
You ask. first, that I point out
wherein your utterances are 'unpatr-
otto, undemocratic un-American and in
conflict with the democratic creed as
set forth in Jefferson's first inaugural
address
I'VE have no accepted standard by
which to determine whether a given
opinion is patriotic or American. but
we have means of determining whether
an opinion is democratic and in accord
with the teaching of Jefferson. I pre-
sumo you use the word democratic in
the party sense, otherwise that term
would be as difficult to define as pa
triotic' or American
THE right to determine what is DEM
ocratic in party sense belongs to the
democratic party. The Chicago con-
Vention was more purely representative
than 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
cago platform is the latest authorata-
tive definition of democracy as applied
to existing conditions. If a minority
ton representing minority of the
members of the democratic party has
right to determine what is democratic
then each member of the party has
right to define democracy for himself
and to assert that he is a better DEM
ocrat than any one else.
Let me apply this principle to three
questions upon which you have taken
a position in the volumes sent me:
per money; third, income tax. Jeffer-
son favored the double standard as
against the single gold standard and
during his administration our nation
had the free and unlimited coinage of
gold and silver at the legal ratio of
Is to l. The ratio was changed to is
to 1 during Jackson's administration
The Chicago platform pronounced
against the gold standard and in IA
vor of the return to the free and un-
limited coinage of gold and silver at
the ratio Of 16 to 1 without waiting for
the aid or consent of any other ma
ton. As a delegate to the Chicago con-
vention, you voted for a minority report
which declared against independent
free coinage on the ground that it
would not only imperil our finances,
but would retard or entirely prevent
international bimetallism, to which the
effort of the government should be
steadily directed AS a delegate to the
Indianapolis convention two months
later, you supported platform which
declared in favor of the gold stand
ard without any declaration in favor
of international bimetallism. You may
be able to explain why the minority
rejected at the Indianapolis convention
the plank for which it fought at Chi
cago.
Mr. Mckinley. in 1891, charged in a
public speech that Mr. Cleveland dur
ing his first administration. was dis
honoring one of the precious metals,
discrediting silver and enhancing the
price of gold He insisted that Mr..
Cleveland was trying to make money
scarce and therefore dear and added,
he would have increased the value Of
money and diminished the value of
everything else. Money the master and
everything else the servant If Nc
kinley then understood the real pur-
pose of the gold standard, as l believe
he did, who could think Jefferson capa-
bic or advocating a policy which in
stead of securing equal and exact JUS
tice for all, makes money the master
and everything else the servant
Or Carlisle, in a speech in 1878, said:
The conspiracy to destroy the legisla-
ton and otherwise from three seventies
to one-half of the metallic money of the
Noiit 10 eiiC iiioSt tllile Oh IllS
or any other age
IF Mr.. Carlisle was then right. as I
believe he was, in his accommodation Of
the gold standard, who can believe
Jefferson capable of being party to
such a crime?
after the election Mr. Mckinley sent
commission to Europe to secure in
ternational aid in getting rid of the
gold standard and republican con-
n cd fo
expenses. The commission failed be-
cause of the English opposition and
English opposition was due to the OPP
position of English financiers. Jeffer-
sonian democrats must have a better
reason for submitting to the gold
standard than the fact that the English
financiers favor it as a means for rails
ing the purchase power of their money
II have selected these three questions
because they are important and be-
cause your position upon them has been
clearly defined. Your speeches abound
in expressions of confidence in the gold
standard. your correspondence with
Mr.. Warner sets forth your opposition