The record-union., 1899-04-10
Bryan's Answer to a Letter Re-
ceived From Perry Belmont
Relative as to Which Faction Is Repres en-
tative Of Jeffersonlan Principles.
Still Clings to the Doctrine of Free
Silver at Sixteen to One, Despite
the Crushing Defeat of the Chi
cago Platform and Ticket at the
Polls in 1896.

LINCOLN (Neb.), April 9-Colonel w.
J. Bryan to-day mailed his answer to
the last letter received from Perry Bel
mont some weeks ago. The correspond
ence thus far has dealt largely with the
rival Jefferson dinners to be h-<d in
New York, but Mr.. Bryan ignores that
matter, and devotes his attention to the
differences existing between himself
and Mr.. Belmont on the question of
Democratic party policy. His letter in
part follows:
Lincoln, Neb., April s, 1899.
Hon. Perry Belmont, New York
Dear Sir: Upon my return I found your
letter containing the original letter and
postscript given to the press some days
before. 1 cannot find anything in my
letter to which you can consistently
object
You began your speech in Madison
Square Garden, on August IS, 1896, by
saying that it was time for plain
speaking and proceeded to accuse the
Chicago convention of betrayal of the
Democratic party. In your Brooklyn
speech on September Is, 1896, you
spoke of the Chicago platform as the
strange doctrines born in Chicago of
coalition between the unthinking ele-
ment of the old party and the Social
lists who masquerade as Populists.' 1t
seems that in using the words betrayal
and masquerade I unconsciously fell
into the style which you employed in
1896, but I did not reflect upon the in
telligence of the gold standard advo-
Gates by characterizing them as an
'unthinking element
''You ask, first, that I point out
wherein your utterances are 'unpatri-
otic, undemocratic, un-American and in
conflict with the Democratic creed as
set forth in Jeffersons 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 ac-
cord with the teachings of Jefferson I
presume 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 authorita-
tive definition of Democracy as applied
to existing conditions. If a minority
of the delegates to a national eonven-
ton, representing a minority of the
members of the Democratic party, has
a right to determine what is Demo-
cratic, then each member of the party
has a right to define Democracy for
himself, and to assert that he is a bet
ter Democrat than any one else
Let me apply this principle to three
questions upon which you have taken
a position in the volumes sent me:
First, standard money
Second paper money
Third, income tax
Jefferson favored the double stand
ard as against the single gold standard,
and during his administration our ma
ton had the free and unlimited coin
age of gold and silver at the legal ratio
of Is to /. The ratio was changed to
16 to / during Jackson's Administra-
tion. The Chicago platform pronounced
against the gold standard and in favor
of the return to the free and unlimited
coinage of gold and silver at the ratio
Of 16 to l, without waiting for the aid
or consent of any other nation AS
delegate to the Chicago convention. you
voted for a minority report which de-
clared against Independent free coin
age, on the ground that it would not
only imperil our finances, but would re-
tard or entirely prevent international
bimetallism, to which the effort of the
Government should be steadily direct
ed AS delegate to the Indianapolis
convention two months later. you sup
ported platform which declared in fa-
vor of the gold standard, without any
declaration in favor of international BIZ
metallism. You may be- able to explain
why the minority rejected at the IN
dianapolis convention the plank for
which it fought at Chicago.
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
aoScAAN " ciiN tilCAClOIc Utdu, ana dQQeQ
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 purpose
of the gold standard, as believe he did.
who gould think Jefferson capable of
advocating a policy which, instead of
securing equal and exact justice for all,
makes money the master and every
thing else the servant
Mr.. Carlisle in a speech in 1875
said: The conspiracy to destroy by
legislation and otherwise from three
sevenths to one-half of the metallic
money of the world is the most gil
gantic crime of this or any other age
IF Mr.. Carlisle was then right. as
believe he was, in his denunciaton of
the gold standard, who can believe JEFF
ferson capable of being a party to such
crime?
AFTER the election Mr.. Mckinley sent
a commission to Europe to secure inter
national aid in getting rid of the gold
standard, and Republican Congress
appropriated money to pay the expenses
of the commission. The commission
Ef1f flrl 10