The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-04-11
BRYAN ANSWERS
PERRY BELMONT
He Again Joins Issue With
the Gothamite,
AND DEFENDS SILVER
sINTEFN TO ONE 4 CARDINAL
TENET or DEMOCRACY.
BECAUSE ADOPTED BY ITS CONVENTION
True life sonian Democracy Bryan Declares;
Cannot Support he Gold Standard.
The Great Leader of the People
criticizes Belmont.

last letter received from iioii' etiA
Relmont some weeks ago. This CORE
spondence thus far mas dealt largely
with the rival jefferson dinners to he
held in New York. but Mr.. Bryan IL
nores that matter and deyots his atten-
tion TO the differences existing between
himself and Mr. Belmont on questions
of Democratic Party policy. His ietter
in part fellows:
Lincoln. Neh., April s, 1899.
Hon Perry Belmont New York:
Dear Sir: Upon my return to Lin
coin | found your letter containing the
original letter and postscript given to the
press some days before. | cannot ind
anything in my letter to which you can
consistently object.
You began your speech in Madison
Square Garden ON August s. 1896. by
saying it was time for plain speaking.
and proceeded to accuse the Chicago
convention of a betrayal of the Demo-
cratic PARTY. In your Brooklyn speech
ON September -. 1895, you spoke of the
Chicago platforms as the strange doe
tr;nes. born in9 Chicago of a coalition be-
tween the unthinking element of the old
party and the socialists who masquerade
as Popualists.'
at seems that in using the words be
travail and 'masquerading, / uncon-
sC.ously fell into the style which YOU
employed in 1896, but | did not reflect
upon the intelligence of the gold standard
advocates by characterizing them as an
unth:nl1ing eiement.'
You ask. first, that point out where
II your utterances are 'unpatriotic. UNI
Democratic. un-American. and in COLI
flict with the Democratic creed as set
forth IN JefferSon's first inaugural adj
dress We have no accepted standard
Fly 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 teachings of Jefferson. | presume
You use THE word Democratic in the par
ty sense, otherwise that term would BE-
as difficult to define as patriotic Of
american.
QUESTION OF WHAT Is DEMO
CRATIC.
''Ihe right to determine what Is Dem
ocratic in a party sense belongs to the
Democratic party The Chicago conven-
tion was more purely representative than
amy other convention held in recent
wears, because the rank and file of the
party spoke on public questions through
instructed delegates The Chicago plat
form is the latest authoritative defini-
tion Of Democracy as applied to existing
conditions. If Il minority of the dele
gates to a national convention. repre-
senting a minority of the members Of
the Democratic party, has "a right to de
termine what is Democratic, then each
member of The party has right to define
Democracy for himself and to assert
THAT he is 4 better Democrat than any
| one else.
Let me apply This principle to three
questions upon which you have taken a
position III the volumes sent me-fifst.
| 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 nation
had the free and unlimited coinage Of
geld and silver at the legal ratio of -
to |. The ratio was changed to 16 to
| during Jackscn's administration.
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 Is TO /, without waiting for the aid
or consent of any either nation. As 4
delegate to the Chicago convention You
voted for a minority report, which de-
clared against independent free coinage
ON the ground that it would not only inn
peril our finances. but would retard or
entirely prevent international bimetall-
ism, TO which the effort OF the Govern
Iment should be steadily directed AS q
delegate to the indianapolis convention
two months later, you supported a plat
form which declared in favor of the gold
standard, without any declaration in fay
or OF international bimetallism Yea
may he able to explain why the minor
Iity rejected at indianapolis the plank foI
Which il fought at Chicago.
PRESIDENT M'kn.,II1Y'S UTTER
ANCES.
Mir Mckinley in 1891. charged in 4
lrl.f5l;c speech that Mr.. Cleveland during
It's first administration was dishonorina
enc eff the precious METALS discreditina
silver and nharcing the price Of gold
He insisted that Mr.. Cleveland was try
ng To make money scarce and therefore
dear, and added: He would have III
creased the yallbc of money and dimin