Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-09-14
Says Silver Men Must Yield a Point
Before Party Gan be United.
THINKS THE WAR is THE BIG ISSUE
All These Opinions Are Expressed In a
Letter to tho Editor of the New
York Journal-Trusts Sec.
ondaryin Importance.
Ex-Governor Horace Boies has writ
ten the following letter to the New
York Journal:

York Journals:
Waterloo, Aug. 31.-Editor of the
New York journal: have been re-
quested to answer, through the col
umns of the journal, the following
questions:
In your opinion is it possible for all
who formerly acted with the democ-
racy to be brought together again, and,
if SO, what are the best means to ac-
complish that end?
What concessions can the dominant
element in that party honorably make
and what can the disaffected ones ac-
cept?
What should be the first step toward
reconciliation?
What position should be given to the
issues of 1896 in the campaign?
What new ones, if any, should be
added, and what ones should be placed
at the front? In brief, what, in your
opinion, would be the best way to
bring about party harmony and united
action in the coming campaign
These are the most appropriate ques-
tions for every democrat to consider. 1
wish they could be propounded to
every man who claims to be such, and
that answers could be compelled under
oath. Expressing my own opinion, l
dc, not hesitate to say
The democratic party ought TO be
united, ana because it ought to be I
believe it can be.
There is but one question of serious
difficulty that divides it. 1t requires
no sacrifice of principle on either side
to remove that. The dominant ele-
ment in the party insist that unquali-
money metals at the fixed ratio Of 16
to 1 will of itself, without safeguard
or pledge OF any kind, maintain parity
of the metals when coined. That those
who make this statement believe what
they say is undoubtedly true. 1t is
equally true that there are thousands
upon tens of thousands of as earnest
democrats as ever lived Who do not be-
iieve it, who have been driven away
from their party because of fear they
honestly and conscientiously entertain
| that such coinage would instantly re-
duce us to silver basis, permanently
exclude gold from our financial sustem
as circulating medium, and give us
for practical use, in place of bimetal-
lism, silver monometallism.
/ If it is true, as the dominant element
in the party claims, that free coinage
of itself, at the ratio insisted on, will
maintain parity of the metals coined,
no possible harm could come to any
one from any pledge that could be Civ
en- that such a parity shall be maintain
ed, and if, on the other side, all that
the minority ask is that our currency
shall be kept as good as it is today, and
that every dollar of one metal shall be,
as good as every dollar of the other.
all that is required to insure that end
is an unequivocal pledge in the party
platform that parity of the metals
when coined shall at all times and un-
der all circumstances be sacredly
maintained. To give the pledge upon
one side, to accept it upon the, other,
lis nothing less than a patriotic duty
that every true democrat owes his
country at this time.
]. The first step in the accomplishment
of this most desirable end must be
taken by the democratic press of the
country. 1t is to you, gentlemen, who
help so much to WELD the tremendous
power that shapes the destinies of ma
4 tions, that conservative men must lool,
|, for aid to heal our broken ranks. With
out it the efforts of all beside will
prove unayailing.
We are engaged in n war, the uncon-
, cealed purpose of which, on the part
of the administration, is to subject ten
millions of an alien race that never
. wronged us to our control, and add by
force, against their will, the territory
they inhabit to our possessions
To accomplish this we snatch from
their hands the liberty for which they
had fought for many years, and which
they had almost reached when we in.
terfered. We went to them claiming
to be their friends. We have become
their most relentless foes. Because Of
this course no cant of our own about
carrying to this people the blessings
!, of civilization will shield us from tho
just condemnation of every lover o.
liberty throughout the world. Ihi.
nation as such is not yet responsible
for that war. No congress of our owr
: declared it. II is the arbitrary act ot
q q iSPobltuA
: lied. by, if not in direct conflict will
t the fundamental law of the land. i
: every soldier in the Philippine armie!
should be killed before November
1900, the question would still remain
Can this nation afford to stain i'll
' hands with the blood OF a conquered
people, shed in an effort to obtain TIL,
identical liberty of which we boast 81
much? The democratic party mus
get ready for the issues that are alb
= solutely certain to grow ont of thi
war. They will, until settled, over
i shadow all others in the eyes of til,
American people.
: Secondary in Importance will be tn,
question of trusts, or how to contro
them. They are the legitimate out
growth of a long line of legislative ia
voritism on the part of republican ad
ministrations toward special and lin
tied classes. The nation is awukenins
to a realization of that fact No pro
testation of hostility on the part o
the party that has bred them will sat