The record-union., 1899-03-21
BRYAN. DEMURs.
WHY HE MAY NOT APPEAR AT
JEFFERSON BANQUET.
Correspondence Between the Silver
Advocate and President Of En-
pire State Democratic Club.

!
that it had not been. made public by
Mr.. Belmont. Mr.. Bryan stated that
he had nothing to say about the mat
| ter, but that the correspondence spoke
tor itself:
Champaign Qll), March Ii, 1S99.--
Hon. Perry Belmont, President Demo
cratic Club, New York-Dear Sir: !
received a few ago the following tele-
gram:
New York. March 5.-Hon. w. j.
Bryan, Lincoln, Neb.: In arranging the
toasts and responses at the banquet OF
the Democratic Club on JeHerson
birthday, April 18th, the committee are
most desirous, if your engagements VIII
permit your attendance, to have you
select such subject as you prefer to
discuss in your own way, within the
limit, for all speeches, Of twenty min
utes. Please wire reply
| PERRY BELMONT,
President.
| RICHARD CROKER,
Chairman.
Upon my return to Nebraska sent
the following inquiry:
Lincoln (Neb), March 1o-Hon.
Perry Belmont, Democratic Club, New
York: Invitation received: Remember
ing that you openly repudiated the
Democratic platform in the last cam
paign l desire to know, before answer
ing invitation, whether you have since
the election publicly announced your
conversion to the principles set forth
in that platform W. }. BR4 AN.
Il have just received his reply:
The invitation extended to you is
on behalf of the Democratic CLUB. In
dividual opinions have not been con-
sidered in issuing the invitation to eel
ebrate the birthday of Thomas Jeffer-
son. PERRY BELMON L.
L might plead a previous engage
ment as a reason for declining, put
| that would be equivalent to saying that
| would come but for the engagement
but frankness compels me to ADD an
other reason. l appreciate the compn-
ment which the Democratic CLUB pays
me in extending an invitation, pul
do not understand how individual oplIl-
| ions can be ignored at polltlcal gatn-
ering. You are the President of the
club and represent the club before the
| public Your position upon pupllc
questions was well known in 1890, ana
your telegram indicates that your po-
| sition has not been changed MY posi-
| ton upon public questions is also wen
known. The antagonism between our
positions is so great that we cdhilo.
with propriety join in pollucal pan
ouet givenle in honor of Democracy :
patron saint Jefferson stood Tor GER
tain well defined principles Ii your
views are a correct reflection OF MS
| ideas. l fear that my voice Woulu
sound discordant at your banquet. IL
on the other hand, the Chicago pialioi III
| applies (as l believe 1t does) Jeilel-
| sonian principles to the present conoi-
tions. then your conspicuous presence
at the Jeffersonian banquet wouio no.
honor the memory OF the Worlo
greatest Democrat.
.Do not misunderstood me. You may
he right and I may be wrong put
take it for granted that we are equaiiy
conscientious, and l trust may NO.
show myself less courageous lnall you-
You proclaimed to your felioW -cl.lAeii'
in 1896 that my election upon a Delil-
ocratic platform would endanger lhe
nations welfare. You will pafooii liie
if 7 Suggest that banquet presloeu
over by YOU will injure rather tndn eiu
the Democratic party. L peheVe III hat
monizing personal differences, put IN
ferences in principles cannot pe hai
monized, and, in my judgment no party
! advantage is to be derived from pol'-
| ioal communion between JeHersonlaii
Democrats who stand upon the Chl-
| cago platform and the Repupilcaii
| allies who masquerade as Deiiioei az
| between campaigns in order to siNe
more potency to their betrayal OF Zen Deiii-
ocratic principles on election day- ouA
| truly, WILLIAM .. -.
BEI,MONT'S ANSWER
NEW YORK. March 2O.-Perry Bel
mont tonight gave out the folloWihs
replv to a letter received during the
| day from Colonel William J. Bryan:
"Dear Sir: 1 have just received your
letter of the 9th inst, in which you de-
scribe those who declared in 1896 tnat
vour election to the Presidency on the
chicago nlatform would endanger the
| nations welfare as the Republican
alias who masquerade as Democrats
| between campaigns in order to give
more potency to. their betrayal OF Dem
ocratic principles on election day
Mr. Belmont then goes on to say tnat
before answering the unwarTanted let
| fer he had instituted suit against
New York newspaper on account OF an
| alleged libel in which he was character
| lied as "a higher priced man than the
floater who sells his vote for two dollars
on election day. and continues:
Your purpose to be equally defama-
| tory is obvious Your skill in the use
| of words forbids the plea that in your
letter YOU misused them through ignor-
ance. The design is plain, and were it
not that Won have interviewer in your
| abuse reference to opinions upon public
questions as opposed to your own, to
| the Democratic club of which | am
President. and to it's proposed celebra-
ton on Jefferson's birthday, I should
have left your offensive statements un-
answered
..The Democratic Club of New York
has a membership of nearly 5000 Dem
ocrats. who all hold to the main prin-
| ciples of Democracy, while their opln-
| ions may vary in regard to such polltl-
cal questions as are not fundamental
| but merely local or trans1tory, ike
many of the vain concelts you nave
yourself espoused. But none of these
| 5000 members is a Republican. AS for
myself, I have never voted for Re-
publican candidate, either for great
or a small office.
ssThe Board of Governors and the
President of so large Democratic or
ganization endeavored to represent Off
cially the wishes of the majority,
which was that the coming anniversary
of the birthday of Jefferson should be
celebrated this year by the organiza-
| ton as tn previous years. To recall
those principles and traditions with