Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-04-10
Democratic BimetalIic Leader
Writes a Letter to Gold Man.
TELL OF THE DIFFERENCES
Exissing Between the single aud
Double standard wings OF the
Democracy as they Bxist.

last letter received from Perry Belmont
some weeks ago. The correspondence
thus far has dealt largely with the rival
jefferson dinners to be held In New
York. but Mr.. Bryan Ignores that mat
ter and dcvotca his attention to the
differences existing between himself
and Mr.. Belmont on the question %
Democratic party policy. His letter In
part follows;
Lincoln. Ncb.. April 8. 1899. Hon. Per-
~ Belmont. New York Dear Siri-
Upon my return found your letter
containing the original letter and post
script given Ia the press some days be-
forc. | cannot ind anything In my let
ter TO which you can consistently OBJ
Jcct.
You began your speech In Madison
Square Hardcn, on August II. 1896. by
saying that II was time for plain
speaking and proceeded TO accuse the
Chicago convention OF betrayal 81
tho Democratic party. In your Brook-
Ign speech ON September ~. 1896. you
spoke OF the Chicago platform M the
strange doctrines born Ia Chicago of
coalition between tho unthinking clc-
mcnt OF the old party and the socialists
who masquerade as Popullsts IL
seems that In using the words ''bctrny-
al" and masquerade" I unoonHclOuHly
fell into the style which you employed
IN 1896. but ! did not rvnect upon the
intelligence OF the gold standard advo-
Gates by chnraetcrixing them as an
"unthinking element"
You ask. nrHt. that l point out where
In your uttcrancca are "unpatriouc.
fundamentals. un-American and In
conflict with the Democratic creed a.
set forth In Jcffcrson'a firHt inaugural
address"
which to determine whether u given
opinion " patriotic or American, but We
have means of determining whether an
opinion IL Democratic and In accord
with the teachings Of jeffpr-vn. pre-
sumo you use the word Democratic In
the party sense, otherwise that term
would be as difficult 20 define as "patri-
otto" or american"
The right 20 determine what II Demo-
cratic In "a party sense belongs TO the
Democratic party. The Chicago convon-
ton was more purely representative
than any other convention held In re-
cent years, because the rank ANA file
Of tho party spoke on public dues-
lions through Instructed delegates. The
Chicago platform ~ the latest authori-
tntiyc definition OF Democracy aa Rp-
piled TO existing conditions. II a min.
GRITTY OF the delegates TO n national con-
vcntion representing n minority OF the
members OF the Democratic party has
right TO dctcrmin. what IN Demo-
cratic, then each member OF the party
has "a right TO define Democracy for
himself and 10 assert that he II a bet
ter Democrat than any one else.
Lot 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 a. against the single gold standard.
and during his administration our
l....l lls..NV .s.l
coinagc OF gold aud silver at the legal
ratio OF 10 TO |. The ratio was changed
10 10 10 during Jackron'a adminlstfa-
tlon. The Chicago platform pronounced
against the gold standard and In fa-
vor OF the return 20 the free and unlin-
itod coinage OF gold and silver at the
ratio OF 10 TO I without waiting for thu
aid or consent OF any other nation. IA
delegate To the Chicago convention.
you voted for "A minority report which
declared against Independent FREQ
coinage on the ground that Il would
not only impcrii our finances. but
would rctard or entirely prevent inter
national blmctalifm, 20 which the cf-
fort OF the government should bc stead
lily directed" Aa "a delegate TO the In
dianapolla convention two months
later. you supported a platform which
declared In favor OF the gorld standard
without any declaration In favor Of In
able To explain why the minority re-
jccted at tho Indianapolis convention
the plank for which II fought at chlca-
10.
Mr.. Mckinley In 1891. charged In n
public speech that Mr.. Cleveland dur
ing his first administration was dis
honoring one OF the precious metals
dircrediting silver and enhancing the
price OF gold. He insisted that Mr.
Cleveland was trying TO make money
scarce. ana therefore dear" ana added
n, would have Increased the value OF
money, and diminished tho value OF
everything else. Money. the master.
ana everything else the servant II
Mckinley then understood the real pur-
pose OF tho gold standard. ms I believe
he did. who could think Jefferson cap
able OF advocating policy which In
stead OF securing equal and exact JUS
tlce for all. makes money the master
and everything else the servant"
Carlisle. In n speech In ISIS, said;
'"rhc conspiracy to destroy by leglsla-
tlon and otherwise from thrcc-Heycnths
60 one-half Of the metallic money OF
the world Is the most .gigantie crime OF
this or any other age"
n Mr.. Carlisle was then right. as I
believe he was. In his donunclation Of
the gold standard. who can believe JEFF
ferson capable OF being u party to such
n crimcf
Mtcf the tlcotion, MT. MclNinity heut
n commission TO Europe 10 secure IN
ternationM aid In getting rid 81 the gold
standard, and u Republican Congress
appropriated money to nay the ex-
penscs Of the commission. The commits
sion failed because OF the English OPP
position, and English Imposition was
due 10 the opposition OF English finnn-
ciera. Jefferroninn Democrats must
have better reason for submitting
to the gold standard than the fnct that
the English fnanolera favor II ns
means for raising the purchasing power
| Of their money.
II have selected these three quos-
tlona because they are important. and
because 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 OPP
| position 20 the Income tax. ana a news
| paper Item In your book gives you
credit for drafting that portion Of the
Indianapolis platform which related 20
| the retirement OF the grccnbacka and
| the substitution OF bank currency.
Your prophecy that "a law to pre-
| vent wage-earners and Halary-C arners
| from demanding and securing payment
| IN gold dollars would not be winning
rsue evinces IA tender Holicitude fof
| tho laboring man. | might suggest
| that blmetalllsm alarms You more than
| II does the wngc-earnern, II was not
| the employees who were frightened at
| the specter of free silver In 1896, neith-
| err did the laboring men share your de-
r'rr 10 add TO the privileges OF the
banks