The age-herald., 1899-07-18
PUCH IS LOYAL
 TO MIR. BRYAN
From the Washington Post.

EX-Senator Pugh, of Alabama, was ask ed yesterday if he had read the interview of his old colleague Senator John T. Nor gan, published in the Post, on the question of what sort of man the democratic con- vention should nominate and what sort of platform it should adopt next year to in- crease the strength of the democratic party in the election of a president.
 q have read the interview and was great ly surprised and mortified' said the ex- senator. Senator Morgan says no man can question his fidelity to the free coinage of silver, or deny the necessity for it's restora- tion in our money system.
 "The question he asks and answers is: How is this most important result to be accomplished?' He answers that the first and indispensable thing to be done is to unite-'bring together and soldify the di- vided and antagonistic elements of the democratic party now existing in the east, south and west on the money question: and secondly that such union can best-De effected by nominating a man who has no extreme views and has expressed no 'ex- treme' opinions on the coinage question.
 'I do not question the sincerity or hon. esty of Senator Morgans conversation, but I feel constrained by my sense of duty to the democratic party and the country to enter my earnest protest against and con- demnation of Morgan's interview.
 What are We to understand by an 'ex- treme position on the money or coinage question:? Is that part oG the Chicago platform extreme? Does an indorsement of the Chicago platform put 0 democrat in an extreme position? What shall the next democratic convention do after it shelves Bryan? To be consistent the convention should amend the platform of 1896 so as to get the party out of it's so-called present extreme position on the coinage question and place it in harmony with the conflicting elements, and especially so as to accommo- date itself to the elastic and broad-gauge position of the new nominee on the coin- age question. How is such a feat to be &C., complished?
 My conviction is," said ex-Senator Pugh, that if the conflicting clements oc. the democratic party can be united and brought into harmonious action on the coinage question: which is a manifest impossibility by shelving Bryan and making a new plat form, broad enough to take on and satisfy all gold standard advocates, and be in dorsed by any nominee who may have to renounce his lifelong opinions against free coinage and pledge himself to approve any bill on that subject, the democrats might pass through both houses of congress, the party cannot be very much divided and can certainly be very easily united, as it would show itself without any fixed prin- ciples on any subject.
 If the democratic party would secure more strength by trusting a nominee who had been a lifelong enemy of free silver coinage on his pledge to waive the veto power and approve such bill if passed by the party that elected him, it would be a spectacle unprecedented in history, but it would prove there would never be any free coinage of silver if such a president were elected.
 What influence would democratic pres ident with gold standard convictions that he had waived to insure his election exer- else in his office? Would he be silent pend- ing free coinage bill in congress? How would he distribute his appointments? How many democrats who had urged Bryan's nomination and favored the Chicago plat form would receive appointment?
 "No, sir; it is a grave mistake of my old colleague. I have had much political ex- perience I have watched parties and know their history. My political career has ended, but l am as much as ever devoted to the democratic party and it's principles as declared in the Chicago platform.
 T believed that William J. Bryan is the best organized and wsest and most relia- ble democratic statesman now living, and he is now better established in the confi- dence of the American people as such a was, and can be elected when nominated, as he will surely be, by the next democratic national convention.
 "As to the next democratic platform, let it be the Chicago platform, with additional declarations against the manifold trusts growing out of the eXis tence of the gold standard and prohfbitory tariff duties; also In favor of a vigorous prosecution of the existing war in the Philippine islands until peace and order is established and the gov erning power and jurisdiction of the United States Is, fully recognized throughout the archipelago; also that peace and order and the governing power of the United States is to be established, not for territorial ex- pansion or dominion of the United States but for the sole purpose of securing to the people of those islands better and mora stable government, with all the rights. ub- erty, and privileges they show themselves by trial to be capable of exercising and enjoying in a condition of independent self government" i