The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-04-10
BRYAN TO BELMONT
"A Letter Which Is Convincing in Clear
Cut Argument.
THE STANDARD OF DEMOCRACY
Il Means That the viii of the Majority
Is the Party's Law.
CHICAGO CONVENTION REPRESENTATIVE
The Rank and File Expressed Themselves
Through Delegates.
JEFFERSON FAVORED A DOUBLE STANDARD
Mckinley and Carlisle Mt One Time
Pointed out The Evils of De-
monctizing SILVER.
CHICAGO CONVENTION REPRESENTATIVE
The Rank and File Expressed Themselves
Through Delegates.
FAVORED A DOUBLE STANDARD
Mckinley and Carlisle Mt One Time
Pointed out The Evils of De-
monctizing silver.

Lincoln, Neb., April 9.--Colonel William
]. Bryan today mailed his answer to tho
last letter received from Hon. Perry Bel
mont some weeks age. The correspond
euce thus far has dealt largely with the
rival Jefferson dinners to be held in New
York but Mr., Bryan ignores that matter
and devotes his attention to the differ
ences existing between himself and Mr..
Belmont on questions of democratic policy.
His letter in part is as follows;
Hon. Perry Belmont New York.
Lincoln, Neb, April s, lSs9.--Desr
sir Upon my return to Lincoln
l found your letter containing the original
letter and postscript given to the press
some days before. | can not find anything
In my letter TO which YOU can consistent
IS object You began your speech In Mad
ison square garden on August is, 1896, by
saying that 1t was time for plain speak
ing and proceeded to accuse the Chicago
convention OF a betrayal OF the demo-
cratic party In Your Brooklyn speech on
September 10, 1896, you spoke of the Chi
cago platform as tho strange doctrines
born in Chicago, Of a coalition between
the minimizing element of the old party
and the socialists who masquerade as
populists.
1T seems that In using the words be
trayal' and masquerade ! unconsciously
fell into the style which You employed IN
1896, but did not reflect upon the intelli-
gence OF the gold standard advocates by
churscterlzing as an unthipking element.
You ask first, that | point out wherein
your utterances are 'unpatriotic, undem
ocrstic. n-Amercan and in conflict with
the democratic creed as set forth in JEFF
ferson's first inaugural address,
We have no accepted standard by which
TO determine whether a given opinion is
patriotic or American, but we have meaus
OF determining whether an opinion is
democratic and in accord with the teIch.
ings of Jefferson. presume you uss the
word democratic IN the party sense. 9th
erwise that term would be as dlfhcult 70
define as patriotic or American
1.-THE right TO determine what Is demo-
cratic in party sense belongs TO the DEM
ocratic party The Chicago convention
was more purely representative than any
ether convention held in recent years, be-
cause the rank and file of the party spoke
on public Questions through instructed
delegates, The Chicago platform Is thu
.lotest authoritative definition of democ-
racy as applied to existing conditions.
If minority Of the delegates 10 Ma
tonal convention, representing a minority
OF the member of the democratic marty.
has a right to determine what rs demo
cratic then each member of that party has
IA right to define democracy for himself
and to assert that he Is a better dcnio-
crat than anyone else. Let me APPLY this
principle to three questions on which you
have taken position in the volumes sent
me. First, standard money; secnad, paper
money; third, income tax.
Jefferson favored the double standard
as against the single gold Gtandard and
during his administration our Nation bad
tho free aud unlimited coinage OF gold aud
silver at the legal ratio of - to 1 The
ration WAS changed 10 i6 to ! during
Iackson's administration. The Chicago
platform pronounced against the gold
standard in favor OF the return to The
free and unlimited coinage of gold and
silver at tue ratio OF is 10 / without watt
ing for the ai6 or consent of any other
nation
LAS a delegate to the Chicago conyen.
tion you voted for minority report which
declared against Independent free coin
age, on the ground that II would not i'm
peril finances but would retard or entirely
prevent International bimetallism Ia
which the effort Of the government should
be steadily directed.
las delegate to the Indianapolis con-
vention two months later on you sup
QOlttl Il piatltiiu NLitN uttlhTHu In favor
OF the gold standard without any declara =
tion for international bimetalism You
may be able to explain why the minority
rejected at the Indianapolis convention the
plank fer which II fought at Chicago
mir. Mckinley IN 1891 charged 10 a
public speech that Mr. Cleveland during
his first administration was dishonorine
one OF the most precious metals, d,scred-
ting silver and enhancing the price OF
gold. He insisted that Mr. Cleveland was
trying TO make money scarce and there
fore dear. and added He would have
Increased the value Of money and diinin-
ished the value Of everything else Money
the master and everything else the SER
want
III Mr. MeKinly then understood the
real purpose OF the gold standard as
believe he did. who could think Jefferson
canable Of advocating policy which. In