New-York tribune., 1899-12-23
"GOLD PLANK" HISTORY
SENATOR FORAKER CONTINUES THE
DISCUSSION.
HE SAYS THAT THE STATEMENTS OF
MESsRS. PAYNE, HANNA. PROCTOR
AND MERRIAM DO NOT HELP
Mr. KOHLSAAT.
tBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSEl

Washington, Dec. 22-Seated in the library
Of his home at Sixteenth and SITS, with all
the documents before him, Senator Foraker dis
played this evening the originals Of the resolu-
tons the gold plank submitted to the COM
mittee at st. Louis. The text Of these has al
ready been published by the Senator. The final
draft submitted by Senator Hanna, and care
fully marked is typewriter slip OF paper. IL
manifestly does not contain the word gold" In
the connection In which IL used In the final
paragraph. and this original bit OF documentary
evidence seems to show concusivey that II at
the conference on the Friday preceding the
convention Mr.. Kohlsaat forced the word
gold" in its proper place into the draft OF the
plank It did not last and did not reach the
committee in that form at all The nearest
approach to the final plank was that submitted
by Mr.. Hoton a delegate at large from YER
mont, and this may have come from Senator
Proctor The list Of drafts does not Include one
from Ex-Governor Merriam, although he says
in his statement he submitted one. If so, 1t
must have been lost.
SENATOR FORAKER'S STATEMENT.
When asked for statement in answer to
those submitted by Senator Hanna. Henry C.
Payne, Senator Proctor and Ex-Governor Mer-
ram. sent out by The Associated Press last
night Senator Foraker said:
There is nothing in any of the statements that
conflicts with any statement made by me at any
time. What I disputed was the following:
Mr Kohlsaat drafted the gold plank Of the Re,
publican platform He presented the resolution 20
the committee. and insisted on its incorporation IN
the platform. He placed strong political trlena-
the candidate than he-if any more intimate rela
tons could exist than those between the editor ana
that # was the part Of unreason to declare for
gold coinage. They were overcome and the rest Is
If this means anything It means. first, that
Mr. Kohsaat framed, that is, wrote the plank
which was adopted; second. that the committee
was opposed TO its adoption. and third that he
appeared before the committee and overcame
that opposition. My statement was that not
one Of these claims is true, and showed they
We're all false by the record. / did not claim
l the author Of the plank, or that any other
one man the author. On the contrary, What
l said on this point was:
The truth is that the framing Of this plank was
like the doing OF such things, not the WORK OF
any one man. but a mere expression OF common
sentiment. in arriving at which all aided 10 "hom
signed. The subject was attracting general atten-
tion, and at such time with respect TO ,i nuSa en- "a
views and likely TO formulate them. especially
when called upon to take mportant aGrIh m % senate
that preceded the convention OF lS6 had set the me
GieCWseiops ~ IN. newspapers were educating the
people. and It everywhere felt BY the masses:
as well as among the leaders. that the platform Of
1896 must contain explicit declaration against
free silver ard in favor OF the maintenance Of the
gold standard, than the Republican party ,1a, had
tee met at St Louis it was found that there was
should be done. but only differences as to the Ian
committee was but work or phraseoiogy more
than anything else. and because there was such a
SO many members Of the COMMITTEES to agree. the
work was less perfectly done work OF phrase
done had any one Of the members Of the conmite
been allowed TO prepare a plank on MS own re-
MR.. KOHLsAATs, POSITION.
Mr.. Kohlsaat seeing what. the record was. then
stated editorially in THE Times Herald OF De-
cember s that his controversy was not with the
committee, but with the following named close
friends Of the President: Senator Hanna, Sena-
tor Proctor, Ex-Governor Merriam Myron T.
Herrck. Melville e. Stone and Henry c. Payne.
He says the discussion with these gentlemen
lasted five hours, and that "the majority or
those present were inclined to regard the lnser-
ton Of the word gold unnecessary and i'm
polite. Mr.. Kohlsaat was firm in the belief that
the word gold Of vital Importance etc.
and that his associates acknowledged the force
Of his contention, but hesitated, etc. 'tlnally'
however, frmness won and the word gold was
inserted"
Mr. Kohlsaat further says in the same article
that Mr.. Payne drafted the resolution they had
under consideration According to this state
ment, in Mr.. Kohlsaat's own paper. Mr. Kohl
saat abandons two OF the claims disputed, VIZ
that he drafted the plank, and second that ne
appeared before the committee with respect
to IT.
GOLD MEN IN THE COMMITTEE.
His present claim is that he had an unofficial
conference with respect the insertion OF the
word gold in a draft that had been prepared by
somebody else, and that majority OF the SIX
men he names were opposed TO the use Of the
word gold Four OF the men he names VIZ.
Hanna, Proctor. Merriam and Payne have pun
lshed in to-day,s papers their signed asot s,a.e,
ments No one of them admits he was opposed
to the use Of the word gold, or that he was per
suaded or changed in his opinion to diiferent
course by anything Mr.. Kohlsaat SAID or dld;
Three of them. viz: Proctor, Merriam and
Payne the only ones ! have talked with on the
subject all say they were in favor OF the use
Of the word gold, and not opposed to such use
at the conference or at any other time "hlle 'he
subject was under consideration.
Senator Proctor said in the statement he die
tated and gave to the representative OF The
Times Herald" who gave II out 10 The Associ-
ated Press for publication In to-days papers
that all six who were named as present at the
conference were In favor OF the use OF the woro
gold I know this was in his statement because
he showed II 10 me before he gave II out Tor
publication Why this declaration does not ap.
pear in Senator Proctor's published account OF
the proceedings / do not know. Neither DO |
care for with all that part OF the matter had
nothing to do and with respect TO II never pro-
fessed to have any knowledge. / Simply cal, car
attention to these questions OF veracity, ano
leave them for settlement by those who are
parties 10 them in such way as they may
see At. -. -,
committee were opposed TO the word gold, not
only is the record conclusive TO show all except
Senator Teller favored the use or the WORD out
that is now conceded. so there was not at any
time any excuse for Mr.. Kohlsaat claiming ne
influenced the action OF the committee. lf ne
had been dead the platform would have been the
same Nothing that he did nor anything any
hod,, else did had any influence upon the COM
nittee or anything to DO with its action. except
only as II was Influenced by common sentiment
and a recognition of the requirements or the
time and the situation all OF which was recog-
nized by the committee, whether or not II was
nv the "close friends" Of the President with
whom Mr. Kohlsaat had his contenuon' II ne
had any.
CARNEGIE LIBRARY FOR LINCOLN, NEB.
r,,colp Neb Dec 22-'"The State Journal" to-
morrow will say that Andrew Carnegie has made
tho citv Of Lincoln conditional gift Of $4,000 for