The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-04-24
SPLIT DEMOCRACY 40 CT Y.
Another Chapter OF the Bryan.
Belmont War.
THE NEBRASKAN ANSWERED.

Tho Chicago Platform Examined
Jefferson the Standard auh Test
Lesson Of the Elections Bryan
Mnny EMISSIONS.
4 \ NEW YORK, April 23.-Hon. PER-!
Belmont in answer to Hon. w. ]. Bry
ans last letter In regard to the contro
versy between them, writes in part a.
follows: You have clearly indicated II
your recent volume. entitled 1.-THE Frs
Battle" when and where was the orr.
gin of the conspiracy to repudiate tina,
Democratic policy OF 1892, The time
was May. 1894. Omaha the place. and
the first step was q call to'sIlyer Demo.
Gratis to assemble ut that place June
2lst, 1894. which led to a nominal CON
troll Of the ensuing Nebraska Demo-
cratic state convention. on q platform
substantially like the Chicago platform
OF two years later. There was Dem
ocratic bolt" from your silver platform,
because 1t was In violation of the ma
tional Democratic policy Of 1892. The
candidates Of the boilers had, at the
next state election, more votes than
your candidates received. In two or
three chapters of your book, It Is plain
that You consplred with Popullsts. Re-
publicans and silver Democrats OF all
shades OF opposition to the Democracy
and Its platform Of 1892. You mention
Senator Teller as one of your fellow
conspirators both before. during and af-
ter the Republican convention OF which
he was member. The Nebraska DEM
ocrats, whom you and your fellow con-
spirators denounced. declared, in their
platform Of 1895. your financial plan
meant POORER money and less OF It,
less wages for the laboring man and
bankruptcy for all save the mine own
err" Did not that convention sympa-
thIze with labor?
The New York Democratic state con-
vention of June oath. 1896, adopted a
platform similar to that Of the regular
convention OF the Nebraska Democrats,
and was sent to Chicago as delegate
upon that platform. 1t declared among
other things:
1--WE are opposed to the free and I'M
limited coinage OF silver in the absence
Of the cooperation OF other great ma
tions. We declare our belief that any
attempt on the part OF the United States
alone to enter upon the experiment of
free silver would not only prove disas-
trous to our finances, but would retard
or entirely prevent the establishment Of
international blmetallism. Until inter-
national cooperation for bimetalllsm
can be secured, to which end all our
efforts us government and people
should be In good faith directed, we
favor the rigid maintenance of the pres
ent gold standard us essential to the
preservation OF our national credit. the
redemption of our public pledges. and
the keeping lnvlo!ste of our country's
honor"
I preferred the declaration on coinage
by that Democratic state convention of
New York. adherinS to the Democratic
policy formulated in 1892, over the Lam
guage In the Indianapolis platform al
luding to gold monometall!sm,b but pre-
ferred either one to the silver monomet-
not write sentence or word. of the
Indianapolis platform.
The condition OF the country In 1895
and 1896 by reason OF business and COM
mcrclal depression which began three
years before owing to the Sherman sill
yer law. whose repeal you resisted. the
endless chain short crops. long west
ern droughts. diminished foreign de-
mand for our cereals and reduced prices
everywhere, offered fertile field for
our efforts. Under the present changed
conditions we can calmly anGlyze the
novelties OF the Chicago platform.
1t began by affirming that the first
coinage law Of 1892 made the silver dol
lar the money unit. That Is I matter
Of statute Interpretation and has been
much debated. Jefferson said, as you
have mentioned in your letter to me,
that the unit should "reposc on both
metals" and so 1t Is probable that the
drauGhtsmen OF the law of 1892 intended
a blmetallic standard.
| 1t declared that the Democracy was
unalterably opposed to monomctallsm,"
but the trainers OF the Chicago plat
/ ,Nhn tl,n I>at
would be silver monometallism.
Many things demanded by the plat
form could be done only by Congress,
such as opening our mints to silver and
gold alike. on fixed ratio, legislation
To prevent freedomof contracts bymak-
ing debts payable not In such dollar
as contractors preferred. extinction OF
the national bank notes. and making
government notes the only paper cur
rency. The right to grant other de-
mands--suoh as. for example. the re-
fusal to government creditors OF the
right. existing for twenty years, to Sc
lcct the coin Of payment, whether silver
or gold-was, and Is now perhaps, In tho
discretion OF the secretary Of the treas
ury, to whom the law has so generally
given decision In those matters. 1t is
not given to the President. The Chlca-
20 platform clearly intended that the
President should nominate. and, II the
senate confirmed. appoint n head OF the
treasury who should forthwith pay all
government creditors In silver dollars,
the gold price of the bullion In each of
which was then worth trihe over fifty
| Won pnr thnt ,,,,