New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-10-26
MR.. BRYAE's CONFESSION.

Mr.. Bryan's answer to the Ithaca students
who asked him about free silver last week has
been taken as declaration that he still stands
on the Chicago platform, only he dare not pro-
claim it in this part Of the country That is. of
course, true. He is for free silver. He him
self has said it, though it took the persuasive
force Of fire of questions from college boys to
wrench the momentOus truth from him. He de-
clared for free silver but at the same time in
the manner of his declaration he acknowledged
himself to be uncomfortably committed to
fallacious and discredited doctrine. He exposed
the weakness Of free silver more plainly
than his opponents arguments could do for
: what he said was apologize and defensive
wonderfully in contrast with the defiant and
triumphant proclamation of his creed to the
people four years ago. When forced into
corner and compelled to talk about free
silver all Mr.. Bryan can find courage to say
Is that he is steadfast in his views and that
they are no worse than the views which Mr.
Mckinley once held, but has since abandoned
and become an advocate of the gold standard
That is manifest lodging and quibbling but it
is the best that Mr.. Bryan has to give 10 in
quirers in support or defence Of a great change
which he proposes, involving the whole fnan-
cial system of the Government and the bust
ness interests of the country. He has not
word Of serious argument to offer He will not
| tell what he purposes to do in the matter of
meeting Government coin obligations He care
fully avoided when in this city all reference
to the issue which most interests the peonle
of this commercial and financial centre of the
Nation, and only because he could not help
himself he mentioned it to the Ithaca students
and even then resorted to the argumentum nd
hominem, which the students knew as logi-
cal fallacy and shouted out that it did not an
swer their question. Truly a melancholy OK
hibition for a daring honest and straightfor
ward statesman such as Mr. Bryan pretends
to be!
1t is difficult to say which is the more dis
creditable to Mr.. Bryan. his silence or his utter
ance concerning free silver. Each is confess
sion. In avoiding the question utterly in this
city he not only revealed himself as a trimmer
ready to indulge in evasion and concealment to
get votes but he showed his unreadiness IN
defend the doctrines which he holds Is If con-
ceivable that an honest and straightforward man
with cause in which he believed would mako
a speaking tour through the country. meeting
people anxious for information and argument
ABOUT It, and all the time keep quiet about il
and dexterously turn the edge of searching ones
tons? Imagine Abraham Lincoln coming to
New-York in 1860 and refusing to discuss the
| slavery question, which had brought him no.
fore the country just as the silver question
brought Mr.. Bryan before the country. simplv
because New-York a community where
the Douglas view of slavery was more popuIar
than his own! Yet this trimmer and pettifogeer
poses as new Lincoln, inspired with great
and heroic moral purpose!
Yet he Is probably wise to keep silent so far ne
he can. The silence at least throws on others tho
burden Of drawing conclusions from his mast
declarations. But when he has nothing better n
say in behalf of free silver than that his on
pOnent is inconsistent he simply advertisaq
his realization of the weakness of his conse
He did not talk so four years ago. But since
then his predictions have been falsifed. his
fallacies have been exposed and he must feel
himself that his doctrine is exploded and no
yOnd serious presentation to intelligent neonIo
or else he would try to present 1t So If he had
TO deal with the subject at all, instead OF TAX
Ing refuge in pitiful subterfuge