Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-06-14
BRYAN ON THE ISSUES.

In Chicago yesterday, in conference
with the big medicine men of the ma
tional democracy. Colonel Bryan ex-
pressed himself quite freely on he sit
uation, making it clear that he will not
insist upon the p~aramountcy of the sill
Yer question. He made this statement:
I cannot undertake to say what will
be the paramount issue. No man can.
One thinks one question is the biggest
and another man thinks another is.
For the late leader Of the free coinage .
cause to express himself in this vapid,
non-committal manner is equivalent to
an endorsement Of any movement which
will place free coinage in the rear. Were
he a true friend to the white metal, with
a presidential nomination within his
grasp, he would have had no hesitency
in reaflirming his declaration of 1896 that
free coinage was the paramount issue
land would remain the paramount issue
until settled and settled right But Mr..
Bryan has reached the conclusion that
he does not know which question is the
biggest" He shirks the responsibility,
right on the eve Of his nomination, of de-
claring that free coinage must remain at
the top of the column if he is to carry
the flag, thereby indicating to the gold
wing of his party that he Is a deucedly
easy mark to get along with, if they only
think so! If the foregoing excerpt from
Mr.. Bryan's remarks are not sufficiently
strong to indicate his recession from the
position taken in 1896, as to the par
amountcy of silver, his attitude on the
Chicago platform shows the rheumatic
to the discussion yesterday, the Asso-
ciated Press report says:
On the question of platform the. trend
of discussion forecasted to some extent
the differences of opinion which may
arise at Kansas City ever among loyal
Bryan men. The question is whether the
money plank and other legaoies from
1896 shall be handled by reaffirmation of
the Chicago platform in a lump or wheth-
er some planks from the 1896 platform,
and especially the money plank, shall be
rewritten. Mr.. Bryan favors rewriting
much of the 1896 platform his year.
IllCl IdNlllS plcdIICu Lie III lid
ton of the Chicago platform from dollar
dinner to dollar dinner, and also between
meals from one end of the country to thu
other, Colonel Bryan now wants to re.
affirm it by rewriting it. When the Chi
cago platform is rewritten to meet TIL,
differences of opinion" referred to, l
will resemble the platform of 1896 abou
: as much as a Chinese pagoda resemble
= a last years birds nest. The contention
e of the Inter Mountain, for two year
: past, that the silver plank in the Chicag
e platform will not be re-adopted by th
{ democracy is nearing a realization.
l Colonel Bryan has consented to a re
Z writing of hat platform, which Woul
- be wholly unnecessary if no change c
sentiment in the party had taken place
{ and his followers will be only too gDa
& to have it rewritten from top to bottom
1 1t will be like the old nan pocket knit
which had seyetenen new blades an
s. nineteen new handles, but was the SAN
$ old knife. After the Chicago platform
! rewritten, and the 16 to l ratio and il
dependent free coinage by the America
" nation shall have been overlooked in tt
' new manuscript, the democrats of Mo
y tana will point with pride" to the col
c sistent silver record of the democrat
- party.