The Portland daily press., 1900-10-04
PERTINENT QUESTIONS.

Governor Roosevelt, speaking in Mr..
Bryan's home town, asked this question:
Win Mr.. Bryan, if elected, pay the
nations obligations in gold or sllyerl
This is a pertinent question, and Mr..
Bryan should answer 1t. Our bonds, or
the most OF them, are by the letter Of the
contract payable in coin. Payment in
silver would not, therefore, be obnoxious
to the letter Of the law. The practice
has been to pay them in the coin chosen
by the holder, and that has been, Of
course, gold. Now assuming that Mr..
Bryan will have the power to pay in
silver will he choose the inferior metal?
We do not see any reasonable ground on
which he can refuse to answer this ques-
ton. 1t is one OF vital concern to a large
number of people, it has close relation to
one of the most important functions of
the government. Mr.. Bryan has been
pr1ding himself upon his frankness, and
has been charging the Republicans with
obscurity and Vagueness in their declara-
tions OF policy. Here is good chance
to demonstrate in a very effective way
that he is what he processes to be-. He
cannot claim that he has not studied the
subject and is therefore unprepared to
answer. Silver and It's relation to the
currency have been his speciality for many
years past. 1t was because Of his silver
views that he obtained his first nomina-
ton. He represented at that time and
all through the campaign that followed
that he had definite and we'll settled
views in regard to the currency, and that
If elected President he would put them in
practice. He insisted that the currency
should be made an issue this year, and
refused all suggestions to modify the
platform Of 1896 as regarded It's declara-
tions upon silver. He cannot claim,
therefore, that Governor RooseV5It's
question is impertinent as having no
bearing upon any issue raised by the
Democratic platform. Indeed, there is
no avenue of escape from answering the
question which will let him out without
a practical confession that he does not
answer 1t because he Is afraid that the
answer which his record and his profes-
sions might compel him to give would
ALLEVIATE votes which he now hopes to get
by keeping his mouth shut as to the
practical workings of his silver policy.
Nh. Bryan has been asked another
question several times equally pertinent
With that of Governor Roosevelt S. What
do you think of the wholesale disfran-
ehisement of the negro in North Carolina,
has often been asked Mr.. Bryan, and as
often he has evaded it. In view Of his
talk about liberty and self government
in the Philippines this is very peril
nent question. He has accused the Re-
publicans of placing the dollar above the
man, and given the public to understand
that II elected he Will reverse this order
He has been prating good deal about
the abridgment Of the rights Of man in
the Philippine islands by the Mckinley
administration, Now right under his
nose, by a process which nobody can con-
slider honest, he sees men who have been
guaranteed the suffrage by the constitu-
tion deprived of 1t by wholesale. Can he
refuse to tell the people what he thinks
Of it without 1mpeaohing his sincerity
We do not see how he can. It seems
clear that an evasion either Of this
question OF of that of Governor Roosevelt
will be equivalent to a confession that ne
is ready to compromise and even sJifle,
his principles for votes.