Evening journal., 1900-10-25
THINKS BRYAN
Made ADMISSION
Mr.. NieIdS Makes Comment
on Bryan'S Answers
to Questions

%
John p. Nields in an interview this
morning concerning the questions
which were to have been asked by him
Of William ]. Bryan last night, said:
Considering the questions and an
swers in the order of their Importance
the voter turns instantly TO question
g. Will you. Mr. Bryan, pay the obli-
cations Of the government in silver
or in gold. If elected PRESIDENT What
is Mr.. Bryan's answer?
81. / want Republicans to find out
what the Currency Law requires. and
1 want them to know l will enforce
the law.
"2. l shall not construe the cur
rency law until It becomes my duty to
enforce it.
80. Before / sanction the law
want an assurance that the law won't
be changed.
1T has been pointed out time and
again that the gold standard is not Sc
cure under the present currency law.
Il has also been pointed out time and
again that the gold standard can be
subverted solely by executive action
under the law. The president has the
power, under the currency law, to di-
rect his secretary of the Treasury to
pay In silver the current disburse-
ments of the government, the interest
on the public debt. and the public debt
payable in coin where payment in
gold Is not expressly reserved. It has
also been pointed out as the result of
a fixed economic law that If all pay
ments of the government are made in
silver that all the receipts OF the gov
ernment will be in silver. The govern
ment will receive only silver or silver
certificates from the customs offices
and from the internal revenue collec-
tors. Il is admitted that this endless
chain of silver will speedily place the
government on a silver basis irrespec-
tive of any declaration of a purpose to
maintain the parity of silver or gold.
''Mr. Bryan is known throughout
the world as the embodiment of the
Free Silver propaganda. Mr.. Bryan
says he will enforce his construction
Of the law. Does any person doubt
what his construction of the currency
law will be? Does anyone suppose
that Mr.. Bryan will find, in constru-
ing the law, that he has not the power
to place the country on a silver basis.
when that power is declared to exist
by Secretary Gage, Mr.. Laugh
lin and others. and admitted
to exist by Mr.. Schurz? Mr.. Bryan
says he wants an assurance the cur
rency law will not be changed by the
Republican in the next Congress The
next session Of Congress ends cn March
4. 1901 The appropriation bills will
consume necessarily most of that
time. If Mr.. Bryan Is elected presi-
dent he will carry with him a man
date from the people in favor Of Free
/ Silver. It is absolutely certain that
/ the silver members of Congress can
flibuster and prevent any change in
the law
"Mr Bryan forced the adoption OF
/ the Free Silver plank in the Demo
cratic platform at Kansas City. He
| has declared that he did not want any
Gold Democrats to vote for him, and
he mathematical them as traitors to
the Democratic party. In the light OF
these facts, Mr.. Bryan's evasive an
swer appears an Out-and-out declara-
/ ton of an intention TO put the country
on Free Silver basis.
"The answer to the fourth question
/ Mr.. Bryan. how long after a stable
| form of government is established ano
I independence is declared do you pro.
! pose that the American protectOrate
over the Philippine Islands shall con.
4 tinue? is a frank admission. He says
! the American prOtectOrate under IN,
Democratic program shall last for al
time. That is one Of the most stupid
, and dangerous things i'm the platform
A protectOrate for all time over terri
: tory that we have parted with on the
= other side of the earth is frightful e
: contemplate.
"Mr. Bryans answers to question
: and are OF the kind that were antici
pated lie says however. that thl
. standing army must continue In tn
b Philippine Islands until a stable form
OF government is established. Il ma.
lrequire some years TO establish stabl
form of government among som
eighty barbarOus tribes speaking som
/ five hundred different languages or dia
! lects. Until that time the army is there
These answers show that Mr.. Bryan
when brought face to face with tn
facts, would be compelled to pursu
precisely the policy that President Nc
Kinley has adopted if he acted wit
. any measure of wisdom and fore
I sight