Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-07-24
! Bryan Warned.


In the very opening of my letter I
stated that we were both engaged in
common cause, and for our good and
the party good should reason together.
After assuring Mr.. Bryan that no one
had more at stake than himself, 1
continued something as follows: You
were the party standard bearer in
1896. You went down in an ignomin-
ious defeat and the party suffered the
consequences. Our standard bearer in
1892 led us to victory He received
126 electoral votes from northern
states. OF these states, carried by
him, you carried but one, with four
votes. The analysis of the foregoing
indisputable facts shows that Cleve-
land Dolled in those ten states more
than thirty-one times as many elector-
al votes as you did.
This hunliliating defeat was not be.
cause. you We're personally less popu-
Lar with the masses in 1896 than
Cleveland was in 1892, but solely be-
cause Cleveland ran on platform
Which adhered to democratic princi-
pies and upheld Jefferson democracy,
while you did not.
PopuliSm Did It.
The financial plank used by the
populists in their platform in 1892,
and which was borrowed and incorpor-
ated bodily into the democratic plat
form of 1896, is what caused your
downfall and likewise the downfall of
the democratic party. You were per-
sonally responsible for this plank. Ev-
lery thinking democrat in the land
1 knew that it would be impossible to
permit the free and unlimited individ-
ual coinage of silver at the false ratio
of 16 to 1, while the true or market
value ratio was 81 to II, without de.
stroying the parity between the two
metals thus coined. The same plank
also demanded that the silver dollar,
coined at that ratio. shall be full lie.
gal tender, equally with gold, for all
debts, public and private
/ Greatest Blunder on Record.
i mo greater blunder than this was
ever made by any political party in the
i United States, and no swifter nor more
telling punishment was ever admins
4 tered, as can be seen from the figures
have above presented. Notwith.
standing this, it is now said by you
there will be a reaffirmation of the
Chicago platform of '96 by the Kansas
City convention.
'It is highly probable that what you
say goes bat sincerely hope that
you will not say 'reaf1irm.' or 'reiter
ate or 'readopt' the Chicago platform
| To do so means to reaff1rm the finan
cial PLANK of that fatal platform, and
to do SO means the utter destruction
/ OF our party.
Bryan Not Jeffersonian.
ut pains me very much to have
you insist on declaring for free coin
age and at the same time hear yor
7 call this Jeffersonian democracy. The
principle which you here SO stubbornly
contend for is Numerically opposed
to what Jefferson taught. He says:
The proportion between the values OF
gold and silver is a mercantile prob
lem altogether
/ "Just principles will lead us to dis.
regard legal proportions altogether;
to inquire into the market price OF
gold in the several countries with
which we shall principally be connect.
ed in commerce and to take an aver.
4 age from them.
1 From the above, Col. Bryan, you
will see that you must cease talking
about Jeffersonian principles while
you are contending for fixed legal
ratio at 16 to 1. AS democrat and
as disciple and believer in the prin
ciples laid down by Thomas Jefferson
beg of you to at once retrace your
steps and be content with the advoca
cy of just principles only. / do moi
ask you to drop the money question
nor to drop bimetallism, but implore
you to drop 16 to / and the financial
plank of that fatal Chicago platform
If you do not you will again wreck
the party as well as yourself"
His Star Will Set.
"You are now the national leader
of the democratic party and naturally
you desire to retain that leadership
Il Won 1oI fba nartJ to Infoof in, 1909