The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-09-06
Reiterates His Former Statement That
Bryan, il Elected, Could Break
Down the Gold Standard.
DANGER NOT EXAGGERATED
DEMOCRATIC VICTORY WOULD PER-
IL THE NATIONS PROSPERITY.
Continued Financial Agitation Would
Be Disastrous to the Country's
business Interests.

WASHINGTON. Sept. 5.-Under date Of
Sept. 4 Secretary Gage has made the fol-
lowing reply to an open letter he has re-
ceiyed from Carl Schurz. of New York:
Dear Sir-I have the honor 10 acknowl-
edge the receipt of yours of the Sd inst. in
which you utter some words or criticism
upon the statements made by me In a
newspaper interview published Aug. 20. In
which l expressed the opinion that MT
Bryan if elected President, could. by the
exercise of considerable perverse inge-
nuity,' put the government on silver
basis. ruin it's credit and bring incalculable
disaster upon the business interests or the
country.
You deny that the dangers set forth by
me in that interview really exist, and that
any President will be able TO do what
declare might be done, unless the Repub-
lican party in control of the government
i'm both the legislative and executive
branches proves itself utterly dishonest In
its purpose to maintain the gold standard
You say your denial lis not based upon
the reasoning of those of your critics who
seek to show by figures that a President,
desiring ever so much TO put the country
on a silver basis, would lack the means OF
doing So On the contrary, you admit, for
arguments sake, all / say on that point.
1t wouldn't seem. therefore. that there is
any particular difference between US as to
what Mr.. Bryan, President, could do
under the law, or in spite of the law. as 1t
now is.
at ought to have been apparent to you.
as IL no doubt was, that 1 was speaking
of possibilities of the case under circum-
stances and conditions as they now exist.
but you proceeded to point out how, at
the next session OF Congress, which will
meet in December, legislation could be had
which would completely forestall unfriendiy
action toward the gold standard. even II
Mr. Bryan were elected, and should still
cherish the firm-set purpose declared by
him on Sept l6, 1886, at Knoxville, Tenn,
where he said:
If there is any who who believes that
the gold standard Is good thing. or that
IL must be maintained, L warn him not TO
cast his vote for me, because L promise him
II will not be maintained In this country
longer than am able to get rid of it,
You rebuke me in polite terms for sound
ing false note of alarm, disquieting the
business community and especially when
uttered by one in authority. 1 am not at
all skilled in controversy, and have had no
practice In dialectics, but will indulge in a
few words in the way OF rejoinder to your
criticism. In the first place. then. no more
serious disaster could overtake this coun-
try Gin this l think you Will agree with meD
than the breaking down of the gold stand
ard and the adoption of that principle of
money for which Mr.. Bryan contends In
1896. you, yourself. are quoted as having
said:
.' The mere apprehension of a possibility
of Mr.. Bryans election. and OF the conse-
quent placing Of our country upon the sill
yer basis, has already caused untold mil
lions or our securities to be thrown upon
the market Scores of business orders are
already recalled, a large number of manu-
featuring establishments have already stop
ped or restricted their operations, enter
prise is already discouraged, and nearly
paralyzed. And IL these are the ef-
fects of mere apprehension OF a possI-
bility, what would be the effect of the event
itself? There is scarcely an imaginable
limit TO the destruction certain to be
brought by the business disturbance that
Mr.. Bryan's election would cause
81 am unable to perceive why the same
consequences, in minor degree, perhaps
would not ensue now. which you so forcibly
foreshadowed then. Now. when cons
quences so great as these are involved the
forces operating TO inaugurate them should
be resisted at every point. Even the pos
sibility OF danger should be avoided. IL is
familiar fact. and one altogether too
much In evidence, that an administrative
officer, filled with hatred ind contempt of
a particular law. can, by perverse ingenu-
ity. practically nulify its operations. You
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