The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-01-05
GOLD PLANK AUTHORSHIP.


ALsGER SAYS IT WAS IN SENATOR
FoRAxER's HANDWRITING.
hat Adds That Ne HiMsslf Inserted
One Phrsse-First Solid Delega-
tion ut st. Louis Was From This
state - Major Carson's Account.
Special Dispatch to the Post-Intelligencer.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 4--Who wrote the
gold plank OF the Republican platform OF
1895 bids fair to be a. absorbing question
as who struck Billy Patterson or the still
more ancient conundrum Of who killed
Cock Robin. Among the several reputed
authors so far mentioned are President
Mckinley. Editor Kohlsaat Of the Chicago
Times Herald. and Senators Lodge. Han
ma and Foraker. Senator Foraker put In
no especial claim for his own part In the
writing of the plank, but merely de-
nounccd the claims Of Editor Kohsaat as
having been the author. Ex-secretary OF
War Aiger has written letter to the
Washington Post In which he says that
the original draft OF the plank was wholly
in the handwriting Of Senator Foraker,
with the exception Of one small but I'M
portant, clause which he (Alger) inserted
buttons when Senator Foraker came to his
rooms and discussed the matter with him
Mr.. Alger states what was well known to
every correspondent at st. Louis at the
time-that people then were In doubt about
indorsing the gold standard who today
would not think for moment Of advo-
eating free coinage of silver even were all
other nations Of the world to adopt It. Ac-
cordfng to Mr. Alger, the paragraph as
written by Senator Foraker read In part
as follows:
1--WE are. therefore. opposed to the free
coinage of silver except by international
agreement"
Alger suggested to the senator that the
words international agreement might
be used technically IL any of the smaller
countries of the world were to adopt fres
coinage and, after discussing the matter,
MIR. Alger says he wrote in these words
after the words International agree
ment:" with the leading commercial ma
says that the plank as written by the
senator with his own interlineations was
used verbatim by the committee on plat.
the rough draft in his possession, as Sec
rotary Alger advised him to preserve 1t
as a valuable historical relic.
to the convention was from the state of
business about the declaration OF the
delegation from the Evergreen state. 1t
was gold. all the way through, and no
trifing with silver by International agree
Kinley managers, consulting with party
leaders from the Middle Western and far
Western states, other than Washington.
equivocal plank regarding silver. Prob
ably not less than O. thousand financial
planks were written during that preced-
Ing week. and NJ I probably Mr. Hanna read read
plank rushed Immediately to the head
quarters OF the Ohio delegaton. Nine,
o snh bs q wor se pod saa ss o %s5 H
some fattering phrase for silver; Both
the Massachusetts, and New York dele
cations were late in arriving at ST. Louis.
tor Platt and Senator Lodge, at the head
Of their respective delegations, lost no
time in impressing upon the minds Of
that they and their delegations had come
to the convention determined to have q
declaration for the gold standard and
made this sine qua non of the financial
Thus the situation stood even after tho
committee on platform was appointed.
u Gge f nec Sns S
to secure what he believed to be the proper
declaration. IT makes very little difference
who wrote the plank; the fact remains
that Senators Lodge and Plat stood for It
against all supporters of silver coinage,
and they not infrequently pointed out the
Washington delegation as an evidence that
the Western people were not even claim
ing or demanding free coinage Of silver
by international agreement
Mai. John NJ. Carson. the Washington
correspondent of the Philadelphia Ledger,
was at the convention, and had exceptional
facilities for knowing what was being done
behind closed doors, and the questions
written a statement regarding the mat
ter, and recalls what has been stated be-
fore, that there was an earnest and pros
es eadars srt 10 mace accept e aSs wors
and have 1t inserted in the platform. Sem
ator Thurston was one Of those who stood
out most strongly against the use Of the
Mai. Carson's Statement.
The following quotation from Mai Car
sons recent letter will prove interesting at
, "The controversy over the wording Of
silver, to which Gen. Alger refers, was
subordinate to the controversy over the
word gold Indeed, there was no appre-
declaration that might be made with re-
gard to the free coinage of silver. because
that question had already been passed
chasing clause Of the Sherman act. The
fight was to get gold into the platform,
and thus accept the challenge Of the adj
yocates OF the free coinage of silver.
managers reached ST. Louis they were
because they were OPPOSED to the propo-
sition, but because they doubted the ex-
pediency of adopting It, and were afraid
assured would be the nominee Of the
convention, would be defeated at the
polls The insistence of the gold adyo-
Gates finally prevailed. the word gold
was put into the conventions declaration
of political faith. and the Republican par
ty was pledged to maintain the existing
gold standard"
The resistance to the insertion Of the
word gold was due mainly to the threat
Of the Silver Republicans that they would
seeded from the convention If that word
form. 1t finally became quite evident to
the party managers that any sort of
declaration that was not clear and strong
feet upon. Colorado, Idaho. and Utah, and