The evening times., 1900-09-10
COMNHH'P ON THE LETTER
Democrats Arraign the President
for Misleading Statements.
in Washington Whose
Judgment Is Not Warped by Ad-
niinistrutiOn Influence Charge Him
with Ev;ssioE-No sympathy fer
Republics Crushed by an Empire.


litical and official circles in Washington
today. Comparatively few persons read
the whole letter; in the first place because
it was too long for comfort, in the second
place because one-half of it was Of matter
clipped from the previous essays of the
President and from reports of the Philip
pine Commissions of 1899 and 1900, and in
the third place. because only one or two
OF the most devoted Administration news
papers could publish the letter in full.
Politicians in Washington whose judg-
ment has not been warped by the E(min-
istration find little in MIR McKinley's let
ter. which contradicts the belief that the
Republic has declined and that the nation
has entered upon an imperial era.
a leading Democratic politician said:
Mr. McKinley's letter falls far short
of digniied state document. 1t is a po-
litical product and rank in its PARTISAN
ship, In most parts it is evasive and in
some parts untrue. To prove that this
charge is correct let me cite what he says
about the gold standard:
Upon the great issue of the last ma
tional election the Republican platform is
clear. 1t upholds the gold standard and
endorses the legislation of the present
Congress by which that standard has been
effectively strengthened. The stability of
our national currency is therefore secure
so long as those who adhere to this plat
form are kept in control of the Govern
ment In the first battle, that of 1896 the
friends OF the gold standard and OF sound
currency were triumphant, and the country
is enjoying the fruits of that victory Our
antagonists, however, are not satisfied.
Iney compel us to a second battle upon
the same lines on which the first was
fought and won. While regretting the re-
opening OF this question which can only
disturb the present satisfactory financial
condition of the Government and visit un-
certainty upon our great business enter
prises, We accept the issue and again in
Vite the sound money forces to Join in
winning anOtI7r, and we hope. perma-
nent triumph Ior an honest financial sys-
TEN, which viii continue inyiolabIe the
public faith
The last election did not uphold the
gold standard Mr.. Mckinley and the Re
publican party in 1896 posed before the
people of the United States as bimetaIIists
who desired to re-establish biInetauisn; in
this country with the consent OF foreign
nations.
Bimctailism, Not Gold Standard.
In 1892 the Republican party adopted
this platform on the subject of bimetau-
ISM
. The American people, from tradition
and interest. favor bimetallism. and the
Republican party demand the use of both
gold and silver as a standard money with
such restrictions and under such provis-
ions. to be determined by legislation. as
viii secure the maintenance of the parity
Of values Of the two metals so that the
purchasing and debt-paying power Of the
dollar, whether silver, gold, or paper
shall be at all times equal We commend
the wise and patriotic steps by our Gov
ernment 10 secure an international con-
ference and adopt such measures as viii
insure parity between gold ami silver
for use as money throughout the world
The National Republican Convention of
1886 at St Louis adopted the following
resolution in favor Of international hi
metalIism:
The Republican party is unreseTvedIy
for sound money. it caused the enact
ment of the law providing for the re
sumption OF specie payments in 1873
Since then every dollar has been as good
as gold
E" We are unalterably opposed to every
measure calculated to debaSe cur curr5a-
cy or impair the credit of cur country
We are, therefore, opposed to the free
coinage of silver except by international
agreement with the leading commercial
nations OF The world, which we pledge
ourselves to promote, and until such
agreement can be obtained the existing
silver and paper currency must be main
tanned at parity with gold, and We favor
all measures designed 10 maintain invIo-
lably the obligations of the United States
and all our money, whether coin or paper,
at the present standard the standard of
the most enlightened Eations of the eaTth-'
Does that look as though the people
who voted the Republican ticket in
1856 voted for single gold standard?
OF course. they did no.. They voted for
a party pledged tC bring about b-metaI-
ism by internatiCa-al agreement But
Mr. Mckinley has Ueen a Hopper
bsr. AIckiniey's Inconsistency.
He always professed to be in favor
Of bimetallism until after he was nomi-
mated for President of the United States
He voted in the House of Representa-
tiVes in 1877 for the Bland bill which
simply re-enacted the law for the un-
limited coinage Of gold and silver. After
it had been hobbled in the Senate by the
Allison amendment he voted for it Gin
1879 again, and when the bill was We
tOed by President Hayes he voted for its
passage over the veto.
In 1883. Mr.. Mckinley. then chairman
Of the Platform Committee cf the Repub-
lican National Convention. reported TO
the convention and procured to be
adopted on the subject of bimetanism
tilS IolioNihS prank
- The Republican party is\fn favor Of
both gold and silver as moneS. and con-
demns the policy of the Democratic Ad-
nlinistration in its efforts to demonetize
silver
'~AIr Mckinley. in public speech at
Toledo. Ohio, as late as February Il,
1891, said
During all of Grover Cleveland's S
years at the head of the Government he
was dishOnoring one Of our precious
metals, one of our products, scredit-
ing silver and enhancing the price of
gold He endeavored even before his in
auguration TO office to stop the coinage of
silver dollars, and afterward and to the
end of his Administration persistently
termined to contract the circulating ne
dium and to demonetfze one Of the coins
of commerce, limit the volume OF money
among the people, make money scarce,
and therefore dear. He would have in
creased the value Of money and dimin-
ished the value of everything else
money the master, everything else the
servant, He was not thinking of The
poor" then. He had left their side" He
was not standing forta in their defence
Cheap ceats, cheap labor, and dear
money! The sponsor and promoter OF
these processing to stand guard over the
welfare of the poor and lowlyi Was
there ever more Inconsistency or reck-
less assumption
Now although Mckinley when elected
was pledged TO cooperate in securing an
international bimetallic agreement, vet
when the Wolcott Commission had praeti-