The evening times., 1900-10-09

who Are Hiding Behind a Mask.
An open letter to the Honest Money
Democratic League Of Maryland has been
written by Jonathan II. Waller, prornl-
nent citizen of Salisbury. Md. 1t is in re-
ply to the Declaration of Principles" sent
out by the league, and on which was en-
dorsed If opposed to the election of Mr.
Brvan please sign and return Mr.. Wal
Ter denounces the league as Republicans
who masquerade as Democrats that they
may deceive persons who have not the
time to study political questions The let
ter follows:
Since your distinguished Committee OF
Seventy has done me the honor p to pre-
sumo that I might be one of your opln-
ion 1 would be lacking in decency to ignore
what was intended doubtless, as distin-
guished compliment Your Declaration or
Principles to my mind is of the vintage of
'96. and has neither ripened nor mellowed
by age. Its only new features are an in
creased bitterness born Of your zeal and an
additional lack of courtesy to those OF
your feilow-citizens who hold different
opinions from those which you declare. II
you would drop the pTetence OF Democracy
and take q name that was not a falsehood
on its face your appeals, perhaps, would
receive more attentive hearing from
Democrats. An honest Democrat respects
the views Of an honest opponent, but de-
spises the pretender who masks himself as
= friend Ii order TO mislead those who
have not the opportunity to study political
questions for themselves
These are some of the things in your
~ hot
Democrats cannot subscribe to:
Power of the Executive.
First. To invest with the tremendous
powers Of the Presidency a man who has
pledged himself TO overtuFn by every
means that he can employ the foundation
OF our national credit would be hnan-
cial calamity. The words tremendous
powers, by every means that he can
employ, and financial should be empha-
sized n the hrst count OF your declara-
tion.- Democrats do not acknowledge that
a President has such tremendous powers
that even law can be disregAFded- Demo-
Gratis refuse to acknowledge the right of
Mckinley or Bryan to rule this country
without the consent of Congress, the sane
tton of the Constitution, and the laws
made in pursuance thereof, II the Com
mittee of Seventy is ready to acknowledge
that the precedent set by Mckinley during
his Administration in his disregard Of
law. Congress, tradition, and the Consti-
tuition Is what you are AFRAID OF as 'tre-
-meudous power then Democrats Will con-
TESS that you have grave reason for your
fears. 4 Mckinley. If he had the courage
and was in favor of free silver. might be
dangerous 10 your pet theories Of finance.
for written law. much less unwritten ira
dition. would have no restraint on him
But can find nothing in Mr. Bryan
speeches or in his character that justiEes
your use Of the words by every means
that he can employ Do you mean by TN
lawful means? Do you mean by disre-
gard of law and his oath as President? Dc
you mean corruptly? If that is your mean
ing you VIII find few Democrats who car
subscribe 10 such an estimate Of Bryan
Four years ago Democrat would not have
cast such suspicion upon Mckinley but
now in his case, we know: in Mr.. Bry-
ans We are bound to believe him honest
and sincere until he has given us cause TO
believe the cenCraF--- If by the words
above you mean that Bryan would have the
support Of Congress in an effort to bring
about free coinage Of silver. you show a
lauentable ignorance of the temper of the
Kansas City Convention, just as you dc
when you assert that it was dominated
by Mr.. Bryan. However desirable the full
fillment of his ideas on the currency may
be, TO dispassionate observer it must be
plain that the Democratic party is not
ready TO help him in the enactment int
law of those ideas, at least not until the
more urgent matters of state have beer
settled upon a true Democratic basis.
''As to the word financial which i:
used as a sort of talismanic token oi
your faithful, Democrats do not shrinE
from a financial calamity that is at best
but speculative when they are in the i'm
mediate presence Of a national calamity
to our republican institutions If the
Republican party admits that it is
founded IN finance, the Democratic party
needs no other campaign material OuI
people have never measured right and
wrong by the measure of a silver or
gold dollar, and it is inconceivable that
they are ready to do it now. The Nortf
did not hesitate to enforce its idea O.
right during the civil war at the expensy
Of finance and finaneiers; the South die
not pause in the great struggle for its
ideals because the Federal guns il
Washington could reduce to ashes it.
mansions across the Potomac At ne
other time in our history has an appea
to financial reasons against right beer
needed by our people, and it is safe tt
believe that their spirit is still the same
The Single Gold Standard.
Second. IN the second count of you
declaration you fear that the presen
Gold Standard law is not sufficient, an,
doubt if law could be made sufficient Il
restrain President who was its declare,
enemy. If in four years of unbridIe
power the party of your present ai1egt
ance. pledged to enact gold standard leg
is1atfon. has failed to do so, when, ma
We ask. is that party to settle this ques
ton? Is it to be permitted to hold ou
Its little 'bugaboo' indefinitely for tn
purpose OF cowing your Committee 0
Seventy in support of it. no matter wha
other sins Ii may commit? Your objec
tion to the Democracy of Maryland q
present seems to be that it has not live
up to its platform of '96. Has the Re
publican party lived Up to its declaration
in the matter Of passing the laws you ad
Vocate2 Is Mr. Mckinley to be kept i
power simply to enable him to uphold
defective law that he has passed for tn
purpose of keeping himself in power? ]
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