CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1900-08-23
A. M. STEVENSON LEAVES
THE SILVER REPUBLICANS.

chairman of the Teller Silver Rel,ubli-
can Stnte Central committee enn in th,,
following letter announced MS return
70 the Republican I.arts::
"DeIyer, Colo, Aug. IL, 1900
ITO the Members OF the Teller Sill
yer Republican State Central Com
mittee, care of w. II. Griffith, Secre-
tary.
"Gentlemen-I have this day ad-
dressed to you and delivered to the sec
retary of the committee my resignation
as chairman. have not wished to do
more than formally resign the chair
manship of the committee; but after
advising with my friends whose opin-
ion value, / have concluded. that a
proper respect for your opinions re
quires that l state the reasons which
impel me to the course have taken.
Il was a delegate to the Republican
National convention at st. Louis In
1896. and acted in harmony with the
other delegates from this state, in obey
Ing the instructions of the Republican
State convention, which in effect direct
ed the delegates to withdraw from the
national convention II the party at st.
Louis adopted a gold standard plat
form. We attended that convention as
representatives of the Republican par
" VI Tie SLitt VI NOiOTduOs L ut H.
ton taken by us was in obedience to
the demands of the people Of the state.
The people directed us to do Just what
we did 10, and no Silver Republican
can justly be criticised for that action,
nor the position taken by us in the
campaign of 1896 and 1893.
"At st. Louis we declared that we
were Republicans on all questions but
the money question. After the defeat
Of Mr.. Bryan, whom we all loyalty sup
ported, and on the anniversary of the
birth of the first American February
%. 1897, an address was issued from
Washington, signed by distinguished
senators and representatives of Con-
gress, urging the organization of Ma
tional Silver Republican party. The
address declared that in differing With
the National Republican party on the
money question, we did not surrender
our convictions on the other great
questions of political economy and gov
crnment.
"In June following. the representa-
tives of thirty-one states of the Union
met in Chicago and completed the or
ganization of this party. The platform
adopted at the Chicago meeting stated
that the achievement of the free coin
age of silver and gold was deemed by
us of paramount political Importance
and should form the controlling motive
Of our political action until 1t was ac-
compHshed. Such has been, in fact.
the declaration of all state, district and
county conventions held by this party
In Colorado. The Kansas City plat
form does not so declare.
Il have been actively connected with
the party since its organization and
N xr -t,nr In. ~ n
up the organization and make 1t pow
erful and respected and worthy of re-
spect. When the party was national
lied. l hoped that 1t might become a
power for good in the politics of the
country. still believe that such might
have been possible had not new conii-
tions. new responsibilities OF govern
ment and new issues been pressed for
consideration and settlement. There is
now no hope-in fact, no pretense-that
the party can live beyond the present
campaign, and do not believe 1t possi-
BILE TO aid the cause of bimetallism by
continuing the fight this fall.
"On this great question the people of
Colorado have not changed; but condi-
tlons and Issues have changed. and In
my Judgment the silver question is not
to-day a live issue before the American
people. and never will become an issue
OF great political importance until the
necessities of the country compel a cor
rect monetary system. We are daily
Informed that the great body Of gold
standard Democrats who refused to
support Bryan In 1896 are to-day nc:
cording him loyal support-and why
Certainly because they believe that the
financial question has been settled or
side-tracked for the present. The rea-
son that prompt them to return to
their old party allegiance. In a measure
at least. persundes me that am cor
rect in my conclusions about this ques-
ton. In 1896 the Democratic party de-
clared the financial question to be one
Of controlling and paramount political
Importance. In 1900 the same party
declares another issue to be OF para
mount importance, and every one
knows that the open declaration In IA
vor of free coinage was forced upon the
convention after the representatives Of
n majority of the delegates had voted
against such n declaration In commit
tee, and the resolution could not have
been adopted In the committee had II
not been for the votes of the territories
Of Hawaii. Indian territory, Oklahoma.
Arizona and New Mexico, none OF
which has any voice In the election Of
Tue ITtsluenl-
.'In 1896. Senator Hill OF New York
denounced the majority Of the Chicago
convention and the platform advocated
by them. In lnngunge, every sentence
Of which was joyfully repeated during
the campaign by those who opposed
the election OF Mr.. Bryan. He and
those who acted with him suilenly re-
fused to support the nominees OF the
Chicago convention. In 1900 the same
Senator Hill was the hero of the Kan
sas City convention, and would have
been its nominee for vice president had
he not declined the nomination and i'm
plored the convention aud its leaders
no. to nominate him.
"I cannot understand how any man
who witnessed the scenes Mt Kansas
City can honestly say that the conven-
tion there was silver convention or
that Its delegates believed that silver
was at all an issue In this campaign.
The despised Senator Hill OF 1895 Is,
with the possible exception OF lIr.
Bryan. to-day the foremost Democrat
in the land.