River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1900-09-20
GAGE BACK ATSCHURZ
Secretary of the Treasury Replies
to Open Criticism.
Has Nothing to Retract In Former
Letter ON Danger of Bryan's
EIection-Quotes Bryan's
Statements.


In reply to an open letter of Carl
Schurz', in which he criticised Secre-
tary Cages former statements con-
corning the menace Of Bryan's cleo
ton, Mr.. Gage has written the follow
ing letter:
Dear Sir: have the honor to ac-
knowledge the receipt of yours of the Sd
inst, in which you utter some words OF
criticism upon the statements made by me
in newspaper interview published August
70, In which l expressed the opinion that
Mr.. Bryan, If elected president. could by
the exercise of considerable 'perverse in
genuity,' put the government on a silver
basis. ruin its credit and bring incalulabie
| disaster upon the business interests of 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 de-
clare might be done, unless the republican
party in control of the government in both
the legislative and executive branches
proves itself utterly dishonest in its pro-
fessed purpose to maintain the gold stan
dard
you say your denial is 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 silver basis would lack the means of
doing So
Says Schurz Admits IL.
"On the contrary, you admit for argu-
ment's sake all ] say on that point 1t
would not seem, therefore. that there is
any particular difference between US as 10
what Mr.. Bryan as president could do I'M
der the law or in spite of the law as it
now is
1T ought 10 have been apparent TO you,
as 1t no doubt was that was speaking Of
possibilities of the case under circum-
stances and conditions as they now exist;
but you proceed to point out how. at the
next session of congress, which will meet
in December legislation could be had which
would completely forestal unfriendly ac-
ton toward the gold standard, even If Mr..
Bryan were elected. and should still cher
ish the firm-set purpose declared by him
on September 16, 1896, at Knoxville Tenn,
where he said: If there is anyone who
| believes that the gold standard is a good
! thing, or that it must be maintained. l
warn him not to cast his vote for me, be-
cause l promise him il will not be main
tanned in this country longer than am
able to get rid of it
Answers Criticism.
you rebuke me in polite terms for sound
! ing false note of alarm. disquieting the
4 business community and especially when
1 uttered by one in authority. am not at all
/ skilled in controversy, and have had no
! practice in dialectics, but will indulge in
]
criticism.
In the first place, then, no more serious
disaster could overtake this country Gin
! this l think you will agree with mel than
! the breaking down of the gold standard
| 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 possibility of
! Mr.. Bryans election and of the consequent
! placing of our country upon the silver basis
| has already caused untold millions of our
securities TO be thrown upon the market.
1 Scores of business orders are already re-
called, a large number of manufacturing
| establishments have already stopped or re-
| stricted their operations, enterprise is al
/ ready discouraged. and nearly paralyzed;
and if these are the effects of
1 mere apprehension of a possibility, what
would be the effect of the event itself?
There is scarcely an imaginable limit to the
destruction certain to be wrought by the
| business disturbances that Mr.. Bryans
election would cause
Consequences to BE Dreaded.
81 am unable to perceive why the same
| consequences, in a minor degree, perhaps,
| would not ensue now, which you so forcibly
| foreshadowed then.
Now when consequences so great as
| these are involved, the forces operating to
| inaugurate them should be resisted at
| every point. Even the possibility of dam
I d
and one altogether too much in evidence,
| that an administrative officer filled with
hatred and contempt of a particular law
can, by perverse ingenuity, practically null
lily its operations.
You point out in your letter that If the
I course indicated by me in the Interview
referred to should be contemplated by Mr..
Bryan, the republican congress, which
meets in December next, could in advance
restrain him by new and more effective
| mandatory provisions. The proposition
that in case of Mr.. Bryan's election the
present congress can tie his hands so that
he cannot give effect TO his expressed in
( tention appears to me to be fallacious.
1t would require new legislation by party
whose policy would have been rejected
by the people through their last express
sion at the polls. Further than this, the
next session will expire by operation OF
law on March 4, 1901. The free silver minor
ity would be justified by their constituen IS
in using all the resources of dilatory pro-
| cedure to prevent such legislation. and
against such tactics affirmative Legislation
| such as you suggest would be probably i'm
possible. Can anyone doubt that Mr.. BIy-
an would urge action by his friends in
congress to prevent the further streng III
ening of the policy which he denounces rs
criminal?
House May BE Democratic.
"Since you have raised the question OF
Their forward. If Mr.. Bryan is elected
president it is of all things the most prob
able that the next house will have dem
ocratic majority. But. even admitting
that congress, dating from March 4, 1901,
will not be able TO effect any change in our
! present financial legislation, what, we may
fairly ask. will be the effect of the con-
! tinued agitation of the question upon bust
ness and industry set in motion by a
president bent upon the restoration of free
| silver at the ratio of 16 to /, and elected
upon that platform?
you end your letter by suggesting that
| l retract what have said in fairness to the
business community. which should not be
unnecessarily disquieted, especially not by
those in authority. Thinking as ] do that
| the election of Mr.. Bryan would be real
| menace to the commercial and Industrial
| interests of our people. because of the pur-
| pose he cherishes and the power he would
| possess, l do not feel at liberty to act upon
| your suggestion; | feel 1t my duty to NJ
! least wait until after Mr.. Bryan has re-
| tracted his statement of 1896 that 1T (the
| gold standard) will not be maintained in
this country longer than / am able 10 get
rid of it Very truly yours,
LYMAN ]. GAGE
GAGE DEMOLISHES BRYAN.