The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1900-10-12
DEMOCRATS NO MORE
JeffersOnians Desert Bryan and
60 to Mckinley.
Former Representative Letterman
of Pullman Writes
Strong Letter

Prominent and lifelong democrats ia
many parts Of the state are rphellinp at
the kind OF campaign which is being put
up ln this state by the Bryanite man
ayers, and have determined to vote the
republican ticket this year, both state
and national. Inquiry made in various
sections OF Washington reveals the fact
that the men who were gold democrats
and opposed to free silver and populism
IN 1895 have not changed their attitude
IN the least during the past four wears.
and are determined this year to ally
themselves with the party of Mckinley
and OF national hOHor and prosperity.
Recruits are being added daily to the
constantly growing band of loyal men in
Washington who have renOunced their
democracy OF years standing and have
announced their determination to help
give WashingtOn's electoral vote to sus-
tain President Mckinley's Philippine
policy and the integrity of the national
currency. Among the well known men
who have lately announced their con
version to repubicanism is + H. Letter
man OF Pullman, Whitman county, who
was democratic member of the lower
house of the legislature from Whitman
in 1898 Mr.. Letterman Is an expap-
siOnist, and like hundreds of Whitman
county democrats believes that the
preservation of the republican policy in
dealing with the Philippine islands is
! vital to the growth and prosperity OF
| Washington.
Col. j. W. TOklas, a lifelong democrat
! OF Aberdeen, has written a letter to
Senator Foster announcing that he can
not support Bryan and the vagarIes OF
the Kansas City platform on the Philip
| pine and silver questions. His declara-
| tiOn is emphatic for President Mckinley
and sound money.
MIR. Letterman's Views
Mr.. Letterman's position is stated in
letter recently addressed to j. ". ARA
smith, secretary of the republican state
central committee. Mr.. Letterman said:
pullman, Sept. 81 Hon. J. W. ARA
smith, Seattle-My Dear Sir: | was very
much pleased when | saw in the Post
lntellgencer that your party managers
had chosen you for secretary of the re-
publican state centra, committee, not
| because you are resident of Whitman
county, but for the confidence it will give
to large number of voters who know
| you. Your past political record stands
| today before the voters without a blem-
ish. 1t was one of the many good moves
your party will be obliged to make in
! the present campaign in order to gain
| the victory in November next, both for
| state and national ticket.
Il have carefully considered the issues
of this campaign of both the great DO
litical parties. In so doing | have fully
decided to support the republican ticket,
both state and national This may or
may not be surprise to you; neverthe-
less that is where | stand today. Space
will not permit me TO give all my rpa-
SONS for my change at this time. having
been a democrat all my life. | will, how
ever, briefly state a few of my Obiec-
tionE to the democratic party principles:
"First, believe nOw,and always have,
in expansion, and, like many thousands,
of democrats in our state, have no fear
of Imperialism As to the Philippine
question, | believe, as many other demo-
Gratis do, that Mr.. Bryan represents and
speaks only for one part of those people,
namely, Aguinaldo and his followers, and
utterly neglects and OverlOOks that part
of the FilipinOR who do want, are anx-
ious for and would willingly accept the
govern menU the United States now offers
them il Mr.. Bryan or any other demo-
crat would assure them protection
against AguinaldO and his band
''As to imperialism, don't believe Mr..
Bryan has very much fear of that. |
remember when | was in the union army.
III 1864, in the Shenandoah valley, the
argument then advanced by the demo-
Gratis as to what this country would
come to, and the abuses resOrted to
against Abraham Lincoln would dOubly
discount oil that is being said at the
present time against William Mckinley,
and through all these forty years we are
still a republic. | often wonder If there
is at this time pOpulist baby boy be-
ing rocked in his cradle who will come
out IN thirty six or forty years and try
to save this country from Imperialism
and mOnarchical government; who will
quote the sayings OF President McKin-
ley to the people how to preserve this
union.
"As to trusts, all | can say to nv
democratic friends is that so long as Mr..
! Bryan advises with the leading trust
magnates, such men as Richard Croker,
L can't see wherein that plank in the
democratic platform will accomplish any
good for the people.
''As to silver, the 16 to l plank will
| cost MIR. Bryan many votes throughout
the United States, considering the way
| the same was obtained at Kansas City,
| by one majority of a Hawaiian
island delegate-as also the silence on
the question itself of Mr.. Bryan SO far in
this campaign.
IL have always been opposed TO fu-
sion, and don't approve of party that
will IN each campaign hunt up the rem
nants OF other parties, whatever they
may be, in order to gain victory Very
respectfully, E. H. LETTERMAN"
Col. Tokias' Position.
In his letter to Senator Foster, Col.
Toklas, OF Aberdeen, recites reasons for
repudiating Organism and popuism
which are interesting in particular to
every democrat who is loyal to the inter
ests OF the etate and the nation, as we'll
as to the voters at large. Says Col.
| Toklas:
Aberdeen, Oct. 4-My Dear Senator:
[ have been for the last thirty eight
years democrat, entering the civil war
as a volunteer OF a California infantry
regiment. with the same principles.
Through thick and thin | was with the
party until 1896, when the Chicago
democratic platform, with it's free, un-
limited coinage of silver at the ratio oi