Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-09-18
Especial TO Nirginian-Pllot.l


given out yesterday:
Hon. James ID. Richardson, Chairman
and Others of the Notification Com
mittee of the Democratic National
Convention:
Gcntlemen--In accepting the nomina-
ton rendered by you on behalf of the
Democratic party. beg to assure you
OF my appreciation of the great honor
conferred upon me by the delegates in
convention assembled, and by the
voters who gave instruction TO the
delegates
| am sensible of the responsibilities
which rest upon the Chief Magistrate
OF so great nation. and realize tile
tur-reaching effect of the questions in
vowed III the present contest.
In my letter of acceptance of 1896
made the following pledge:
so deeply am | impressed with the
magnitude OF the power vested By the
Constitution in the Chief Executive of
The nation and with the enormous in
hucncc which he can yield for the ben
clit or injury of the people, that | wish
to enter the office. IL elected. free from
any personal desire. cXccpt the desire
to prove worthy of the confidence of
my countrymcn. Human Judgment is
laihhie enough when unbiased by sell
Iish considerations, and. in order that
may not be tempted TO use the pat
ronaEe of the Office to advance any per-
Sonal' ambition, | hereby announcc
WIN all the emphasis which words can
eApresS, my fixed determination not.
uhucr any circumstances, to he Il can
didatc for election, in case this cam
paign results in my election"
FURTHER reflection and obscrvat ton
conStrain me to renew this pledge.
The platform rcterates the demand
contained in the Chicago platform for
an American financial system made
ny inc American people for them
selves. The purpose of such system
* 10 restore and maintain Il himetallic
level Of prices. and in order thnt thore
may be no uncertainty as 10 the meth
Oh OF restoring bimetalism. the specific
ueclaiTi ton in favor of free and lnlim-
lied coinage at the existing ratio Of l6
10 !, independent Of the action of other
hHtlons. is repeated. In 1896 the Re
publican party recognized the nccossi-
ty for bimetaIlism by pledging tho
party Ia an earnest effort to secure an
international agreement for the free
coinage of silver. and the president
Immediately after his inauguration. by
authority OF Congress. appointed n
commission composed of DISTINGUISHED
citizens TO visit Europe and solicit
foreign ana, Secretary Hay. in n letter
written to Lord Alderman in Novem-
Der. 1888, and afterwards published i'm
InSland, declared that at that time
''Siicil ana IL majority of his
tablnct Still believed in the ,.rnnt 10
STABILITY of an international agree
Ihcht Tor the restora tion of the double
standard, but that ii did not seem on
perfume TO reopen the NEGOTIATIONS
just then The financial law enacted
iCsS IMAM !, year ago contains q CON
cl'lulnS section declaring that The
measure was not intended TO stnna in
me way OF the restoration of biinctoI
ism, whenever IL could he done nv CO.
operation with other nations. The
n'atiofm submitted to the last Repub-
lc"n convention with the Endorsement
Oh the Administration again s,IpgnsteI
the possibility Of securing FOREIGN oid
In restoring silver. ''"
Now the Republican party for tho
iirst tlinc, openly abandons its advo
80. VI thc doDle standard, and in
uorses the monetary system which -
mas so often and so emphaticallv con.
demneu. Tho Democratic partv nm tho
contrary. remains the steadfast ndvoe
c,ite OF the gold and silver coinage M
ne constitution, and is not willing
that other nations shall determine fo,.
us the time and manner of restorin,r
silver 10 it's ancient place as n siana
ara money. The ratio of 16 IN is
not only the ratio now existing be-
tween all the gold and silver dollars In
circulation in this country. ratio
which even the Republican Adrninis.
tratipn has not attempted to change
but 1t Is the only ratio advocated hv
those who are seeking to reopen tho
mnts Whether the Senate, now hos
tile TO bimctall!sm. can be changed
during this campaign or the camnaipr
OF l9o2 can only be determined after
the votes are counted, but neither the
present nor the future political com.
pieXion of Congress has prevented OF,
should prevent an announcement of
the party's position upon this subject
In unequivocal terms.
The currency bill, which received the
sanction of the Executive and the Re
publican members of the House and
Senate, Justiiies the warning given by
the Democratic party in 1896. 1t was
then predicted that the Republican
party would attempt to retire the
grcenhacks although tie PARTY and it's
leaders studiously concealed their in
tcntions. That purpose is now plain
and the people must choose between,
tho retention of the greenbacks, issued
and controlled in volume by the gov,
eminent. and Il national bank note cur
rency issued by banks and controlled
IN their own interests. II the ma
. tional bank notes are 10 he secured by
bonds. the currency system now sup
ported by the Republican party IN
wolves permanent and increasing
debt, and, so long as this system
stands. the financial classes VIII he
tempted To throw their powerful innu-
ence upon the side of any measure.
which will contribute to the size ana
prrlnanency of a national debt. 1t is
hardly conceivable that the American
people Will deliberately turn from the
debt-paying policy OF the past, TO the