The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-11-01
o'FERRALL SPEAKS.
He Defines His Position III the Present
Campaign.

| Editor of The Times:
Sir,-Eor nearly three years 1 have been
contining myself strictly 10 the pursuits
| Of private life and taking no active part
IN politics. Neither my views upon the
I political issues OF the day nor the way
IN which ] may cast my vote at the COM
ing Presidential election can be OF any
special interest to the general public; yet
whenever my opinions OF intentions are
made a matter of notice n tie press
prefer that they shall be correctly stated
Recently an announcement has appeared
in several papers to the effect thar
would not support Bryan and would cast
my ballot for Mckinley. AS l do not
desire this statement to go unnoticed.i |
beg sufficient space in your valuable col
umns to state briefly my position.
1t is true, l have no idea of supporting
Bryan. but it is not true that l intend to
vote for Mckinley
l feel now just as felt i'll 1856, except
that l shall Withhold my vote from Bryan
with far less reluctance now than then.
The paramount issue in this campaign
is free silver, as it was in the campaign
OF 1886 would not endorse the doctrine
four years ago because l believed it to
be wrong;1 cannot endorse it now, be
cause | know it TO be wrong. | acted
upon conviction in 1896; [ shall act now
upon ocular proof with no hinge or loop
to hang a doubt on that l was correct
in my conviction. l did not believe free
silver was a remedy for hard times. but
on the other hand that il would plunge
us into untold troubles, and the prosperity
Which has come TO US without free silver.
has demonstrated that l was not mistaken
III my judgment. With the declaration
in favor OF the free. unlimited and indie
pendent coinage of silver at a ratio of
1G 10 l in the Kansas City platform, every
.Vsil1 ba q FIJI
free silver. The assertion Of some that
silver is dead is unfounded How can it
be dead when ii is presented as an issue
in the platform of 4 party that cast $780,
coo votes against 71G1,GGl in the last Presi-
Dental election and whose present can
didate in all his Western, if not Eastern
speeches, swearS allegiance 10 it, How
can it be dead when the campaign emblem
OF the party is a metal or button repre-
senting the white medal? 1t is not dead
but if it were so dead that its dry bones
ratified in their sepulchre | would not by
my vote pay tribune to It's memory.
l have said that silver is the paramount
issue of this campaign. II is true the
cry Of imperialism is heard, and we are
told that the republic is III danger, and
that antl-silver Democrats should bury
their convictions upon the money CUES
ton and rally to the support OF Our insti-
tutons If this is so. why did not the
detesates 70 me Kansas city convention
slio" tltii pat.lot.sh py dropping me
oolie u co,iteatloh ana SAVING 70 theif
anti-siiver brethren let us relegate to the
rear our dl1tefences and come together IN
q common cause IN the defense OF
common country: with what grace can
me ioiio"ers Oh MI bfyah appear TO anti
aiiHei Deiiio9i.t!s 70 JON then upon the
sioulius " s'44otishl. WIleh lhey were 50 |
uhpd tilotic aS 10 refuse 10 leave out OF |
their PLATFORM ptank winch they knew |
would be ooJectlonable to their anti-silver
brethren: III imperialism was to be made |
'ie s.ed ''nu important Issue OF the
cahipa!Sh' aliu tiieS verify peleEed mere
was osiisei % on. passing from the ways
Oh repuoilc INTO the ways OF an empire
why olu theS NOT SO declare ana adjourn?
why lns ID me bone OF contention BY
eiie!s aslio'i, leS oeciafea thst our m
S'itu.iotis WIZ III peru ana tieS must DC
SAVED, out SILVER must also be saved; that
po'i i,tasl nc S7Neo or ies8. II may De
.'ial t.ies i!<io Such latin IN me patriot
ISM OF anii-siiVef Democrats, as TO be-
iiese liz 'hes would close thelf eyes
70 aii pa . " me PLATFORM except the
tiaiit> oii iiiipsi 4ailsih, ana iof the sake
o. tneii Sol..l'fS unite with then IN pre-
serving st - rom 1nperlailstc tendencies.
! .iiis "as cue OPINION elhey entertained
80 ~ - s'ii'i-s'iVeS orethseil, Deg to
-, 80 ~ sieatef compliment could
l.s,s oeei PAU mem. tStt these are thou-
y1FnfI 7,