Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-08-22
SILVER
REPUBLICANS
Denver, Colo, August II. 1914

Denver. Colo, August II, 1900.
To he Members Of the Teller silver
republican State Central
Care of w. H. Griffith, Secretary: Gen
tlemenI have this day addressed to
you and delivered to the secretary of the
committee my resignation as chairman.
| have not wished to do more than for
mally resign the craftsmanship of the
committee; but. after advising with
many friends whose opinion l value, 1
nave concluded that a proper respect for
your opinion requires that I.state the
have taken.
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 obeying the
instructions of the republican state con-
vention, which in effect directed the del
egates to withdraw from the national
convention if the party at st. Louis
adopted a gold standard platform. We
attended that convention as representa-
yves OF the republican party of the
state of Colorado. The action taken by
US was in obedience to the demands of
the people of the state. The people di-
rected us to do just what we did do, and
no silver republican can justly be criti-
clsed for that action, nor for the position
and 1898.
At st. Louis we declared that we We're
republicans on all questions but the
money question. After the defeat of
MI. Bryan, whom We all loyalty sup
ported, n on the anniversary of the
birth of the first American" February
%, 1887, an address was issued from
Washington signed by distinguished SEN
ators and representatives in congress,
urging the organization of a national sill
yer republican party. This address de-
clared that in differing with the national
republican, marty on the mnnav nv1oStinr
we did not surrender our convictions on
other great questions of political econ
m and government.
In June following the representatives
of 81 states of the union met in Chicago
and completed the organization of this
party. The platform adopted at the
Chicago meeting stated that the achieve
ment OF the free coinage of silver n
gold was deemed by US of paramount
Importance and should form the con-
trolling motive of Jul political action I'M
til it was accomplished. Such has been,
in fact, the declaration Of all state. dis
trlct and county conventions held by
this party in Colorado. The kansas City
platform does not &c declare.
I nave been actively connected with
the party since its organization n
ave done my share in trying to build
UP the organization and make it power
full and respected and worthy of respect.
When the party was n~ationalized, I
UOQeu uIdC It 1WSnI become d power LOT
good in the politics of the country. I
still believe that such might have been
possible had not new conditions, new re-
sponsibilities Of government and new
issues been pressed for consideration n
settlement. There is now no hOpe-in
fact, no pretense, that the party can live
beyond the present campaign, and / do
not believe it possible 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-
tions and ISSUES haye changed, and, in
my judgment, the silver question is not
today 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 o~standard democrats who re-
fused to support Bryan in 1896 are today
according him loyal support-and why?
Certainly because they either believe
that the financial question has been set
tied or side-tracked for the present. The
reason that prompts them to return to
their old party allegiance, in a measure,
at least, ~Dersuades me that I am correct
in my conclusions about this question.
In 1896 the democratic party declared
the financial question to be one of con-
trolling and paramount political import
ance. In 1900 the same party declares
another issue to be OF paramount I'M
p~ortance, n every one knows that the
open declaration IN FAVOR OF free coinage
was forced upon the convention after
the representatives of a majority OF the
delegates a voted against such a de-
claration in committee, and the resolu-
ton could not have been adopted In tn
committee had it not been for N votes
of the territories of Hawaii, Indian ter
ritory, Oklahoma, Arizona and New
Mexico. none of which has any voice in
the election of the president.
In 1896 Senator Hill of New York de-
nounced the majority of the Chicago
platform advocated by them in language
every sentence of which was 1Oyfuliy re-
,yho opnacod tho oloction of Mr. Rrv4n