The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-09-05
Washington, D. c.,

September g. 1900.
Dear Sir: l have the honor 10 ac-
knowledge the receipt of yours of the Sd
instant in which you utter some words
of criticism upon the statements made by
me in a newspaper interview published
August Z6. in which I expressed the Opin-
ion that Mr.. Bryan. if elected President
could, by the exercise of considerable
'perverse ingenuity put the Government
upon silver basis, TUin its credit, and
bring incalculable disas ter upon the busi
ness interests OF the country.
You deny that the dangers set forth
by me in that interview really exist, and
that any President viii be able to do what
l declare might be done. unless the Re
publican party in control OF the Govern
ment in both the legislative and executive
branches proves itself utterly dishonest in
its professed purpose TO maintain the gold
standard You say your denial is not bas
ed upon the reasoning OF those OF your
critics who seek 10 show by figures that
a President desiring ever so much TO put
the country on a silver basis would lack
the means of doing So. On the contrary.
you admit for arguments sake all say
on that point. II would not seem. there
fore that there is any particular difference
between US as TO what Mr.. Bryan as Pres
ident could do under the law, or in spite
of the law as 1t now is.
1T ought TO have been apparent TO you
as !c no doubt was. that I was speaking
of the possibilities of the case, under
circumstances and conditions as they
now exist: but you proceed to point out
how at the next session of Congress,
when will meet in December, legislation
could be had which would completely
forestaH unfriendly action toward the
gold standard. even if Mr.. Bryan were
elected. and should still cherish the firm
set purpose declared by him on Septem-
Der 16, 1886. al Knoxville. Tenn. where
he said: If there is anyone who believes
that the gold standard Is a good thing, or
that il must be maintained, I warn him
not to cast his vote for me, because l
promise him that it will not be main
tanned in this country longer than 1 am
able to get rid of it
You rebuke me in polite terms for
sounding a false note of alarm, disquiet-
ing TO the business community. and eSpe-
cially so when uttered by one in author
ity.
u am not at all skilled in controversy,
and have no practice in dialectics, but I
Will indulge in a few words IN the way of
rejoinder to your criticism.
In the first place, no more serious dis
aster could Oyertake this country TN this,
l think, you will agree with mel than the
breaking down of the gold standard and
for which Mr.. Bryan contends In 1886 you
yourself are quoted as having said:
% The mere apprehension of possibili-
ty of Mr. BryaG's election and of the con-
sequeEt placing Of our country upon the
silye2: basis. has all sadly caused untold mil
}iors OF our securities to be thrown upon
tie market. Scores of business orders are
already recalled, large number of manu-
featuring establishments have already
stopped or restricted their operations, en-
terprise is already discouraged and nearly
paralyzed. And if these are the
effects of mere apprehension of a posi-
bility. what would be the effect of the
event itself? There is scarcely an imag-
Unable limit to the destruction certain TO
be wrought by the business disturbance
that Mr.. Bryan's mere election would
cause
"I myself am unable to perceive why
the same consequences. in a minor degree,
perhaps, would not ensue now which you
so forcibIy 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 dan
ger should be avoided 1t is a familiar