The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-06-12
"Charles A. Towne, of Duluth, was born
Noyemher q, 1858, in Oakland County.

"Charles A. Towne, OF Duluth was born
| November q, 1885, In Oakland county,
Michigan: educated In common schools and
the University of Michigan admltted 10 the
| Bar IN 1866 removed To Duluth IN iS9O LOOK
part in every campaign from 1870 GOWN, DuC
never ran for office until elected TO the 5ilh
Congress as a Republican receiving 25 +SI
votes against 1886 votes for Melvin r. Bald;
win, democrat, and G,i75 votes for kitlel
| HalvorRen, Pnpulist.
the next issne of the Congressional Dircc-
tory conveys the startling iniormatlon lnal
| Chas. \. Townc WAS defeated on me topu,iS-
tic ticket by the Hon. Page Morris. The
most remarkable speech that Mr.. Towne
made during his term In Congress was one IN
which he said that, while young mis- record
as Republican was unlmpenceaole ne
had Inherited u from his father and his
grandfather" lie had been rocked In Re-
PUBLICAN cradle" and had always lifted M hlS
voice in behalf Of the Repnnlican patty
Within a few weeks after this remarkable
speech he had walked out or me only he
publican Convention to wnlcn ne nad ever
| been a delegate and joined the Silver Repu6li-
can party. He went home as Silver Re-
| publican ard two weeks later was nominated
| ior Congress as a Populist anu endorsed oy
| The Democrats. He was nominated as vice
President by the Popullsts anu linen went 10
| Kansas City and proclaimed TO the D5mo-
| cratic Convention that he was only masque-
rading as asPopullst and Silver Republican,
| and, az a matter of fact, was simon pure
| Democrat. He then received hs FopulisI
| fIom the Populistic Governor of Minnesota,
J a thirty-day appointment as Senator OF the
ITnited States and placed himself under the
direct management OF Senators retlr!grew
and Butler, one a Republican and the other a
Populist. ,,,,. nm
| their party 20 down In defeat IN order tnat
| one isaue may be maintained they ellher De-
| lieve that this issue lies at the very fou nda
tion OF all government, or else they nave
some ulterior motive. In the case or the Sill
yer issue experience has proved that, whether
| Ipr 10 frpa cOinapR OF silver Is OenenClal
and the wisest system OF hnance. YET tne per,
petuity Of our institutions does not depend
upon it. 1t is not an issue OF such magnitude
as to justify the disorganlZation OF politica.
party in a vain attempt TO establish IL: ana
yet there eau be no doubt that the leaders or
| the Democratic party, who were responsible
| for for cling that issue in 1900 knew when they
did so that they were endangering the life Of
the party, without in any way making 1t
possible 10 carry out their design. even
though elected. Had the Democratic party
| su cceeded the Democrats from the States
which voted against that plank would nave
voted against the legislation. This would
have defeated any Act sought to be passed
for the free coinage OF silver.
Had every State which voted Tor Inc Iree
and unlimited coinage OF silver IN the Con-
| vention OF 1900 elected every Congressman
Democrat they could DOT nave caI[ea frnn1
| the States opposed to 1t would have defeated
| IL. II the entire House OF Representatives
had been Democratic majority Of this mem
| In the Democratic Convention, would have
opposed the free coinage OF silver. Then
| what was the object of these men? 1t would
seem that there could only be one solution.
The delegates from the West were personally
Interested In the free coinage OF silver for the
| reason that If carried out, 1t would open up
ine WesSfa of sSer Tne East Would
| have been I'M ured only by Inc unsettiing or
business. TIE East and the West could by
coalition obtain complete eontrol OF the
| a nd cnr, nf the SOnth. A III con-
tracts would have been gold contracts. Under
the free coinage law there would un doubleday
be a provision by which the Western bullion
| would be present ted to the mint by the East
ern banks and form basis OF permanent and
constant credit for all Western transactions.
| The banks would control the bullion and the
rates Of exchange, ana thns , wnal aney wv Woniu u
ready in gold they would about make even
through their Western connections. But the
South produces no bullion. II wouio nave
| no need for maintaining q reserve In the East
such as would be created for the beneitof the
| West by the bullion.
Ali Of It's contracts would be gold contracts.
For all of It's money IL would be dependent
| upou the East and be compelled to pay what
| ever rates the Eastern ban ks saw fit to charge.
Then part of the same scheme was TO pre-.
vent the Democratic policy OF Inc repeal OF
the tax upon State banks, In order to prevent
| the Southern States from having any crculat-
| ing medium whatever for local purposes.
Tue West would have It's silver % as t,a basis for
l
troll the gold the South would be prevented
| from even having paper. and would be under
the absolute and complete and perfect con.
| troll OF the East and West.
| When made fight in the House for the
| repeal Of the 10 per cent tax MIR. Bryan voted
against It, and Invite your attention to his
utterancss at this time, which fully confirm
| what l say. Congressman Bailey, OF Texas,
one of the abest men in the United States,
called my attention TO the sinister attitude OF
Mr. Bryan at The time. The Western silver
| CnH fH0f nf nn
convention to put up the money for the cam
| paign But the East had becom u so largely In
| terested in the newly organized industries OF
the South, and 80 much Eastern money had
been Withdrawn from the West, and found
| profitable EN- ploymept in the South, that the
| Eastern bankers saw that they had az much
| to lose ay such an arrangement as they could
possibly gain and declined 10 enter the ar
rangement demanded by the Western mine
owners At this point which occurred when
the campain was at It's height, the promised
contribution to the Dem mocratic treasury fall.
ed to come In and several wealthy silver
| mine owners made visits to New York, then
returned TO their homes and joined the Re-
publican party.
"Crime OF '13!
Up 10 this time a number or the States were
admittedly doubtful. Those Of Maryland.
New York, West Virginia and Indiana were
notably 80. But when the financial scheme
iell through there was no longer any doubt as
| to the outcome Of the election, and the doubt
full States all gave greatly increased Republi-
can majorities.
The trouble with the South has always been
its clinging TO traditions and It's lack OF prac-
tical wisdom. In preventing The other sections
| from imposing upon them by under-handed
means. the South Ia solidly Democratic, for
now here IN the world Is there q greater love
| for freedom Of speech, liberty OF thought and
action, and absolute justice, which are the
| foundation stones OF The Democratic party
But they were asleep in 1896 and 1900 and
| totally ignorant of the reasons for this new
issue being forced upon them. II was In the
| Democratic platform and they, therefore,
voted for 1t. Now it behooves them TO con-
slider why II was in that platform, and they
will learn that instead OF being Democratic II
was counterfeit TO be spurned and cast
aside.
| The South should now take advantage of
| the fact that 1t controls the Democratic party
and see to II that those principles of justice
and equality which lie at the foundation Of
Democracy are not again departed from, and
that no scheme for the enrichment OF any
section, shall ever again be incorporated into
q Democratic platform.
When called you over the phone for per
mission TO make my reply public did not
| xpect IT to grow to such length, but 1t Is a
great theme and It's Importance IL my apology.
| Yours respectfully,
| John Lowndes McLaurin.
THE COURT.