The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1901-06-27

l>9t
When such men as Senator Nrst, David
y IEli Grover Cleveland and Don NJ.
nick inson discussed the reorganization,
Nr Rrvan rcp;.d in an editorial in the
(,r,umnn.r, The plain pirport Of which
,p,e that h,. considered himself the Demo-
cratic marty and declined to b.. r."r.sai!-
izat He has on various occtSiu!.S III the
Co;umoncr read out of tn" party all men
who were rot willing TO sacrifice isil Dem
ocrat;c principles to the interest OF thr
silver question He attempted to d"icit
Garter Harrison III Chicac, and the regu-
l.r D.n,ucr.aic nominee for ma:"r N the
r;,y of S;,. Louis LecailS" they werA Demo
rats first. ;.i:i ti;I not believe that the
O.,n,cra;i;. party should! sink into Oblly-
ion by r,.tSn; of an issue which has been
rallantlv fought for. but irretrievably
lost.
The old line Democrats declined to be
| driven from their purity by man who,
| during ten years of political life, had been
n Democrat. n l'opulist and Socialist.
| Thr only office which William J. Bryan
ever held he WAS elected 10 by the l'opu-
! lists, il being impossible for the Demo
rr,1s TO secure IN election in that dis
trict. He acted with the Democrats in
| CONGRESS. but distinctly Stated that he
was not bound by Democratic plat
| form.
Asa aide partner of Mr.. Bryan, and
sharing with him in the nomination OF
the Populists in 1907 is another brilliant
orator from the State OF Minnesota. re-
fer to Charles a. Townc. Mr.. Townc,
like Mr.. Bryan, became famous in day
by reason OF his oratory and has renamed
famous rs political lightning change ar
list. His autobiography, published in the
Congressional Directory of the 54th Con-
press, reads as follows:
"Chnrles A. Towne, of Duluth, was born
November 81, 1858, in Oakland County.
Michigan; educated in common schools
and the University Of Michigan; admitted
TO the Bar in 1886: removed to Duluth in
1890 took part in every campaign from
1876 down, but never ran for office until
elected to the 54th Congress as Republi-
ran. receiving 3 ,497 votes, against 15, $50
votes for Melvin r. Baldwin, Democrat,
and 6,475 votes tor klttel Halvorsen, Pop
ulist.'
Tho next issue Of the Congressional Di-
rectory conveys the startling information
that Charles A. Towne was d teatei on
the Populistic ticket by the Hon. Page
Morris The most remarkab bic speech that
Mr.. Towne made during his term in Con-
uress was one in which ne said that, while
voung. ''his record as Republican was
i1nimpeachable. He had inherited it
from his father and his grandfather" ("
He had been ''rocked in Repu bl;can
cradle" and had always lifted up his voice
in behalf of the Republican party"
Within few weeks after this remarkable
speech be had walked out of the only Re-
pu bIican Convention to which he had ever
been delegate and Joined the Silver Re-
publican party. He went home as Silver
Repu blican and two weeks later was NOM
mated for Congress- as Populist ard On
dorsed by the Democrats. He was nomi-
mated as Vice President by the Populists
and then went to KANSAS City and pro-
,laimed to the Democratic Convention
that he was only masquerading as Pop
Mist and Silver Repu blican, and, as a
matter of fact, WIS simon pure Demo-
crat. He then received rs Populist from
the Populistic Governor Of Minnesota a
thirty-da appointment rs Senator of the
United States, and placed himself under
the direct management of Senator's Petit
grew and Butler. one Republican and
she other Populist.
When party of men are willing to see
their party go down in defeat in order
That one issue may he maintained they
iither believe that this issue lies at the
yery foundation of all government, or else
they have some ulterior motive. In the
:ase of the silver issue experience has
proved that, whether or not the free coin
age of silver is beneficial and the wisest
system Of finance, yet the perpetuity of
nur institutions does not depend upon 1t.
1t Is not an issue of such magnitude as TO
| Justify the disorganiaation of political
party in vain attempt to establish it.
And vet there can be no doubt thet the
leaders of the Democratic party, who were
responsible for forcing that issue in 1900,
knew when they did SO that they were en-
innaering the life of the party, without
In any way making it possible to carry out
their design, even though elected. Had
the Democratic party succeeded the DEM
,crats from 1s states which voted against
that plank ould have voted against tn
legislation. This would have defeated
any Act sought to be passed for the ire
coinage of silver.
Had every state which voted for the fire.
and unlimited coinage Of silver in the con
ventiou of 1870 elected every congressman
a Democrat they could not have carr1e'
that legislation. The Democrats them
selves from the states oppo-ed to it woul'
have defeated It. If the entire house o
representatives had been Democratic
majority of this membership, as shown b,
the votes of the states in the Democratl
convention would have opposed the ire
coinage of silver. Then what was the oh
ject of these men? 1t would seem tha
there could only be one solution. IN
delegates from the West were personall
interested in the free coinage of silver TO
the reason that, If carried out. it woui'
open up the Western silver mines an
double the value of Western property
The east would have been injured only b.
the unsettling of business. The East ant
the West could By coalition obtain com
plete control of the finance and commerce
of the south. All contractswould have bee
gold contracts Under the free coinage itv
there would undoubtedly he u provision
by which the Western bullion would b
presented to the mint by the Easter
banks and form a basis OF permanent an
constant credit for all Western transac
tions. The banks would control the Du
lion and the rates of exchange, and thu
what they would lose by the deprec!atlo
of contracts not already in gold the
would about make even through thel
Western connections. But the South pre-
duces no bullion. 1t would have no nee
for maintaining a reserve IN the Fast sue
as would be created for the benefit OF tn
West by the bullion.
All of it's contracts would be gold cor
tracts. For all of its money it woald D
dependent upon the East anh be compelie
to pay whatever rates the Eastern nanS
saw NJ TO cnarSe. 1Htil u paw " va
same scheme was to prevent the Demo
cratic policy of the repeal of the tax upo
State banks, in order to prevent the Soutf
ern States from having any c!rculatln
i medium whatever for local purposes. In
: West would have its silver as basis 10
{ obtaining the gold and the East woui
$ control the gold; the South would be pre-
E vented from even having paper. and woul
:; be under the absolute aud complete an
i perfect contro! of the East and West.
=: When I made fight in the House 10
! the repeal of the 10 per cent tax Mr.. Brya
: voted against it, and | invite your after
) ton to his utterarces at this time, whlc
fully confirm what | say. CongreSsma.
L Bailey of Texas, one OF the ablest men /
q the United States. called my attention t
I the sinister attitude Of Mr.. Bryan Mt tn
time. The Western silver mine owner
were supposed ut the time Of the Conver
tion to put up the money for the can
paign. But the East had become so lnrSei
n interested in the newly organized lndu:
q tries of the South, and so much Easter
K money had been withdrawn from TN
D West, and found profitable employment
{ in the South, that the Eastern banker
saw that they had RS mach TO lose bf snc
Il ~ b