Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-29
Mr.. Bryan and Silver.

In the latest Issue Of the Commoner Mr..
Bryan says;
The opponents Of reorganization either
ignorantly or willfuHy mlsstate the facts.
The position taken by the democratic party
on the money question could not be truth.
fully described as a 'populist silver craze
The silver plank OF the Chicago platform
was in line with the action of the party for
twenty years.
Time and time again democrats in Con-
gress had voted almost solidly for free and
unlimited coinage at the ratio OF IL to l
without waiting for the aid or consent OF
any other nation. In fact. this proposition
never failed to command majority or the
democratic votes in both House and Senate
until Mr.. Cleveland's second administration,
when he used public patronage to induce
enough democrats to join the republicans 10
carry through the Wilson bill.
1.-The defeat Of 1894. after Cleveland had
carried through his financial policy. was
more sweeping than In either 1896 or l9OO.
THE democratic party has never done
anything to ALLEVIATE honest business inter-
ests. and 1t can better afford to stand firm
and continue its fight for the peoples In
terests. awaiting vindication OF Its prin-
ciples.
This statement Of the case is only in part
correct. 1t Is true that the democratic
party in Congress had repeatedly voted
for the free coinage Of silver before the
Chicago platform Of 1896 was adopted. So
often had this occurred. indeed. that the
party had come to be known as the cham
pion of silver, and as the instrument that
had forced the republicans at times to the
adoption of compromise measures from
which silver had benefited. Mr.. Carlisle as
Speaker of the House had three times ap-
pointed Mr.. Bland to the Craftsmanship OF
the committee on coinage, weights and
measures, while Mr.. Vest, Mr.. Beck. MI.
Cockrell, Mr.. Morgan. Mr.. voorhees,, Mr..
Vance and others had kept silver's flame
alight In the Senate. Until Mr.. Cleveland
recommended the repeal Of the purchasing
clause OF the Sherman act the democrats In
Congress had never been asked to take any
action in the least degree prejudicial to sill
ver's interests
But Mr.. Bryan Is clearly wrong In as
cribing the democratic defeat OF 1894 to the
action Of those democrats who united with
the republicans in carrying out Mr.. Cleve-
lands recommendations as to silver. The
republicans won on the tariff question. The
same Congress which at its special session
had repealed the purchasing clause Of the
Sherman act. at Its first regular session
had passed a hodge-podge Of tariff bill
which the business interests Of the country
warmly resented. Upon this legislation the
voters in large numbers at the very first
opportunity put the seal Of their condemna-
ton The business interests when they con-
sidered the other matter at all approved
what had been done as to silver.
1t was not until 1896 that the country was
called upon to pass on the silver question
directly and distinctly. Mr.. Bryan himself
made that necessary. He asked for a YER
dict on that question alone. and he got one
IN hat altORhther
unmistakable. Nothing was made palmer
than that the democratic party by its adop-
ton Of the Chicago platform and its nomi-
nation of Mr.. Bryan for President had
"alienated honest business interests" and
that while 1t adhered to that platform and
his leadership success at the polls would be
ip,poScihla