Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-05-19
SUGGESTIONS OFFERED.
Open Letter Given Out By Editor
of Omaha Paper.
lslYs GOLD MEN MUST REPENT

Declares Followers of Former PreSi-
, dent Cannot Unite Party on Prinei.
I pies Deserted in 1896.
x
Omaha, Neb., May 1S.-An ultima
tum to Cleveland and his followers,
evidently at the instigation of w. j.
Bryan, has just been issued through
the latter's particular political friend
and adviser, Richard l.. Metcalf, edi-
tor of the Omaha World-Herald, in
letter replying to an editorial promul-
gated by Norman E. Mack of the Buff
falo Times. What concessions on the
part of the Cleveland supporters, what
on the part of the followers of Bryan,
are to be the price of harmony in the
democratic ranks of the nationg'
These are in brief the questions pro-
pounded by the Omaha man to the
apostle of harmony in the east.
Coming as it does from a man so
closely identified with Bryan, indeed
one of Bryan's editorial writer's on the
Commoner, and unquestionably written
after a conference with Bryan, the lat
ter cannot be looked upon in any other
light than as Bryan's challenge to
Mack, who is now apparently aligned
against Bryan, to take up the cudgel
of argument and settle whether the
party shall amalgamate or continue di.
vided against itself.
The letter published in this morn
ing's World-Herald Is as follows:
The uItimatum.
Omaha, Neb., May 16, 19O3-Norman
q. Mack. Editor Times, Buffalo, N. Y.
Dear Sir: Many western democrats
were interested in the editorial enti
tied "The Presidential Nominee" and
appearing in recent issue of the
Times. You say that for the demo.
cratic party to 'incur the hostility of
either Mr.. Cleveland or Mr.. Bryan and
their many followers" would be the
height Of folly, and you add that friends
of both these gentlemen must be will
Ing to eliminate their individual pref
erences and to join their interests for
the good of the party"
You have struck an interesting vein
of thought here, and think that demo-
Gratis throughout the country who ad.
mire you as man and democrat
would be glad to have you go bit
deeper along this line.
We must agree that it Is not too
much to ask democrats to eliminate
individual preferences" if by this you
refer to the candidate; and yet 1t will
also be agreed that the candidate
should be man whose record and
character would justify popular conf.
dence that he would honestly endeavor
to fulfill the platform pledges. But
while very properly advising democrats
to yield their preference, so far as the
candidate is concerned, would you
counsel them to become Indifferent as
to the character of the platform? am
sure you would be the last to give such
advice.
And this prompts me to ask that you
present through the columns of the
Times program by the adoption of
which the democratic party would not
''incur the hostility of Mr.. Cleveland
and his followers"
Asks Pointed Questions.
In the first place, could these gentle
men be persuaded to support the ticket
in 1904 If the nominee for president
We're man who had faithfully sup
ported the democratic ticket and plat
form in 1896 and in 1900? Would you
advise that, in order not to incur the
hostility of Mr.. Cleveland and his fol.
lowers, democrats generally agree to
the proposition that no man who heart.
lily subscribed to the national platforms
of 1896 and of 1900 be considered eli.
gible to the nomination?
What would you have democrats do
In the construction of their platform in
order to avoid incurring the hostility
+ Of Mr.. Cleveland and his followers
How many of the principles and the
policies in which we believe must we
surrender in order to avoid incurring
this hostility?
Persistent effort has been made to
have it appear that the question of BIZ
metallism is the sole obstacle to har.
mony SO far as the platform is concern.
ed. Nothing has occurred since 1896
to justify the bimetallst in abandon.
ing his position. On the contrary, the
Z bimetallist contends that the very
prosperity of which the republicans
+ boast is due to the increase in the vol
ume OF money, thing which in the
campaign of 1896 democrats claimed
r. and republicans denied, would bring lis
better times. and even though the
amount of money has largely increased
during the past seven years. there is
constant agitation for further increase
Republican leaders would accomplish
thie result by multiplying the nationa
bank notes, increasing the output to
the fullest extent possible by the gov
crnTent bond deposit plan and in ad
dition thereto comforting upon hanks