The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-05-20
Mr.. BRYAN ISSUES
AN ULTIMATUM.
Makes Statement by Proxy and Asks
Questions of the Cleveland Sup

Makes Statement by Proxy and Asks
Questions of the Cleveland Sup
pOrters.
From the Philadelphia Record.
Omaha, Neb., May 17.-Inspired by
his close personal and political rela-
tons with William Jennings Bryan.
Richard L. Metcalfe editor of the Om-
ah World Herald, has replied through
an open letter to the harmony" editor
ial written by Norman z. Mack, editor
of the Buffalo Times and New York's
member of the Democratic National
Committee.
Mr.. Metcalfe is probably closer to
William ]. Bryan than any other man
living. He is the man who discover
ed" Bryan and gave him first state
and natiorfal notoriety.
II is anticipated that Mr.. Mack will
not reply to the letter without consul
tation with the Cleveland leaders, and
his reply will be taken by Bryan as the
ultmatum of the followers OF the
Princetonian, just as this letter is UNI
questionably the ultimatum of Bryan,
declaring his firm adherence to the
principles enunciated in the Kansas
City platform.
The letter follows:
Mr.. Metcalfe's Letter.
Many Western Democrats were IN
terested in the editorial entitled The
Presidential Nominee" and appearing
in a recent issue of the Times. You
say that for the Democratic party to
incur the hostility of either Mr..
Cleveland or Mr.. Bryan and their
many followers" would be the hight of
folly, and you add that friends of both
these gentlemen must be willing TO
eliminate their individual preferences
and to join their interests for the good
of the party"
You have struck an interesting vein
Of thought here, and 1 think that Dem
ccrats throughout the country who al
mire you as a man and a Democrat
would be glad to have you go BIZ
deeper along this line.
We must agree that it is not tpo
nuct To- ask Democrats to eliminate
individual p1 references if by this you
refer to the candidate; and yet 1t VIII
also be agreed that the candidate
should be a 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 Demo-
Gratis to yield their preference, so Tar
as the candidate is concerned, would
you counsel them to become indifferent
as to the character of the platform? 1
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 a programme by the adoption
of which the Democratic party would
not Incur the hostility of Mr.. Cleve-
land and his followers"
In the first place, could these gentle
men be persuaded to support the ticket
in 1904 if the nominee for President
were a 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 plat
forms of 1896 and 1900 be considered
eligible to the nomination?
What would you have Democrats do
in the construction of their platform
in order to avoid mourning the hosti1-
ity 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 mourning
this hostility?
BimetaIIism still an Issue.
Persistent effort has been made to
have it appear that the question of BIZ
metallsm is the sole obstacle to har-
mony so far as the platform is con-
cerned. Nothing has occurred since 1896
to Justify the bimetallist in abandoning
his position. On the contrary. the BIZ
metallst contends that the very pros
perfty of which the Republican leaders
boast is chiefly due to the increase in
the volume of money, a thing which in
the campaign of 1896 Democrats claim
ed and Republicans denied, would
bring us better times; and even though
the amount of money has largely in
creased during the past seven years
there is constant agitation for further
increase. Republican leaders would
accomplish this result by multiplying
the nation bank notes, increasing the
output to the fullest extent possible by
the government bond deposit plan and
in addition thereto comforting upon
banks the extraordinary privilege of is
suing notes on their assets. The BIZ
metallist prefers to obtain this increase |
in the Democratic way, through BIZ |
metallism. Yet for your convenience, |
in providing an answer to these ques- |
tons. let us assume that Democrats |
who believe in bimetallism would, for |
the purpose of obtaining harmony so
far as the platform is concerned, be |
willing to omit that question during
the campaign.
Do you believe that a platform that
made no reference to the money ques-
ton would avoid mourning the hostil-
ity of Mr.. Cleveland and his followers? |
Do you think that a Democratic plat |
form that failed to make explicit ref !
erence TO the money question could |
command the respect either of bimet-
allists or of single gold standard advo-
Gates?
In order to avoid mourning the hos
tility of Mr.. Cleveland and his follow
ers, would it not be necessary for the
Democratic platform to explicitly in
dorse the single gold standard, to con-
fess TO, the world that in the campaigns
of 1896 and of 1900 the Democratic par
ty was utterly wrong on that question.
in spite of the fact that it's position
has been completely justified. at least
to the satisfaction of men who have
become bimetallists after careful study
and investigation?
FilipinOs and the Trusts.
But having disposed of the money
question, either by complete silence or
by an unequivocal Endorsement of the
single gold standard, do you think II
would be possible to retain for the plat
form of 1904 other important features
of the platform of 1896 and 1900?
Shall the Democrats abandon their
position on the Philippine question
wherein they promised not to make the
EilipinoS either pitizapc ov cuh;oote "a