The daily silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1903-1907, 1904-03-23
MR.. NIXON s REPLY
To THE JOURNAL
Copy of a Letter Sent to the
Reno Pdper-keeping
History Straight

Inc lOioWbB 10 copy Vi lSbtci
sent by Mr. Geo. S. Nixon to the Reno
Journal. in reply to an editorial pub
llGhed in that paper commenting up,'1
his reasons for leaving the Silver
party. Up to the present time the
Journal has failed to publish Mr..
Nixons letter, which is here given In
fuil
Winnemucca, New, March IS. 'O4.
Editor Nevada State Journal. Reno,
Nevada:
In your issue of the 10Th inst. note
an editorial criticislng my published
reasons for voting with the Republi-
can party this year. | quote:
What any individual may do as
mere personal action has very little
weight with the masses of the people
The reasons which man gives for his
political action do carry weight or fail
to carry 1t according to the character
of those reasons. In this case no rea.
sons are given that are calculated tc
influence the sober judgment Of any
thinking man in the state.
First, Mr.. Nixon says that the sill.
yer issue has been tried and lost. ard
that he is too good an American not tc
be willing to bow to the will of the
majo. ity. although he is as strong a
ever in his views on silver. If this ar
gument is sound. it is a little singular
that 1t took Mr. Nixon so long to fine
it out. The silver men were beaten In
1896 and 1900. And yet, In 1902 he wa
still in fun fellowship with the Silver
party"
You, no doubt, are willing to admi
that reason. to be a good reason
must be based on reason, be logical
state facts and not bubble over non
essentials.
You take exceptions to the fact thai
1 have been so. long in finding out thu
true situation. ard since you see
TO quote history let us be technically
correct.
You state that the silver men were
beaten both in 1896 and 1900. How
about 1902? That was the year the Sill
Yer party OF Nevada was organized
and waged a relentless battle agains
both the Republican and Democrati,
parties in this state.
PIior TO 1896 for years. first one then
the other of the two dominant parties
flrted with the silver question wher
making platforms ard nominating pres
idential candidates, ard the object OF
a one-issue party In Nevada was t.
bring together into one party all the
Independent voters in the state who.
favo. ed fhe iemonitization of silver al
the ratio of l6 TO l. The result, so ia
as Nevada was conce ned. was a mos
signal victory for the silver forces. M
Cleveland. the Democratic nominee
only received ia votes In the state
although some of the most ardent sup
porters Of silver" now were then JUS
as earnest in Their support of him ana
his gold policy.
/ was chairman OF the state centra
committee of the silver party that yea
and am quite familiar with its histot, ,
up to 1896, when the Democratic party
adopted a silver plank and nomi-
mated w. j. Bryan, a silver man. foi
the presidency.
| believed at that time the mission
of the Silver party OF Nevada was
ended, and so stated In an open lette
published shortly after his nomination.
The Silver party was organized 10
one purpose and only one pus pose, viz:
10 band together in one party all the
voters in Nevada who would pedg.
themselves to support no man for the
presidency who did not believe i'm tn,
free coinage of silver and stand upon o
flee coinage platform. the object OF
this unity being to influence one o,
the other of the two great parties into
giving US a candidate and platform
favo able TO those principles, and ]
felt then. and | feel now. that the hon
est, patriotic object of the Silver party
of Nevada was accomplished and It's
mission ended when Mr.. Bryan was
nominated on the Chicago platform.
Since then the organization OF the
party has been handled more in tn.
interest of the ambition of men than
I'm the inter est of the silver cause. You
know this to be fact and so does
every other man in the state who Is
not influenced by self-interest, preju-
dice or partizanship.
You also take exceptions to my state
ment that the war is over" II II Is
not over, inform me where 1t now ex.
lists, as | am as anxious as ever tc
take a hand In the contest.
l will quote from recent editoria
which appeared in your paper:
while no true, Democrat will ad
vocate the abandonment of a cardina
principal of the party. wise and prac
tical Democrats viii not urge to thu
from issues which cannot be exploited
at the present time. and which by per
mitting them to remain In allegiance