New-York tribune., 1907-11-28
REVISING HISTORY.

Tho dangers of writing history while history
is in the making are illustrated afresh by an
issue of fact and opinion raised in washington
the other day between two eminent Democratic
statesmen. The persOnages concerned were
Mr.. William ]. Bryan, who is now an avowed
candidate for the Democratic PRESIDENTIAL nom
nation and Senator John w. Daniel, of Viz
cina. who has been considered for some time
past as at least a receptive candidate for the
same honor Mr.. Bryan and Mr.. Daniel became
engaged in a coloquy in the lobby of the New
Willard Hotel in which these interesting pas
sages are reported TO have occurred:
Mr. Daniel-You don't listen enough to those
in the party. You are too fond OF debating
Mt. Brvan-Why. when did I do that?
Mr.. Daniel-You did it in 1900 You then de-
clared that you would not accept nomination
unless the silver plank Incorporated in the
platform.
Mr.. Bryan-Well. you were with me on that
plank in 1896 Senator.
Mr.. Daniel beg to differ with you. was
not with you.
Mr.. Bryan-You were a member of the COM
mittee which drew up the platform.
Mr.. Daniel-Yes. but l opposed that plank in
the platform. I did not believe in It. fought
il when the platform was being written.
Mr.. Bryant am surprised to hear that, for
always considered you were with me.
Time corrects many errors and history re-
vises itself when its scattered facts are seen in
the true perspective Yet the readjustment is
bound to he not little puzzlng TO contempora-
ries whose recollections have not yet been tilted
to the permanent historic angle. Mr. Bryan
therefore considerably surprised" when he
learned that Senator Daniel had not been with
him. on the free silver coinage issue in 1896.
Others will doubtless be equally surprised; for
Oh the surface Of the record Mr.. Bryan and Mr..
Daniel might fairly be thought to have acted
in concord and concert at the Democratic Ma
tiena Convention which repudated President
Cleveland's policies and made the free and un-
limited coinage of silver the partys para
mount issue
Between 1889 and 1896 Mr. Daniel had voted
many times in the Senate for the reconciliation
of silver. He appeared at Chicago in July, 1896,
a delegate from Virginia and also lead
ing member of the Bmetalc Democratic Ma
tiOnal Committee organized by Senators Harris,
of Tennessee and Jones. of Arkansas, 10 force
radical silver policy on the convention. As
a representative of that committee he consulted
with the Democratic National Committee with
view TO deterring the latter body from NAM
ing gold standard man as temporary chair
man. The National Committee was controlled
by the adherents of President Cleveland, and
when it decided TO select Senator David B. Hill,
an anti-sver man, the silver minority presented
Mr. Daniel as a minority choice, and the con-
vention- on July adopted the minority's
by vote of $50 10 349 On taking the chair
Mr. Daniel said that the contest had not been
a personal one between himself and Mr.. Hill,
but one "soHely due to the principle for which
the great majority of Democrats stood. he NIr.
Daniel standing with them" ATaigning the
Republican conventions declaration in favor of
the gold standard, the Virginia Senator de-
clared:
The disastrous consequences of such policy
are appalling to contemplate. and the only alter
native suggested is the free coinage of silver
well gold and the complete restoration Of
the American system of bimetallism.
Bring us, pray you. more makeshifts and
stFaddles. Vex the country more with proph-
ecies of smooth things to come from the Brit
ish Republican gold propaganda. We
maintain that this great nation, with natural
| base cas- Gladstone said of the greatest. con
tinuOuS empire ever established by man., with
far more territory and more productive energy
than Great Britain. France and Germany COM
blned. without dependence upon Europe for any
| thing that il produces and with European de-
pendence upon for much that produce is
fully capable of restoring its constitutional
money system of gold and silver at equality
with each other; and as our fathers in 1916 de
clared national independence, now has
| the party of Thomas jefferson, the father of
| that declaration, met here TO declare finan-
! cial independence Of all other nations
Mr. Daniel may not have been with" Mr.. Bryan
| in the convention of 1896 But his talk and
actions certainly did great deal TO spread that
erroneous impression, now duly corrected after
healing and SOLDERING lapse of time.