Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1908-02-05
w. ]. Bryan's Influence Upon
the County
TTAJpER RIncp Fob 2 1903

TIMBER RIDGE. req. 3, ISU
EDITOR GAZETTE LIN the las
several issues of your paper nucl
has been said of William j. Bryal
as the prospective natlonsl stan
dard-bearer of the Democratic par
ty. Now wish to tell you tina
down here In this part OF Rock
bridge county we supported Mr.
Bryan for the Presidency in tn,
year 1895; we then believed tina
the platform on which he ran fol
the high office was right and just,
and we have never had any reason
to change our opinion of Mr.. Bryan
and his platform. In truth. all ma
tional developments since that time
have gone to prove that the princi
pies enunciated in the Chicago
Convention of 1896 were right,
and these principles that for the
first time in the history of Ameri-
ca were announced by any pollti-
cal party kava of recent years
been the basis of our greatest
national legislation. And as Mr..
Bryan got the credit of writing
the Democratic platform of the
Chicago Convention Of 1895. he
seems t. have been given full
and special premonition as to what
We uld be the trouble for the future
lawmakers of America.
In 1896 Maj. Mckinley, who
had been as great an advocate of
the free coinage of silver as any
man who had figured in public
life, was elected as a stradler of the
money question, and every news
pc per reaoer will remember the BIZ
metal commission, headed bv Mr..
Wolcott, that was sent to Europe
by Mr.. Mckinley after his first
election, and the year of 1897, al.
epough Mr.. Mckinley had been
elected president of the United
States, brought to the farmers of
Rock bridge the lowest market ever
realized 70. their produce, and it
was not till the great gold discov-
cry was made in Alaska that the
markets began to improve, but the
fact that the gold was discovered
after and not before the election
of Mr.. Mckinley, the prosperity |
that followed was attributed, not |
to the gold find but to the triumph |
Of Republican principles.
We farmers down here utterly
'ail to see how protective tariff
aw, like the Dingley bill, benefits
he producing class of people of
America, but do see how by this
aw another class of people is made
immensely rich, and that by the
mere operation of law.
AS 10 the money question your
writer reads with much interest
he daily discussions that are now
DING on in Congress, and notes
he difference of the two bills that
re row pending in The two House;
Congress to regulate the money
f the United States, known as the
ldrich and Fowler bills. Mr.. Aid ,
ch of the Senate offers a bill dia-
:etrically opposed to the one offer
by Mr.. Fowler of the House, and ,
ct the two gentlemen enjoy the
ndisputed distinction of being
aiding Republicans. So We reason
lat the money question is far
ON being settled.
Senator Aldrich is one of the 9
en- who, when Mr.. Cleveland as {
mbled tie special session Of Con +
'ess in the summer of 1893. to re.
,al tie purchasing clause Of tho +
1erman law, said that all banking \
ID business of the country must =,
; done on gold basis gold must
, the measuring stick, and YET +,
e bill he now offers in the U. S .
mate he makes it lawful for
INKS to issue money on municipal d
'nds. railroad bonds and all such. =,
her it is known the country over
b, many, very many of such Sc >.
rites are absolutely worthless. ~ =,
Some of Mr.. Bryan's newspaper ~
itics claim that Re deals in plat Vt
ides. Now the heads CT the
eat corporations of America d. p,
I say this of him; they say be -
too specific in his utterances, fol u
ample, in the Chicago platforms p
1896, that Mr.. Bryan got the y
edit of writing, he was charged ="
being an enerchist, because he
ecifi'ally procl4ims in that plat "a
IN against certain branches OF
, government for an abuse of 10
,ir power in connection with ~
'poratiOns. ~,
Yes, Mr.. Greenlee ID. Letcher W
s right when in Washington 10
gave it out that the Virginia r.,
'ple wanted Mr.. Bryan for pres ~. 49,
mt. They want him because ht ~
truthful, because he is honest n,
| above all, because he is an ear 49,
It Christian man. Tie plain, -
Uniformed peorle of Virginia -
not want any other candidate ""
n William j. Bryan. W.
The newspapers and their cor. "'o p
( ondents who have been advo
ing an early convention for the .I''
pose of heading off Mr.. Bryan, 'n'
L L -.