The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-05-12

a good deal of bluff in that statement,
because it would have been difficult
for him to have bolted Mckinley, ow-
ing to their close friendship. Hanna
turned to him, and said; D you,
Herman, have you got no compromise
in your makeup? and Kohlsaat re-
Piled Not bit in this proposition
Hanna then turned on his heel, say
ing, L have no more time to waste
on a d fool and left the room.
THE rest of the party then took up
the plank, and along about four
o'clock in the afternoon, after near
ly five hours work, they consented
to the word gold going in. They
were all for the gold standard, but
they wanted to dodge the direct issue
as a matter of expediency, declaring
that existing standard meant gold
standard but without the use of a
word that might get them into trou-
BILE with the silverites."
Mr.. Lodges Story.
This statement, and a letter from
Senator Proctor of Vermont, written
to Melville f. Stone, general manager
of the Associated Press, in April, 1907,
which the writer has before him,
does not agree with an interview Civ
en- by Mr.. Lodge to James B. Morrow
in March of that same year, published
in the Washington Post. In this in
terview, the Senator is quoted as say
ing:
THE Massachusetts delegates arriv-
ed in st. Louis on Sunday morning,
and at once began work among the
other States. We wanted an honest
declaration on the money question.
saw Senator Plat of New York, and
he said he would give us his support
in the matter. We put aside all am
biguousness in words and made our
fight for gold. l also talked with Mr.
Hanna. | remember that he saw me
Monday morning and good humored-
in the world" (From the foregoing
report of the conversation which en-
sued between Senator Lodge and Mark
Hanna, it may be observed in pass
ing that the Senator from Massaohu-
sets appears to entertain peculiar
ideas of what constitutes humor)
"Well, | replied, 4 don't care what
color you paint the engine, so long as
it is red. That night we had the pro
mise of enough delegates to win
who wrote the plank The ques-
ton is Mr. Morrow's.
at was the work of several men
Senator oFraker, oGv. Merriam Of
Minnesota, Edward Lauterbach of New
York, and myself were perhaps the
chief authors Of the plank, although
others were consulted. Senator Forak
er did most of the writing, but
changes were made by all of US. Will
liam E. Chandler, then a Senator from
New Hampshire, and Republican mo-
unfriendly to silver, said he would CIV,
a hundred dollars to know who haC
suggested the clause pledging the par
ty to promote the cause of interna
tional bimetallism. He hunted
through the scraps of paper in Sena
tor Foraker's room, and found an ear.
ly copy of the plank, and in my hand
writing the interlineation of the clause
which had pleased and interested
him. He paid 500 for silver DO,
and gave it to me-"
What Senator Proctor Said.
1t is hard to reconcile these state.
ments of Senator Lodge with letter:
and kilograms on the subject, writer
by the late Senator Proctor OF Yer
mont. On June %, following the st
Louis Convention, Senator Proctor tel
egraphed to II. II. Kohlsaat from his
home in Vermont: please write, re.
turn mail, facts of conference, no
saying you wrote at my request. bu
consequence of incorrect Statement
that East forced gold platform OF
West. | may give interview and cop,
your letter, shall claim you were prime
mover"
Nearly year later, and shortly aft
er the interview quoted from abov,
appeared in the Washington Post
Senator Proctor wrote to Melville L
Stone as follows
81 went from the convention immed
lately into the Canadian woods TO
several weeks, and the claim of Sena
tor Lodges friends that he sforcet
the gold plank into the platform wa
an OLD story when | got out an,
learned about it, and | did not per
sonally care enough about it to con
tradict it, But for the truth of tn
story, of the very important action o
the convention, the facts ought to b
given.
Il do not wish to inaugurate an at
tack upon colleague, but if yo
make statement, l will give an in
terview corroborating it, or ! vii
join you and the others in a join
statement
Senator Gallinger was in to see m
today, and he says that on reachin
st. Louis the Friday before the con
vention, / gave him the gold plan
that day precisely as it was adopted