Item 128/2 - Printed letter by William Everett, extracted from the New York Evening Post entitled Duty of the Gold Democrats

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Discusses the impending election, with reference to the candidates and past political affairs. Begins with the question 'What do the "Gold Democrats" or, more properly, the supporters of the Indianapolis convention of 1896, propose to do at the coming election, if the regular candidates, as seems probable, are again McKinley and Bryan?', and goes on to give his own views on the situation. Refers to Palmer - a Chicago candidate in the election of 1896. Complains that President [Cleveland] 'has from the outset cast away the Constitutional authority of his office', and, amongst other accusations, levels at him that of allowing the War Office 'to be dragged throught the mire of nepotism and jobbery' and of having damaged the merit system, 'to the encouragement of the spoilsmen, that have been since Garfield's murder.' Urges those men 'who believe in a consistent and patriotic opposition to the Republican party...in the Constitution as it is, and the Union as it was before Imperialism had sought to inflate it to a dominion which cannot be called by any known name', not to vote for Bryan, but rather to 'construct a platform and name candidates of their own, which shall stand for the traditions of the fathers, the needs of the hour, and the claims of posterity.'