Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 October 1896 — SENSATION OF THE CAMPAIGN [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

SENSATION OF THE CAMPAIGN

Brltkh Acknowledgement That Bryan's Election and Free Coinage of Silver Will Start American Mills and Reatore Good Prices to the American Farmer and Planter. English gold for m'kinley. The Genulnenecs ofthe Francis-James Letter Is Proved Beyond All Doubt and the Gold ites Are Left to Silent Mourning er Infantile Mocking. MwtiMT column of this israe will » found fuo dmile copies of ths first, ttdrd sad fourth pages of the Francis tetter, the publication of which has pro-

tuoggw SUC 81-MILB 07 THE ENVELOPE IN Iwoemadi tbajtci*-james letter came. finced such a profound sensation. This Jtettw was Received by Mr. John James fit Howard county, who consented to Mtew its publication in his home paper,

BBCLE or BEVEB6E OF ENVELOPE IN I WBMETHE FRANCIS-JAMES LETTER CAME. (the Kokomo Dispatch. Following is The Dispatch’s article: From HU Home Paper. The Dispatch prints below a highly significant letter from a naturalised American citizen now visiting in England, his former home, showing that funds to aid in the election of McKinley are now being collected from workingmen in the English mills upon the representation to the workingmen by their employers that the success of Bryan and the free silver cause in America will cause an increase in the price of flour and the raw materials exported from the United States for use in English factories, would result in the opening of the American mills now closed, bringing American products into competition with the English manufactures in the foreign markets, and possibly resulting In the closing of English mills. Recognising the importance of such a letter in the campaign, and being assured in advance that its genuineness would be fluestioned by the gold standard party, The Dispatch has been at much pains to clearly and convincingly establish its genuineness and its thorough reliability. The writer is George W. Francis of Pierre, 8. D., a farmer, a Republican in politics, and a thoroughly reputable gentleman. It is addressed to John James of New London, this county, a gentleman who is well known in this vicinity, particularly in northern Howard and Southern Case counties. The letter in full is as follows: The FranoU-James latter. “Southfort, Eng., Oct. 1, 1896. “Mr. Jamas, “My Dear Friend John—You will be surprised to get a letter from me and to know that I am back in old England on a visit. I landed on Aug. 11th at Liverpool. We had a pleasant voyage. How are you getting along in old Indiana? I have been trying to get your address for a long time, but have succeeded at last by finding your sister in Southport. I have been down in Herefordshire most of the time, but have been in London and Manchester. There don’t Seem to be much change in the looks of the country, but quite a change in the people. I am getting homesick to get back to Pierre. I attended a large farmers’ and laborers’ meeting at Preston a week ago. It was called for the purpose of petitioning to parliament for bill in favor of bimetallism, aS AGRICULTURE IS IN A DEPLORABLE CONDITION HEBE AS WELL AS IN AMERICA. Brother Harry has been working for Martin & Co., cotton manufacurers, Manchester, for two years. He has left and is going back to America. He told me something that surprised me —thut the general surperintendent had BOLHHTED A SUBSCRIPTION OF ALL THE MEN US SEND TO AMERICA MONEY TO AID IN THE ELECTION OF McKINLEY, AND TO FIGHT THE FREE COINAGE OF SILVER. He toldthem that if free coinage webe established in America they would have to pay double price fob their floub; the price of raw cotton wnm.n RISE' and that the mills of -America would start to run again and qqme in competition with Engforeign markets and perhaps throw them out of work. They raised A 67. Brother Harry gave nothing, as be is.oommg with me. I came to EngLand'<a Republican, but I wnA comb BACK A FOBS COINAGE MAN. I did not intend to go back until spring.-but will igo back at onee gnd do what I can fob Yme fhhe coinage of silver. I have Heard a deal about polities in America and have heard things that made my very hair stand on end with nge in London and Liverpool. Now, [WHfc gpopfetog OV Own interests.

WE MUM TOCS AMD WORK FOB BaffAM, REOARDUSSS OF WHAT P ABTY WS ha VS represented heretofore. It is of vim importance. We will stop over at your uncle’s at Portage, Wis., two weeks, and then go on to South Dakota. Please write soon. In conclusion will say, do all you can for Bryan. If this letter will do any good, use it. “Address me at 807 box, Pierre, South Dakota. George W. Francis. “Best wishes to all.” Who Are Francis and James? John James, to whom the letter is addressed, owns a small fruit farm one and one-half miles northwest of New London, in this county, which he purchased from the Harris heirs in 1892. Both he and the writer of the letter, Mr. Francis, were natives of Herefordshire, Eng., .They came to America together in 1880, Mr. James paying a portion of Mr. Francis’ passage money, and lauded at Toronto. They came at once to Indiana, where Francis remained but a short time, going west and settling near Pierre, S. D. James at first worked for James Hiller, a short distance west of Galveston, and was subsequently employed by the late “Jack” Harness, who then lived on the Howard-Cass county line. With the exception of a short time spent in the west he has lived in Howard and Cass counties since he first came here 14 years ago. By all his former neighbors, and his present neighbors as wen, he is spoken of as an entirely truthful and thoroughly reliable man. He formerly voted with the Republican party, but in 1892 supported Weaver for president. He has at no time been active in politics, but expresses a willingness to go among his friends and neighbors with the letter and let them see that their interests are being fought with British gold wrung from the earnings of the English workingmen. He had not heard from Francis in many years until now. His last letter before this one contained a remittance covering the money advanced by James for the passage from England and other money loaned, to secure which James was compelled to pawn his watch in Toronto. One moment’s conversation with Mr. James will convince any unprejudiced person of his truthfulness and honesty. The letter with its envelope bearing the English postage stamps and Southport postmark, is now in the possession of Allen W. Clark, of the Democratic state committee at Indianapolis, who is having it photographed and a photographic reproduction made for the press. Confirmatory -ot the Statements of ExConsul Folsom and the London Financial News. The Francis letter is the strongest possible evidence confirming the recent statements of Benjamin Folsom, former consul to Sheffield, on his return to the United States. The source of the information may be humbler, but it. is even more direct and certainly not less reliable. Mr. Folsom said: “On every side I heard in the provinces and in London, wherever I was, in hotels or clubs, that England would never consent to any such doctrine as bimetallism. The English monied men make no attempt at concealing their desire for McKinley’s election because it is for their own interest. * * * * England is against Bryan, against bimetallism, and everything else which would tend to advance our interests. They have gold beady TO KILL SILVER IN THIS COUNTRY IF NECESSARY.” It is in confirmation of the conviction expressed by the London Financial News the leading English financial journal, in its editoral columns on April 80, 1894, when it declared the result of independent free coinage in the United States would ruin British trade and give us the markets of the world. “Every American industry would be protected,” said the Financial News, “not ONLY AT HOME BUT IN EVERY OTHER It has been charged by the Republican press that this article from the Financial News is a forgery, but irrefutable evidence of its genuineness has been produced and published, not only in the photographic reproduction of the article furnished by the Durant Press Guttings bureau of London, but in the photographic reproduction from the columns of the Chicago Tribune, an ardent supporter of McKinley, of a cablegram from Ballard Smith, London representative of the New York World, also a gold organ and McKinley supporter. Of these a convicting case is made up. Let the people of this country make answer— Shall British money or American MEN BULE IN THE UNITED STATES?