The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-01-06
THE EvARTS-FOLGER LETTER.
Mr.. Eyarts Ready to Have His Letter to Sec
Rotary Folger Made Public.

new York Times. Jan. ..
The continued flow Of stories from Washing
ton in regard to correspondence that passed be-
tween Secretary Folger and the Hon. William
M. Evarts during the gubernatorial campaign of
1882 dlsturbs no one less than it does Mr.. Evarts.
w did exchange letters at that time," Mr..
Evarts said yesterday. "Mr. Folger, as my
friend, wrote to me, and, as his friend, / replied
to him. Iden't often write letters, and am not
as careful as I should be about keeping them.
butt have found his letter and a copy of my
reply tot The reply is quite long, but it viii
be found, I think, whenever the public get a
chance to examine it, to have been pretty sound
doctrine"
Mr.. Evarts went on smilingly: CHOW, if the
act of making a friendly and honest reply, which
subsequent events justified, to a private letter
from a friend, for his personal inspection, fur
nishes an argument for the election Of Mr.. Nor
ton as senator, perhaps I had better quit writing
to any one. Would it have been right or polite
for me to ignore my friends letter.
cit has been said, / see, that the existence of
such a letter shows that / was indisposed to
speak at that time, because I was one of the dis
gruntled faction. 1t will be news to such as may
have cared to follow or to look up what I have
done in politics to hear that ever sided with any
faction; that l ever made a public speech, ex-
pecting that certain leaders would do this or that
for me. Whenever / have made a speech / have
had only in view that / might help the Repub-
lican party IN a certain definite, specific way. /
have made no speeches when / had nothing to
say, or when / thought the party could not be
helped.
'In regard to Mr.. Folger, I declared myself
for him within three days after the nomination,
and l never ceased to be for him. He had been
my friend for years. I wished he might be
elected Governor. for he would have filled the
office well. presume that very few persons, as
the campaign advanced, expected his election.
On the cont rary, those who were his friends
looked for his defeat ! from 40, 600 to go, coo
votes, some putting tin, estimates as high as
400, 600. He may lave been hopeful to the last,
but not on correct advices. Yet the fight was
not on him. 1t was on a vindication of the cam
paign managers. John f. Smyth, if | remen-
Der, was more of an issue than Mr.. Folger.
From the day of the nomination, with its attend
ant charges of fraud, the fight was on the man
agement notice that George William Curtis
charges Mr.. Blaine with having abetted the de-
feat of Mr.. Folger. Was not Mr.. Curtis one of
those Republicans who exerted themselves to
make Mr.. Cleveland Governorq
I'm giving my opinion of the situation to Mr..
Folger j did it as his friend. / didn't take his
letter and go around telling what it said or what
l had replied; nor otherwise did / herald my
opinions Of what he had asked me. To him I
stated the truth, as it seemed to nae, for which
he had asked. If I wrote to him freely it was
for his eyes that 1 wrote. It did not offend him,
for our pleasant relations continued while he
lived. Were ha yet alive 1 do not believe he
would try to injure me now for having given an
honest answer to his friendly inquiry of me.
Nor does his death relieve me, unless it may be
necessary for my protection, of my original re-
sponsibilities in regard to cur private and per-
sonal intercourse.
Il assume, of course, that these stories of the
purport of the letters have been given out to
injure me. There is no other explanation of
their motive. Well. my opinion Of the stu
alton at the time the letters were written was
confirmed by the election. l believe / might as
we'll have talked against q snow-storm, hoping
to stop it, as to have made a campaign speech
at that time with the idea Of it's helping Mr..
Folger.
sol have this to say: In reply to a letter
from my friend, I wrote him a private letter ex-
planning the situation as 1 viewed it. If the
letter was what report has ascribed to it, 1 can
expect only that those who are responsible for
these rumors will produce it, that people who
care to read it may judge OF it for themselves.
As / didn't give notice in it of my intention to
put it in print, I don't feel called upon to make
such use of it now; but if there is any dispo-
sition on the part of Mr.. Folger's relatives or
representatives to give out the letter I have
M nhiapt1np y