Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-12-02
cleveland a convert 70 Free ooinage


Cleveland Convert to Free Coinage.
The Washington Critic published a
sensational article a few days ago,
which was noticed by the LEAF
CHRONICLE and has also appeared in
many newspapers, to the effect that
Mr.. Cleveland had written letter to
Senator Vest announcing change in
his views on the silver question, that
he had become converted to the free
coinage idea, etc. The Washington
correspondent of the st. Louis Re-
public has interviewed Senator Vest
who denies the statement in toto.
He says he never received any such
letter, or any letter from Mr.. Cleve
land on that subject, nor did such a
conversation ever occnr between the
Missouri Senator and other Senators
as purported in the CLOAK room or
elsewhere. Senator Vest, however,
is convinced from conversation had
with Mr.. Cleveland during his adj
ministration that he has changed his
views very materially on the silver
question. 1t came about this way
While Secretary Manning was still to
all intents and purposes the head of
the treasury department, a commu-
nication was sent to Congress on the
coinage question, signed by Mr..
Manning, in which very strong
grounds were taken against free coin
age of silver. This was about the
third year of Mr. Cleveland's admin
istration. The day following the
receipt of this document in Congress
Senator Vest had occasion to go to
the White House. He found Presi-
dent Cleveland in a towering rage,
and the President asked him if he
had seen the communication signed
by Manning on the coinage question
sent to Congress. The Missouri Sen
ator answered in the affirmative.
Mr.. Cleveland then said that was a
terrible outrage, that Manning was
sick, was not himself, that he was
suffering from brain fever and not
responsible for the document sent to
Congress to which his name was at
tached. The President further said
that Manton Marble, at one time the
editor of the New York World and
known to be a very warm friend of
Mr.. Manning, had come on from
New York, taken advantage of Mr.
Manning's illness, prepared the anti
free coinage document sent to Con-
gress, induced Manning to sign his
name to it without investigation,
and sent it to Congress without show
ing it to the President or any men,
Der of the Cabinet, "and," continued
Mr.. Cleveland, 81 am totally opposed
to the views expressed in that docu-
ment, and so is majority of the
Cabinet"
Mr.. Cleveland went on to explain
that Mr.. Marble had taken mean
advantage of Mr.. Mannings illness
and temporary responsibility and
fired off to Congress a document for
which the administration was in a
measure held responsible without
letting a single member of the adj
ministrat0n from the President
down see it in advance. In further
conversation with Senator Vest, Mr..
Cleveland said that when he as
sumed the presidency he had very
decided views against the free coin
age of silver, but intimated that he
had since changed his mind very
materially, and left the impression
on the mind of Senator Vest that he
was then ready to approve a free
coinage bill If passed by Congress.
At the same time Mr.. Cleveland in
timated that he did not think it
would be good politics to make an
issue OF the coinage question, as
there was what he thought a serious
division of sentiment on the question
between the Democrats of the Eas.
tern and Western States, and he did
not think it would be prudent to
push the question to the front under
such circumstances. At that time
Bayard, Endicott and Manning were
opposed to free coinage and Mr..
Cleveland and all the other members
of his cabinet were in favor of free
coinage. 1t was the surreptitious
sending OF this document to Congress
which caused the dispute between
Manning and Cleveland which re
suited in the withdrawal of Manning
from the Cabinet when he recovered
from his illness.
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