Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1891-02-19
VIEWS OF CoNGREssMEN.
What Members of National As
Sembly Think OF Cleve-
lands Letter.

! The Globe-Democrat's Washing
ton correspondent has interviewed
the most prominent and influential
Democrats in Congress, the recog-
nized leaders of the party, on the
effect which ex-President Cleve-
lands silver coinage letter will
have on his chances for renomina-
tion for President and their views
were published Friday morning:
II am afraid it will cost him
votes in Missouri" said Represen-
tative Mansur of Missouri. sin
my last conversation with him he
said nothing about the silver ques-
tion. | supposed as others did
that he had modified his views
about silver, but it seems ne stands
where he did when he wrote that
letter in 1856 10 Congressman
Warner, of Ohio, and to those who
Joined him in that appeal for sill
yer. 1t will make no difference
with us. We shall go ahead and
make the free coinage fight for all
there is in it,"
Another warm admirer of Mr..
Cleveland in the Missouri delega.
ton is Mr.. Tarsney of the Kansas
City District. He says the letter
eliminates Mr.. Cleveland from the
presidential contest of 1892.
"Mr. Cleveland has made a
mistake" he said. "He will find
that the West and South are not
with him. New York may domi-
nate the Republican party, but it
cannot control the Democratic par
ty."
Congressman Heard, ofthe Seda-
liza District, said: 81 respect Mr..
Cleveland's candor and honesty of
expression; but l must refuse to ac-
cept his prophecies respecting a
subject on which 1 do not believe
him wiser than the large majority
of the American people. do not
think it will remove him from the
list of probable candidates tor the.
presidency. He certainly will not
be available so long as the free
coinage system is such an import
ant issue as at present, and. in my
judgment, it will never become any
less so until finally settled"
Mr.. Hatch, of the Hannibal Dis.
trict, said, when asked his opinion
of the letter: 81 cannot express in
a brief interview my sincere regret
that Mr.. Cleveland felt called upon
to write this letter at this time. 1t
does not change my warm admira-
tion and esteem for Mr.. Cleveland
personally, but | am sure this pos
tive and determined expression of
his views upon so vital PROPOSE
tion OF Democratic policy places an
Insurmountable barrier between
himself and the great masses of the
| Democratic party"
Silver Dick Bland, of the Elev.
Lenth District, said: "Mr. Cleve-
lands letter makes his candidacy
ridiculous. He will have no iol-
lowing west of the Allegheny
Mountains"
Mr.. Dockery of the Gallatin Dis
trict, evidently felt that Mr.. Cleve-
land had made a mistake. 81
don't feel very enthusiastic over
that letter." he said. 1.-The Mis-.
souri, Democrats will not agree with
Mr.. Cleveland. They want free
, coinage, whatever the ex-Presideni
may say"
q Mr.. Whitelaw, of the Fourteenth
=, Missouri District, said: "Mr
, Cleveland is right, and the Demo
6 Gratis who are abusing him to-day
9 will be praising him tomorrow fol
his courage and candor. l am 70
, Cleveland for President under al
= circumstances"
4 Mr.. Norton, OF the Seventh Mis-
:, souri District, said:
n my opinion is that Mr.. Cieve
O land is no longer possible as
:, presidential candidate. ! am heart
!, lily eglad, however, that he has de
o clared his position, for the verl
- reason that it eliminates him from
the contest. Ny observation ba
= led me to believe that the opinion
in the East, even before the publ
cation of this letter, was largel.
divided as to the availability G
Mr.. Cleveland as the Democrat
candidate IN 1892, and the peopl
i of the West, who 80 strongly be
lieve in free coinage had alread
:, begun to regard his views on th
4 silver question with suspicion
a. The Democratic party WAS stron
:, y IN 1884 when it elected Mr.. Cievt
q land, but from the time he assume
is Office until he retired, OF
,a strength was on the wane, and "
II were led to defeat by him in 1885,
y. Since his retirement the Democra
, ic party has grown in power an
we are in a position where we wi
certainly win in 1892.