St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-11-03
Judge Rea Pens a Frank and
Interesting Letter to Gen.
j. w. Kay,
Who Had Written to COngrat-
ulate Him ON His Manly
Stand.
Rea Says Cleveland Was Right,
Was Honest and Was
Earnest.
..Nevep Talked With Any One
Whose Views Better Met
His own"


Rea are general and far-reaching, and
are becoming more and more apparent
each day. The announcement of his
support of Cleveland has caused stam-
pede of veterans back to Cleveland, and
still more Will come before the day of
election.
The latest addition to the literature
bearing upon this subject is the pnbll-
cation of correspondence between Judge
Rea and Chairman Kay, of the eXecu-
tive committee of the Veterans Rights
union. Gen. Kay read of the intention
of Judge Rea in the New York papers,
and penned him the following letter:
Kay's Congratulations.
New YORK. Oct. 81, 2.-Hon. John
p. Rea. Minneapolis, Minn.--Comrade
and Judge: | note with much pleas
ure the conclusion you have reached
concerning the pension vetoeS. They
were lust and right. Had you or writ
ten them. the language employed would
have been different; not that our pa
triotism is greater than that OF Mr.
Cleveland, for [ believe no broader
minded man lives in our land than he.
But our experience i'll war gave us an
inside knowledge on some OF the sub
iects discussed i'll the vetoeS which he
did not possess. On those, with better
light, we could perhaps have written
more adyisedly.
In connection with the general pen
sion bill which Mr.. Cleveland vetoed L
wish to recall to your mind my meeting
YOU at the Ebbitt house, Washington,
both before and after your interview
with Mr. Cleveland on the subject OF
pension legislation. You were then
commander-in-chlef of the u. A. h., the
grandest organization the world has
ever known. AS remember it, you
told me that the president had said TO
YOU. Il am ready to sign any pension
bill on which the soldiers are themselves
agreed" This is my remembrance. Ii
it be correct, | trust you will not hesi-
tate to make it publicly known.
Abuse and vIllltication and untruth,
spoken or written. of Mr.. Cleveland or
the Democratic party concerning their
attitude to the Union soldier and sailor
are not arguments. These things are
| unworthy American citizens. and eSpe-
cialy when it is sought by this means TO
influence the votes of the men who-to
use YOUR own language-''croWded four
centuries of human progress into four
wears of cruel war" They are I'M
worthy the party of Lincoln and Sew
ard and Chase and Sumner and Will
son, now SO sadly fallen from grace and
high estate that true men feel that they
must leave it.
Besides this, the record shows differ
entity. | know whereof | speak. "Prin-
cipleS are greater than men" or political
parties, and "truth crushed to earth
will rise again."
congratulate you on the honest pur-
pose which, seeking and once knowing
| the right, dare proclaim it throughout
the land. Thank heaven, the time is a,
hand, it is here, when | am no longer
to be comparatively alone in lighting
| the war for veterans rights. Frater-
nally yours, JOSEPH w. KAY.
Chairman Executive Committee Veter-
ans Rights Union.
Judge Rea Immediately returned the
following reply:
Judge Rea Confirms 1t.
Joseph w. Kay, Esq.,, New York-My
Dear Sir and Comrade: In answer to
your favor of the 27th inst, would say
that | distinctly remember meeting you
at the Ebbitt house in Washington al
the time to which you refer, and of
speaking with you OF my most satisfac
tory interview with President Cleve-
land on the subject of pensions.
Your statement of what l said is sub
stantially correct. l we'll remember
that my interview with President Cleve-
|land copclusively convinced me that he
| was not an enemy but friend of the
Union soldier. He listened with the
greatest interest to my views on the
subject of pensions, and when [ was
done, said: What you say tine sol
diers want is in accord with my views
and is right" l stated to you and tc
many others at the time that had never
talked with any one on the subject OF
pensions whose views corresponded
more nearly with my own. He was
earnest, tull of sympathy, and in that,
as in everything else, absolutely honest
in fidelity to his convictions.
have never at any time since, wher
occasion offered, failed to express my
opinion Of him in this regard, or to de-
fend him from the charge of being al
enemy OF the Union soldier.
have felt keenly the injustice o
that charge, and have felt humiliateC
by the fact that any intelligent soldie
should believe it,
There is no issue in this campaign OF
the subject of pensions. No one cal