The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1892-10-11
NoDafnnse is Needed.

Certain enemies of the democratic party
| who are leaving nothing undone in their
| base misrepresentation Of men and meas
ures to injure the democratic nominees,
| both state and national, are engaged in
circulating malicious reports the purpose
| of which is the injury of Mr.. Cleveland
with the people Of the south.
The effort amounts to nothing and In
stead of injuring will have the effect Of
helping, because the people so clearly I'M
derstand that the reports are untrue ana
they will accordingly argue that the other
callsnnies against the democratic party
artl equallyi as unfounded.
The following personal letter from Mr..
CleTeland, published by his consent, is an
open arsd manly answer to the work Of
his defamers:
G1fy Gables, Buzzard's Bay, Mass Sep
TENDER q, 1S92.-Clark Howell, Jr., Consti-
tuition, Atlanta, Ga My Dear Sir: l have
been fairly bombartIed for the last two or
three weeks by the reports of the falsehoods
which are being circulated by the peoples
party orators in Georgia and other southern
states, calculated to prejudice me in the minds
Of the southern people. The latest report
comes to me from Gainesville, in your state,
this evening and represents Candidate Thomas
+. Watson as saying in public speech that
Mrs. Cleveland refused to attend the unveil-
ing of the statue of Robert e. Lee because
she feared she would there meet Miss Winnie
Davis. This is entirely II new fabrication.
A number of the others have to do, however,
with alleged refusals of my wife or myself
to be introduced to Miss Davis, etc.
Another prolific source of falschoods OF the
stupldest description is in regard to my treat
ment of Frederick Douglass while was presi-
dent and he was register of deecS i'll Wash
ngton
There are some others which L do not def
ntelv recall These all seem to be circulated
by active opponents of the democracy and
their purpose is, of course, apparent. l have
not thought it necessary to deny these except
in q very few cases. / have thought that
when they assumed proportions worthy of
attention / would perhaps hear from you,
some one, who, like you understands wei the
current Of southern thought on the subject.
Such misrepresentation is irritating and eX-
ceedingly monOtonous Not one single state
ment which l have of the kind above
referred to, has any truth in it whatever, ex-
cept this, that when Frederick Douglass was
in public office In the city of Washington, !,
president Of the United States, extended
to him the same courtesieS. SO far as public
receptions and matters OF that kind are con
cerned, which were extended to other officials
Of the same grade. This, of course, was his
y
quette, and | should have been ashamed to
treat him otherwise.
If in your Judgment you think it well to
make the denial above referred to, you are
at liberty to do so, in any way you think best.
Very truly yours,
GROVER CLEVELAND.
Mr.. Cleveland needs no dcfense in the
south, which has never had n better
friend, and which will give him this time,
as it has done twice before, every one
of its electoral votes
His letter is published as an emphatic
rebuke to the extreme measures which
the enemies of the democracy have been
forced to resort to, and to set at right
the minds of the few-if there be any
who have been made to believe that
there was any ground for these absurd
syries. I