The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-03-15

MILWAUKEE, Wis, March 14.-[Spe-
ciall-Gen. Edward S. Bragg, author OF
the famous phrase, 1--WE love him for
tho enemies no has made" has been
urging ex-President Cleveland to mako
public an ayowal of his position in con-
necsion with the approaching Demo
cratic PRESIDENTIAL convention.
Under date OF March no wrote q
letter to Cleveland from Fond du Lac,
containing the following paragraph:
The danger 70 public interests which
the failure of tho Democratic party
would involve seems to me now TO re-
quire an opon avowal of your willing
ness to submit to any servico to which
your party may assign you.
Many entertain fears that YOU NAV
decline further public duty. which mono
but you can eifectually remove, and
your voice will be ever heard with hon
eft and effect.
II believe your usefulness to tho ma
tlon may be greater now than ever in
the past TO carry TO victory the cause of
tariff reform and restore tho blessings
of good government to our people; and
as your follow Democrat ana fellow citi-
zen, ask you to say to your party and,
the people that your name will bo pro-
scnted to the National Democratic con
vention as Candidate for nomination
to the Presidency, and that you will &C.
cept that nomination IL the convention
shall make it, and again undertake tho
duties Of President il the party shall,
as firmly believe they will, choose YOU
for that Office"
In roply, the X-prcsident writes a.
follows:
"LAKEwoop, n. j., March. o, 1892.
oh on. Edward S. Bragg:
DEAR SIR: Your lotter or the Sth in
slant is received. have thought until
now that might continue silent on tho
subject, which, under the high sanction
of your position as my fellow Demo
crat and fellow-citizen' and in your
relation as o truo and trusted friend,
you present to mo.
IF, in answering your questions,
might only consider my personal desires
and my individual ease and comic nv
response would be promptly made. and
without the least reservation or ditfi-
Guilty.
But, il you are right in supposing
that the subjec. is related to u duty. /
owe to tho country and to my party, the
condition exists which makes such pri-
vate and personal consideration en-
tirely irrelevant.
~ cannot. however, refrain from do.
claring to You that my experience in
tho great oilice of President OF tho
United States has so impressed mo with
the solcmnity OF the trust and its aw-
tui responsibilities that cannot bring
myself to regard candidacy for tho
place as something to be won by per-
sonal strife and self-assertion
II have also an ide q that tho Presi-
dency is pre-e minently the peoples
Office, and l have been sincere in nv
constant advocacy OF the effective par.
ticipation in political affairs on tho part
of all our ci.izens.
Consequently, believe that our PEG
pie should be heard in the choice OF
their party candidates, and that they
themselves should make the nominn.
lions as directly as is consistent with
open, fair and full party organization
and methods.
81 speak q these things solely for
the purpose Of advising you that NV
conception Of the nature OF the Presi-
dental office and my conviction that
the voters OF our party should be free
in the election of their candidates, pre-
clude the possibility OF my leading and
pushing myself, seeking q canvass for
the Presidential nomination. oven if
had desire to be again candidate.
believing that complete supremacy
of Democratic principles means in
creased national prosperity and in.
creasd happiness of our people,
am earnestly anxious for the
success of the party. am
confident success is Still within our
reach but believe this Is a time Dom
ocratic thoughtfulness and deliberation,
not only as to candidates, but concern
ing party action upon questions of i'm
mense interest to tho patriotic and in
teliigent voters of the land, whose
watch Tor assurance OF safety is the
price of their confidence and support.
Yours very truly,
GROVER CLEVELAND"