Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-09-29
FRIDAY. .....SEPTEMBEB 20, 1903.
The President to Governor Northen.


The letter OF President Cleveland TO
Governor Northen. Of Georgia. which we
pthiishcd yesterday. reads as II the Presi-
dent would adopt the words OF Martin
Luther on a memorable occasion, and
say. God help me. l cannot do other
wise" Evidently the President deeply
regrets even TO seem to be a participant
in The work OF disrupting the Democratic
marty but ne feels that 1t is a condition
and not n theory which confronts him.
arl that ho cannot conscientousy decline
f. recognize what appear To him TO
bc the facts OF the case, and so he stands
for "the right. as God has given him TO
SEQ the right Oo use Mr.. Lincolns
words. Plainly the President makes
IL apparent that his difference with so
many members Of his own party IS to
him source OF deep regret. But just
us plainly he makes 1t apparent that he
secs only one path Of duty. and so can
Walk nowhere else than where he has
walked al the while.
We cannot imagine what Influence
could lly. been brought 10 bear upon
,h, President 70 induce him to write
such q letter as the one under considera-
ton. unless 1T was that Governor
North,n implJrcd him TO save the Demo-
cratic party from disruption during his
administration. The Presidents letter
could IT, read 10 much greater profit
# Governor Northcn's letter were also
befpr. the public As II Is. we can only
gl,s~ as 10 what the latter contained.
Iut when we read the words. II hardly
know how 10 reply 20 your letter OF the
18th instant" in connection with the
words 1T seems TO me that | am quite
plainly on record concerning the financial
question" We infer at once that the
silver question in one form or another
IS what Governor Northen wrote to the
President about. If it had been upon
some other subject. the latter would
hardly have added that he wants n cur
r,ncy that is stable and safe In the
hands OF the people" or that he would
not knowingly BE- implicated I'm any meas
uTr calculated to cause shrinkage in
the purchasing power Of 1.-THE dollars.
meut By the way, the President had
a fine opportunity on this occasion to
smooth the ruiIlcd feathers Of a good
many Democrats in Georgia and else
where by coming out I'm favor OF a State
bank currency system. and denying the
power of the Federal Government. as they
do. 60 tax the issues Of State banks out
Of existence or 20 make State banks
subject to Federal control.
OF course. the bimetallists will deny
that the President Is "a friend 10 silver
In any proper sense OF those words,
and we are inclined 10 the opinion that
ne might as well have omitted them.
lie seems to concede that the panic has
no reason for its existence when he
says you cannot cure a fright by call
ing it foolish and unreasonable" We are
glad that ne looks upon the panic as
foolish and unreasonable"
The President calls for the repeal Of
the purchasing clause OF the Sherman
law-not for the repeal OF the whole of
IT, He says that law is not a good
foundation upon which to build a new
financial system, and in this opinion the
people will probably concur.
The President is certainly right in OPP
posing the free and unlimited coinage
of silver by this country alone. But he
ought TO have said in this connection
that he was in favor of the immediate
reassembling OF the Brussels conference
and an International agreement settling
all questions involved In the silver prob
lem
The President does not say that the
sherman law caused the panic. but only
that lit is charged" with having caused
IL.
What influence this letter will have
upon Congress we cannot foretel. We
suppose, however. that 1t comes too late
20 change the vote of any senator on the
bin 10 repeal the Sherman silver-law That
bin will be passed anyhow. unless the
condition" which ''confronts" the coun-
try shall soon be altered for the better.