The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1893-10-19
A Letter from the President to the Governor
of Georgia.

Vi dCOASAd
ATLANTA. GA, Sept. 27.-The Consti-
tuition tomorrow will print a letter from
President Cleveland to Governor North
en-, in which the Presi lent states his po-
sition on the financial question at some
length. The letter is in reply to one
written by Governor Northen on the
18th inst. The Governor refuses to give
his letter out for publication, but it is
known that it presented a graphic pic
ture of the political situation in Georgia
and the South, and urged upon the Pres
ident the expediency of public utter
ance from him more comprehensive than
his recent message as to the proper poll
cy to be pursued by Congress upon
questions affecting the stringency of the
times and the needs of the people. It is
understood that in his letter Governor
Northern pointed out inroads being made
in the Democratic ranks by the Popu-
lists by reason of the neglect or delay on
the part of the Democratic majority in
Congress to meet legislation on the line
of the party platform and pledges. He
dwelt especially upon the financial con-
dition and political unrest of the farmers
proportion of the Democracy.
The Presidents reply to that letter
was received this evening, and is as fol-
lows:
ssExEcUTIvE MANSION. WASHINGTON,
Sept. 25th.-Hon. w. j. Northern, My
Dear Sir / hardly know how to reply
to your letter of the 10Th inst. 1t seems
to me that l am quite plainly on record
concerning the financial question. My
letter accepting the nomination to the
Presidency, when read in connection
with the message recently sent to the
Congress in extraordinary session, ap-
pears to me to be very explicit. want
a currency that is stable and safe in the
hands of our people. l will not know
ingly be implicated in condition that
will Justly make me in the least answer
able to any laborer or farmer in the
United States for shrinkage in the
purchasing power of the dollar he has
received for full dollars worth of work
or for a good dollars worth of the prod
uct of his toll. l mot only want our cur
rency to be of such character that all
kinds of dollars will be of equal purchas
ing power at home, but / want it to be
of such a character as will demonstrate
4 ;cJ "a rpNn6 fuith TINS
placing upon firm foundation our
credit among the nations of the earth.
| want our financial conditions and the
laws relating to our currency safe and
reassuring, that those who have money
will spend and invest it in business and
new enterprises instead OF boarding It,
You cannot cure fright by calling it fool
ish and unreasonable, and you cannot
prevent the frightened man from hoard
ing his money. want good, sound anc
stable money and condition of conf
dence that will keep it in use.
s'Within the limits of what l have
written am friend of silver, but l be-
lieve it's proper place in our currency
can only be fixed by a readjustment O
our currency legislation and the inaugu
ration of a consistent and comprehens
| i've financial scheme I think such {
thing can only be entered upon prof
tably and hopefully after the repeal o
the law which is charged with all ou
financial woes. In the present state o
the public mind this law cannot be bull
upon nor patched in such way as t.
relieve the situation.
II am therefore opposed to the fire.
and unlimited coinage of silver by thi
country alone and Independently, and
am in favor of the immediate and un
conditional repeal of the purchasing
clause of the so-called Sherman law.
II confess am astonished by the op
position in the Senate to such promp
action as would relieve the present I'LL
fortunate situation.
my daily prayer is that the delay oc
casioned by such opposition may not b
the cause of plunging the country int
deeper depression than it has yet know
and that the democratic party may nc
be Justly held responsible for such
catastrophe.
Yours, very truly,
GROVER CLEVELAND"