The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1893-12-08
VAN ALAN WILL NOT BE AMBASSA-
DOR TO ITALY.

Denies Having Given Fifty thousand Dol
lars To the Campaign Fund, but Says tho
Amount Contributed Was Something
Considerable-self Respect Compeis
Him to Refuse the Appointments.
NEW YORK, Dec. 5.-The following
correspondence between Hon. j. j. Van
Allen and the president and department
of state is made public and is self-ex-
planatory.
NEWPORT, r. l., Nov. 20.
To the Hon. Walter e. Gresham, Secretary
of States
SIR--I have the honor to acknowledge
receipt of your letter of the 2Sth of October
in which you officially notify me that the
president, by and with the advice and con-
sent of the senate, has appointed me am
bassador TO Italy.
Since the receipt of your letter / have
given the matter my most serious and
careful attention and, as the result Of my
reflections, have concluded to ask you to
express to the president my decision not to
accept the Office rendered me.
| must beg that you will not infer from
this section any lack of appreciation on
my part of the honor conferred. On the
contrary fully comprehend the dignity,
Importance and responsibility of the posi-
ton and having this realization L may
frankly add that the nomination was ex-
tremely gratifying to me-nOt in person.
al sense merely, but more particularly
because of the opportunity afforded me OF
representing my country in such manner
as | hoped might be satisfactory to the
American people and creditable to the ad-
ministration. Among the comments upon
my nomination which appeared in the pub
lie press one charge only merits attention,
not because it was true, but because 1t
was, and, L suppose, still is believed by
many persons unfamiliar with the individ-
uals concerned and the facts essential to
the formation of an accurate judgment.
The charge was that l received the APP
pointment in return for contribution OF
$50, 900 to the Democratic national cam
paign fund. While my nomination was
pending in the senate, it did not seem
fitting and proper for me 70 offer more
than an explicit denial. / was aware chat
as an interested party my statement would
have little effect beyond the limits of my
personal acquaintance. Now, however,
when my action cannot be attributed to
purely selfish motives, it would seem to
me that "a repetition of that denial which /
make without qualification should be
sufficient for any honorable man.
L have never denied, and do not now
deny, that | contributed to the campaign
fund-not $4,000, but yet considerable
sum of money, sincerely believing, as /
did, that u continuation OF Republican
supremacy would be, not only II hindrance
to national progress, but in time positive
menace to the success of popular govern
ment, and having large interests at stake,
/ was impelled by both patriotic and selfish
reasons, to aid the Democratic cause.
SO far from attaching undue Importance
to it, | was fully aware that the contribu-
ton meant far less to me than the time
and effort devoted by thousands of UNI
selfish citizens to the same campaign. Nor
did / believe that it should entitle me to
any more consideration. On the contrary,
| have not only admitted, but have pos
itively insisted at all times that it created
no obligation TO me whatever, and | feel
confident that the president who, in fact,
was kind enough to say to the Democrats
of Rhode Island that his personal acquant-
ance with me enabled him to consider my
candidacy solely upon it's merits, will bear
me out in this assertion.
On the other hand | frankly admit that
until after the appointment had been
made ltnever once occurred to my mind
that my contribution could be used TO my
injury. 1t Therefore seems to me sufficient
to add that selt-respect compels me to
adopt the only alternative and decline
the high office to which J have been ap
pointed have the honor to be, sir, your
obedient servant. j. j. VAN ALIEN.