The Washington times., 1894-07-02
MR.. cLEvELAND's EARLYFkIEND
And Now Professor Tharin Wants Him Z,
Show Himself Consistent.


And Now Professor Tharin Wants Him q
Show Himself Consistent.
Mr.. R. 8. Tharin, president Of the People
Defensive Constitutional Union, called at tn
White House on Saturday last. He failed b
shake the executive hand and pour into tb'
letter relating to the exercise OF free speeci
on a constitutional basis.
Mr.. Tharin WIS associated with the Presi
dent in early days, and calls up an instance
in the young political life Of them both. Fol
lowing Is the letter which Mr. Tharin sends to
day by special delivery In lieu Of an audience
Hon. GROVER CLEVELAND, President OF tn,
United States:
On Saturday last, with q committee appointed
for that purpose, visited your place Of busines.
on the subject Of executive protection, undel
your oath of office, for my unabridged exercise
of free speech at y. 30 O'clock p the '4th day
OF July, 1884, at the east steps of the Capitol
Your servitors at door and steps seemed un
necessarily scared, and the latter stated that II
wrote on the back of our card my business he
would hand it to you. and We could call to-day
about noon and learn whether you would receive
us
The time is SO short and your guard is SO
dilatory that deem IL best TO write this letter
TO you, in the hope 1t will reach you and find
you in good health, and able to read it in time
TO comply with the demand have the honor to
reitefaie. tnat IN the Tree exercise OF yested
right OF speech there and then, you support and
defend the Constitution In my person
Whenever and wherever free speech has been
or Is endangered, then and there have been
amongst the foremost to exercise It. For this
have suffered in both sections and am ready to
suffer again.
There WIS time when you highly approved
OF this sentiment. In 1868. at the valIanding-
ham indignation meeting at Union Square, New
York city. when was u speaker by invitation
OF the Young Mems Democratic Association, you
may remember that you indicated your admira-
ton OF my arraignnent of the then President
for his approval OF the arrest Of Vallandingham
by one OF his generals on the plea of military
necessity. arraigned him for violating his
oath TO support, protect, and defend the freedom
OF speech, and you enthusiastically applauded
the arraignment. We were both young men
then, ana you had no open presidential aspira-
tions- In 1891 l demand that you show your
consistency, as now cOmmander-in-chief Of tine
army, full and adequate protection against the
police on one side and anarchists on the other
have no wish TO extend this letter TO any
size, as you are aware that the Constitution Of
the supreme law of the land requires a Presi.
dent-elect 10 make oath that he will support
protect, and defend IL as condition precedent
to assuming to discharge the duties OF the Office
that instrument declares that the Congress
shall make no law abridging the freedom of
speech"
OF course, the Capitol steps being under the
legislative control OF Congress. is one Of the
places where the freedom OF speech shall not he
abridged by any law of Congress. Ii is only
where Congress can make laws that it shall
make no laws abridging the freedom of speech
Otherwlse, the Constitution would be distorted
out OF all symetry 10 mean that Congress shall
make no law abridging the freedom Of speech
except where Congress has legislative control
which would be absurd
a Democrat, who dsapproved, as we did, of a
violation of the presidential oath on the ground
OF necessity, in 1863, would be Inconsistent in
the extreme IL he failed to stand by the same
principle in 1894 Principle is not mutable
though times change.
You haye reached a bifurcation in the road
You are travelling II you take the fork Mr.
Lincoln took with far less cause, You periure
yourself IL you protect my exercise Of free
speech then and there demanded, you show
to the people that you do not only use the mill
tary against the people for corporations, but for
the humblest citizen who appeals to your prote.,-
ton in right older than the freedom Of the
press. older than the Constitution, than the ex-
ecutive. judicial. and legislative branches Of the
carnated His word in human flesh. The right
is divine Its exercise is formidable to tyrants
only"
If your sentiments are so changed BY good
fortune and hypnotized by un-Amercan infiu-
ence, your guard SO impossible and your Office
80 pre-eminent that the committee fail to reach
Today your august pre-ence, this letter at least
Will remain to me. 10 history, and TO the sover-
eign people, to whom as the court of last resort
shall appeal
trample free speech into the grass, because of
the absence of that protection which Is the only
thing have demanded of you; If, through your
neglect or denial, free speech suffer wrong, /
shall have .he consolation of having done my
iuty TO avoid the catastrophe, and at the same
time TO uphold free speech at every hazard The
people Will know that the rescue has been at-
tempted and God only knows what will be the
end Very respectfully, X. 5. THARIN,
President Peoples Defensive Constitutional
Union.