The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1895-05-16
SERVES NOTICE ON THEM
OFFICE HOLDERS ARE PLAINLY TOID A
"THING OR TWO"
While the President Does Not Require
Office Holders to Conform Their
Views to His, He lntimates That
They Must Not Go Too Far In
Denouncing Him and His Admins.
tratiOn.
fRichm ond Dispatch.1

fRichmond Dispatch
In the following letter from Mr.
Cleveland to Governor Stone, O
Mississippi, he says, substantially, tha,
IT office holders 60 too far in theil
denunciation OF him and his admins.
tratlon they may expect to be sum
marily dealt with but intimates tha,
he will not require them to conform
their views with his.
The President then repeats once
more his views on the silver question.
There is nothing new in his letter, oi
course, but it is we'll worded and
carefully expressed. Here is a speci-
men paragraph:
al have never ceased to wonder
why the people of the South, furnish,
ing so largely as they do, the products
which are exported for gold, should
be willing to submit to the disadvan.
tages of loss from silver monomet-
allism, and content themselves with a
deprecated and fluctuating currency. "
The whole letter is as follows:
EXECUTIVE MANSION, }
WASHINGTON, D. c., April 26, 'o5. !
Hon. J. NJ Stone, Gove,noy, etc.:
My DEAR SIR Your letter of the
21st instant is at hand. do not feel
inclined to find fault with your criti-
cism, but l think the matters YOU
refer to should be judged in the light
OF thehcircumstances existing at the
time the things were DONE 1 never
had an idea of building up or foster
ing a personal following, but so far
as politics should properly influence
me in making appointments l have
tried 10 be Democratic and not pro-
scriptive. l am glad you are frank
enough to admit your participation in
bringing about condition in office
holding which may not be all that
could now be desired.
Whether those appointed to places
shall, in speech and action, behave
decently toward the administration
under which they hold office, must
remain, to large extent, a matter of
taste and good breeding. There are,
however, some officials who devote
themselves SO industriously to vili6ca-
tion and abuse of those under whom
they hold office as to indicate that
their fidelity can not be trusted tor the
performance of their duties in a
manner creditable to the administra-
ton, and who apparently assume they
may spend the time they owe the
public service in doing political
mischief. In the interest of good
government such office holders must
not be surprised if they are summarily
dealt with.
When received your letter l had
just finished reading letter of yours
in which you explain to the citizens of
Mississippi your views on the currency
question. 1t seems to me you have in
that letter contributed in the best
possible style and in a most valuable
way to the fund of argument in favor
of sound money. have never ceased
to wonder why the people of the
South, furnishing so largely as they
do, products which are exported for
gold, should be willing to submit to
the disadvantages and loss of silver
monometallism, and to content them
selves with deprecated and fuctuat-
ing currency, while permitting others
to reap a profit from the transmutation
of the prices of their productions from
silver to gold. l hope this letter of
yours will be given the widest possible
circulation, especially among our
Southern llow-citizens, and that
they will be permitted to see the pitfall
which is directly before those vino
madly rush toward the phantom light
of free, unlimited, and independent
silver coinage.
If We, who profess fealty to the
Democratic party, are sincere in our
devotion to its principles, and if we
are right in believing that the ascen-
dency of those principles is a guar
antee of personal liberty, universal
care for the rights of all, non sectional,
American brotherhood, and manly
trust in American citizenship in any
part Of our land, we should study the
effects upon our party and consequently
upon our country of committal OF
the national Democracy to the silver
arbitration.
If there are Democrats who suppose
that our party can stand on platform
embodylng such doctrine, either
through its affirmative strength or
throug h the perplexity of our opponents
on the same proposition, or if there
are Democrats who are willing to turn
their backs upon their party association
in the hope that free and unlimited
and independent coinage of silver can
win victory without party organza-
ton, they should deceive themselves no
longer nor refuse 10 look in the face
the results that will follow the defeat
if not the disintegra.ion, of the Demo
cratic party upon the issue which
,emp,s them from their allegiance. II
We should be forced away from oul
traditional doctrine of sound and safe
money, our old antagonist will TAKE
! the field ,,, the Dlatform which VIZ
abandon. and neither the votes 0
reckless Democrats nor reckless Repub
iicans will avail 10 stay their cas-,
march TO power. This is as plain a
anything Can possibly be-
Il, therefore, becomes the duty @
every Democrat, wherever he may be