The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1895-05-10
The Welfare Of the Party Demands That The
Democracy Stand on the Traditional Doc.
trine Of Sound and Safe Money.

oONSiuOi DtOnS Oll TIl( dy evening
gave to the newspapers letter ad
dressed to him by President Cleve
land, under date of April a6 The
following is full text of the letter:
My DEAR SIR--Your letter of the
7Ist inst. is at hand do not feel
inclined to find fault with your crti
cism, but think the matters you
refer to should be judged in the light
Of the circumstances existing at the
time the things were done / 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 to be Democratic and not pro.
scriptive. am glad you are frank
enough to admit your participation
in bringing about condition in Office
holding which may not be all that
could not now be desired. Whether
those appointed to places shall, in
speech and action, behave decently
towards the administration, under
which they hold Office must remain,
to a large extent, a matter of taste
and good breeding.
There are, however, some officials
who devote themselves so industrious
ly to villihcation and abuse of those
nnder whom they hold Office as to in
dicate that their fidelity cannot be
trusted for the performance of their
duties in a manner creditable to the
administration and who apparently
assume they may spend the time they
owe the public service in doing politi
cal mischief. In the interest of good
government such Office holders must
not be surprised if they are summarily
dealt with.
THE SILVER QUESTION.
When ! received your letter | had
Just finished reading a letter of yours,
in which you explain to the citizens
of Mississippi your views on the
currency question. 1. seems to me
you have in that letter contributed in
the best possible style and In most
valuable way to the fund of argument
In favor of sound money. l have
never ceased to wonder why the people
OF the south, furnishing SO largely as
they do products which are exported
for gold, should he willing to submit
TO the disadvantages and loss of silver
monometallism and to content them
selve with deprecated and fuctua
ting currency while permitting others
to reap profit from the transmutlIion
OF the prices Of their production from
silver to gold. l hope this letter of
yours will be given the widest possible
circulation, especially among our
southern fellow citizens, and that they
will be permitted to see the pi,fall
which is directly before them who
madly rush towards the phantom
light Of free, unlimited and independ-
ent 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 ascend
ancy OF those principles is guarantee
of personal liberty, universal care for
the rights of all, non sectional, Ameri-
can 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 oil commi,tal of the
National Democracy to the silver
arbitration.
FOR SAPE AND SOUND MONEY.
If there are Democrats who suppose
that our party can stand on platform
embodying such doctrine, either
through its affirmative strength or
through the pe'plexity of our op-
ponents on he same proposition, or
if there are Democrats who are will
ing to turn their backs upon their
party associations in the hope tha:
free and un limited and independent
coinage of silver can win a victory
without the aid of either party organi
zation, they should deceive them.
selves no longer, nor longer refuse to
look in the face the results that will
follow the defeat if not the disintegra.
tion of the Democratic party upon
the issue which tempts them from
their allegiance. If We should be
forced away from our traditional doc.
trine of sound and safe money our
old antagonist will take the field on
the platform which we abandon, and
neither the votes of reckless Demo
Gratis nor reckless Republicans will
avail to stay their easy march to
power. This is as plain as anything
can possibly be.
1t, therefore, becomes the duty OF
every Democrat, whoever he may be,
10 consider what such victory would
mean, and in the light of proper
conception of its result he should
deliberately shape his course. Yours,
very truly, GROVER CLEVELAND,