The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-05-04
President Cleveland Says They Need
Not BE Surprised IL They Are Sum-
mariIy Dealt With.
LETTER TO A MIssIsSIPPIAN
IN WHICH THE PRESIDENT ALSO
WARNS SOUTHERN DEMOCRATS,
Or, mt Least, Those 'sNyho MadIy Rush
Towards the Phantom Light of
Free Silver Coinagc."

JAOhoO>, MISS, May o.-NoNeiiioi ctOHe,
this evening. made public letter addressed
to him by President Cleveland under date
of April 2e. Following is the full text of
the letter:
MY Dear Sir-Your letter of the 21st inst.
is at hand. 1 do not feel inclined to find
fault with your criticism. but / think the
matters you refer TO should be judged in
the light of the circumstances existing at
the time the things were done. 1 never
had an idea of building up or fostering a
personal following, but SO far as politics
should properly influence in making
appointments, / have tried to be demo-
cratic and not proscriptive. / am glad you
are frank enough to admit your participation
in bringing about condition in Office hold
ing which may not be all that could now be
desired. Whether lose appointments TO
place shall in speech and action behave
decently towards the administration under
which they hold Office must remain, to a
large extent matter of taste and good
breeding. There are, however, some Of
fcials who devote themselves so industri-
ously to viliication and abuse of those
under whom they hold Office as TO indicate
that their fidelity cannot be trusted for
the performance of their duties in a man.
ner creditable to the administration, 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 officeholders
must not be surprised IL they are sum.
marily dealt with.
when L 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. 1t
20 no In hat 1offo
tributed in the best possible style and in
a most valuable way to the fund of argu-
ment in favor of sound money. / have
never ceased 10 wonder why the people of
the South, furnishing So largely as they
do products which are exported for god
should be willing to submit to the disad-
yantages and loss of silver monometa etallism
and to content themselves with a depreci-
ated and fiuctuatlng currency while per-
hitting others TO reap a profit from the
transmutation of the prices of their produc-
tions from silver to gold. I hope this let
ter of yours will be given the widest pos
| sible circulation, especially among our
Southern fellow-citizens, and that they will
be permitted to see the pitfall which is
directly before them Who inadly rush to-
wards the phantom light of free. unlimited
and Independent silver coinage.
IF we, who profess fealty to the DEM
ocratic party. are sincere In our devotion
to it's principles. and If are right in
| believing that the ascendency of those
principles is guarantee of personal liberty,
universal care for the right of all, nom
sectional American brotherhood and manly
trust in American citizenship in any part
of our land. we should study the effects
upol our party and consequently upon our
co,,rYrxr of faI of al
| Democracy to this silver alteration.
"If there are Democrats that suppose that
| our party can stand on platform en-
| bodyng such doctrine, either through its
| affirmative strength or through the per-
plexity of our opponents the same
proposition, or if there Democrats who
| are willing to turn their backs upon their
party associations in the hope that free
and unlimited and independent coinage or
silver win a victory without the aid
| of either party organization. they should
| deceive themselves no longer, nor longer
refuse to look in the face the results that
| will follow the defeat, il not the disinte-
| grafton of the Democratic party upon the
| issue which tempts them from their al
| legiance. If we should be forced away from
| our traditional doctrine of sound and safe
| money, our old antagonist will take the
| field 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.
ut, therefore, becomes the duty of every
| Democrat, wherever he may be, to con-
slider what. such a victory would mean and
in the light of proper conception of its
| results he should deliberately shape his
| course Yours very truly,
| GROVER CLEVELAND"
| A Rebuff for the Hfnrichson Crowd.