Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1895-05-09
A WORD OF WARNING.

President Cleveland Addresses Letter to
Mississipprs Governor on the Silver
Issue.
JACKSON, Miss, May 4.-Gov. Stone
last evening gave to the Associated
press letter addressed to him by Pres
ident Cleveland under date of April &c
The following is the full text of the
letter:
Hon. ]. NJ. Stone. Governor. etc.:
EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON April
26.-NIy Dear Sir: Your letter of the 21st in
slant is at hand. do not feel inclined to find
fault with your criticism. but think the mat
tiers referred to should be judged in the light
OF the circumstances existing at the time the
things were done never had an idea OF build
ing up fostering a personal following. but so
far as politics should properly influence me in
making appointments, have tried to be dem
ocratic and not proscriptfve. I am glad you
are frank enough to admit your participation
in bringing about q copdition in office holding
which may not be all that could now be de-
sired. Whether those appointments to place
shall in speech and action behave decently to-
ward the administration under which they
hold office must remain, to large extent, q
matter of taste and good breeding
There are, however, some oficialS who de-
vote themselves so induStriouSly to Villifica-
tion and abuse of those under whom they hold
office to Indicate that their fidelity cannot
be trusted for the performance Of their duties
in manner 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 of1ce-holders must not be
surprised If they are summRrily dealt with
When received your letter, I had just fin
ished reading letter of yours in which you
explain to the citizens OF Mississippi your
views the currency question. 1t 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.
80 dop lzy1axy he
pie of the south, furnishing so largely they
do, products which are exported for gold,
should be willing to submit to the dfSadvan-
tage and loss Of silver monometallism and to
content themselves with deprecated and
luetuating currency while permitting others
to reap a profit from the tranSmutation OF the
prices of their productions from silver to gold.
I 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 the pitfau which is direct
ly before them who madly rush toward the
phantom light of free, Unlimited and indie
pendent silver coinage.
II we who profess fealty to the democratic
party are sincere in our devotion to its prin-
ciples, and if we right in believing that
the aScendency OF those principles is guar
antee of present liberty, universal care for the
rights of all, non-sectional American brother
hood 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 a committal Of the national de-
mocracy to this silver arbitration
II there are democrats who suppose that our
party stand platform embodying such
q doctrine, either through its Affirmative
strength or through the perplexity OF our OPP
ponents on the same proposition, or If there
are democrats who willing to turn their
backs upon their party associations in the
hope that free and unlimited and Independent
coinage Of silver win q victory without the
aid Of either party organization, they should
deceive themselves no longer, longer
fuse to look in the face of the results that will
follow the defeat, If not the disintegration, of
the democratic party upon the issue which
tempts them from their allegiance.
If we should lie forced away from our tradi
tional doctrine OF sound and safe money, our
old antagonist will take the field on the plat
form which we abandon, and neither the votes
of reckless democrats nor reckless republicans
will avail to stay their easy march to power.
This is as plain as anything can possibly be.
It therefore becomes the duty OF every demo-
crat, wherever he may be, to consider what
such a victory would mean, and in the light of
a proper conception of its results he should
deliberately shape his course. Yours very
truly, GROVER CLEVELAND.