Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-05-08
MN. ~CLETELAYD WARNS.
Ds..ocraoy a Sound Money Party.

this evening gave to the Associated Press a
letter addressed to him by President Cleye-
land under date Of April %. The following
is the full text Of the letter
Ereeuare Mansion, Washington, d. C.,
April 26, lS95-Hon. ]. NJ. Stone, Govern
or. etc.-Mv Dear Sir; Your letter Of the
Dist instant is at hand. l do not feel IN
clined to find fault with your criticism, but
L think the matters you refer to should be
Judged in the light Of the circumstances ex-
listing at the time the things were done. i
never had an idea Of building up or foster
ing a personal following, but so far As poll
tics should properly influence me in making
appointments | have tried to be Democratic
and not proscriptiye. l AN glad you are
frank enough to admit your participation IN
bringing about a condition in office holding
which may.not be all that could now be de-
sired.
Whether those appointed to places shall,
in speech and action, behave decently to-
ward the administration under which they
hold Office must remain, to a large extent, a
matter of taste aud good breeding. There
are however. some officials who devote them
selves 80 industriously 20 yilliicatiOn aud
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 manner creditable to the administration,
and who apparently assume they may spend
the time they owe the public service IN do
ing political mischief. In the interest oil
good government such o~ffce-hOlders must
not be surprised if they are summarily desR
with.
Whea received your letter had just
finished reading & letter Of yours in which
YOU explain &, the citizens Of Mississippi
YOUR views on the currency question. 1t
seems TO me YOU lave in that letter contrib
u,ed in the hest possible style and in a most
valuable way to the fund OF argument IN
favor of sound money. l have never ceased
% wonder why the people Of the South, fur
nishing so largely a. they do products which
are exported for gold, should be willing to
submit to the disadvantages aud loss Of sill
YER monometalism and to content themselves
with q deprecated and fuctuating currency
while permitting others TO reap a profit from
| the transmutation Of the prices Of their pro
duc.ions from silver to gold. l hope this
| letter Of yours will be given the widest pos
sible circulation, especially among our
| southern fellow.citizens, aud that they will
be permitted TO see the pitfall which is di-
rectlv before those who madiy rush toward
the phantom light of free, unlimited aud
independent silver coinage.
five. who profess fealty to the Demo
cratic party. are sincere in our devotion to
its principles, aud if we are right in believ-
ing that the a~scendency Of those principles
is a guarantee of personal liberty, universal
care for the rights Of all, non sectional,
American Brotherhood and manly trust in
American citizenship m any part Of our
land. we should study the effects upon our
party and consequently upon our country Of
a committal OF the national Democracy to
the silver arbitration.
II there are Democrats who suppose that
our party can stand on a platform embody-
ing such doctrine, either through its afirma'
tive strength or through the perplexity Of
our opponents on the SAINT proposition, or
If there are Democrats who are willing to
turn their backs upon their party association
ia the hope that free and unlimited and in
deDendent coinage Of silver can win a vic
tory without the aid Of either party orgaui-
zation. they should deceive themselves no
longer nor longer refuse TO look in the face
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 be forced
SWAY from our traditional doctrine Of sound
aud safe money our old antagonist will take
the field on the platform which we abandon,
and neither the votes OF reckless Democrats
nor reckless Republicans viii avail to stay
their easy march to power. This Is as plain
as anything can possibly be.
IL. therefore, becomes the duty Of every
Democrat, 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.
! A. Thayer, Department Commander OF
the e.. A. r. in Massachusetts,, waves the
| bloody shirt again by requesting O.. A. K.
pos, 10 the Bay state TO pass resolutions de-
| nonnc.ng a. b.asnhemol. Do Union veterans