The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-05-04
NUMBERT TWO
The President Writes Another
Letter on Harmony.
He Addresses It to Governor
Stone of Missouri.
HE THREATENS A BOLT
Thinks Free Silver Democrats
Will Defeat the Party.

JACKSON, Miss, May 4.-Gov. Stone
last evening gave to the Associated
press a letter addressed TO him by Pres
ident Cleveland under date of April 26
The following is the full text of the
letter:
Hon. J. NJ. Stone, Governor etc:
EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, April
26.-My Dear Sir: Your letter OF the 21st in
slant is at hand. do not feel inclined to hno
fault with your criticism. but think the mat
ters referred TO should be judged in the light
of the circumstances existing at the time the
things we're done never had an idea Of build
ing up or fostering a personal following, but so
far as politics should properly influence me in
masking appointments, have tried to be DEM
ocratio and not proscriptive. am glad you
are frank enough to admit your participation
in bringing about condition in ONCE 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 ONCE must remain, to q large extent, a
matter of taste and good breeding.
There are, however, some officials who de-
vote themselves so industriously to v1llihca-
ton 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 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
governments such ofiee-hoIders must not be
surprised II they are summarily dealt with.
When received your letter. had just fin
ished 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 arguments in favor OF sound
money.
pie of the south, furnishing largely they
do, products which are exported for gold
should be willing to submit to the disadYan-
tage and loss of silver menometallism and to
content themselves with deprecated and
huctuating currency while permitting others
to reap profit from the transmutation of the
prices Of their productions from silver to gold.
hope this letter of yours will be given the
widest possible circulation, especially among
our southern fe1ow-citizens, and that they will
be permitted to see the pitfal1 which is direct
~ before them who madly rush toward the
phantom light of free, unlimited and indie
pendent silver coinage.
If we who profess fealty to the democratic
party are sincere in our devotion to its prin-
ciples, and if we are right in believing that
the ascendency of those principles is guar
antee of present liberty, universal care for the
rights of all, non-sectionaI 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
If there are democrats who suppose that our
party stand on a platform embodying such
a 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 victory without the
aid of either party organization, they should
deceive themselves longer nor longer re-
fuse to look in the face of the results that will
follow the defeat If not the dfsintegration, of
democratic party upon the issue which
tempts them from their allegiance.
If we should be 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.
1t therefore becomes the duty OF every demo-
crat, wherever he may be, to consider what
such 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.