The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-08-18

WASHINGTON. Aug. Ex-senator W.
NJ. Stewart sent the following letter In
reply to that OF Senator Thurston.
published this morning:
WASHINGTON, d. c.. Aug. II, '9G.
Hon. John NJ, Thurston, Omahn, Ncb.
MY DEAR SlR:-I observe In the pa
pcrs this morning II letter purportlng to
have been written by you to me. In which
am pleased to note the following pas
sage:
II would be the last man In the world
to aSsall the character OF Mr.. Bryan.
have not done so In uny instance or by
any word OF mine. Mr.. Bryan Is the
candidate of a great party. It Is not
just that charges of this kind should 10
unanswered. He Is the man. and the
only man, who can make definite and
conclusive answer"
Mr.. ThuTStOn, how can you reconcile
the foregoing statement with your
charge against Mr.. Bryan and the silver
producers. which IL contained In the fol-
lowing language used By you and TO
which had the honor TO call your at
NN''N''AA AaA itig Az llAtA ltNNGAs
Tho proprirtOrs OF the big bOnanzas
have found 1t profitable 10 keep large
number OF lecturers and other spOics-
men on the road preaching to the people.
Among the many who have thus been
employed and carried on the pay rolls
or the big bjnanzns for number OF
years is William J.'Bryan. OF Nebraska,
paid agent OF the free silver combine.
IN the city OF Omaha, where Mr.. Bry-
an does editorial work. the Omaha Bee
has made the specific charge cdItOriauy,
time and ngaln. 1t has never been met.
say as an American citizen. having at
heart the welfare nr the American poo
pie, that the man posing rs the advocate
or the downtroGdcn masses OF his COun-
trymcn. holding Il Crown of thorns' In
one land and the bugaboO cross III gold
In the other. owes IL aS Il duty to every
man, woman and child in this country
TO say wethCr that charge is false or
whether It IL true.
Il do say, my cuuntrymen. and know
whereof ] speak, that for three and
half yenrS, Without regard to Bryan,
there has been 4 selected corps OF ora
tors and writer's, paid employees of the
silver producers, spreading their lltcra-
ture over the country from one end TO
the 0sher, telling the farmer that he VII!
have more fox his wheat; telling the Ia
boring man that he will have more for
his work"
Your disclaimer In connection with the
foregoing statement requires cXplana-
tlon, provided you consider your reputar
ton FOR truth and verlclty valuable. But
your disclaimer that you would be "the
last man to assall the character OF Mr..
Bryan, reflects either upon your rerac-
lty or your knowledge OF the law OF libel
II You are lawyer, and the fact that
You haze been retained by the Union Pa
ciiic railroad for so many years indicates
tina; you are useful in some way TO that
institution, you ought to know that re-
peitinE slandPr or libel is equally rs
slhHdcrOus or libcllOus as the original
matter.
You assume thnt you are not uSSalllnE
Mr.. Bryan when you are quoting what
irresponsible newspapers say OF him and
giving to all such stltcmcnts all the
credit your high official position can con-
FER. You belittlc your understanding
when you say 1t Is the duty OF Mr.. Bryan
10 enter personal controversy with ev-
cry newspaper hircling who Is employed
to slander or defame him. The people
understand the unlmuS OF partisan
newspapers and make proper allow
ances for their assertions, but when you
clothe their SANDERS with your official
robes, 1t Is n lame and cownrdly defense
on your part to defend yourself by
skulkinS behind miserable newspaper
FCrlbblers. called your attention to the
Injustice Of your charges. not the charge
OF newspapers. which have again quot
al for the purpose Of calling your nttcn-
ton TO the charge you made. suppOsinE
that you were an honorable man and
would retract the charges ut once, Il
lln n thar,
Instead OF doing so. you repeated other
stale ISLANDERS against Bryan. myself.
Senator Sharon. Governor Stanford and
others which. II true, do not prove your
charge nGainst Mr.. BryaS. / shnll not
rclteI1tc In kind and quote what even
Vcnal newspapers or even batter men
than yourself say Of you. because II IL
not pertinent to the issue. The issue is
whthcr you have unJustly ind without
proof assaIlcd the character OF Mr. Bry-
an. You cannot avoid TINT Issue by pre-
tending that you only repeated n fnlso-
hood which somebody else originated.
DO you not fear the repeating OF fnlsc-
hood md attrlbutinE 1t 10 irresponsible
parties Will impair your influence in fa-
V0r OF the cause you nrc advocating?
You must remember, my dear senator,
that there Is sense OF public Justice
which is outraged by slander and libel.
which you cannot justify hy claiming
you have the right TO remark II because
you hal not The courage to originate It.
II you have no case against Mr.. Bryan,
which you have already virtunllv aa-
mlttcd, by citing Irrelevant, incompetent
hcnrsay, 10 prove your charge. your
ISLANDERS will he harmless so far MS Id Is
concerned. but can you afford TO he pub
lIshcd to the world rs n pcddler OF slim
dcrs which you cannot prove? II you
have any friends who supposed you were
both honest and brave. they win he sore
~ disappointed II you fnil to frankly
avOw your error and rctract your sian
dcrs, or prove the truth OF your charges
which have quoted above.
fOurH very respectfully.
WM. NJ. STEWART.