The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1896-10-31
Sending Out False Re-
ports at the Close of
the Campaign.
WARNING To VOTERS.
A Fraudulent Letter Attrib.
uted to McKinley-0ther
Misrepresentation Of
the Democratic Man.
agers-Republic-
an Prospects.
= Especial Correspondence. ]

NEW YORK, Oct. 29.-The managers Of
the Republican campaign, both at the
headquarters IN New York and in Chicago,
have been Obliged to warn the people to be
on their guard against Democratic "roor-
backs" sent out in the final hours of the
campaign-too late for denial or inyesti-
cation. This has been a fayorite method
of campaigning in recent years, but this
year the popocrats are SO desperate that
they will stop at nothing in their feyersh
efforts to besmirch the Republican candi-
dates and promote Mr.. Bryan's chances. 1t
is against false reports, sent out at the
eleventh hour, that tho people should be
cautioned. The average citizen will do
we'll to disregard utterly all sensational
statements circulated on the stump and
through the papers in the closing days of
the canvass The odds are overwhelming
ly against their truth or reason.
One of these schemes was neatly nipped
in the bud in the last few days by Mr..
Manley of the Republican national COM
mittee, The committee, 1t seems, had
been approached by some one who wanted
to sell bogus letter purporting to como
from Major Mckinley 1t was represented
that the Popocrats were about to buy the
alleged discriminating letter, and tho en-
terprising Spectator desired to sec wheth-
er the Republican national committee
would not pay more for the letter than the
Po.ocrats were willing OF able to pay.
But the members of the national commit
tee very properly decided that the best use
to make of the letter was to give it all tho
publicity possible and expose the fraud.
They did SO, and the letter failed of the
effect intended.
The bogus letter reads as follows:
WASHINGTON, April 1850.
DEAR GENERAL WELLEs-Your letter of i'm
portnnce begging me to use my influence to
secure u pension for sigourney, Colonel Sillo'
wnye, who WAS brave officer, as you may
well say, and for Mrs. Mann, can only say
that decline to do SO, and, if bills are intro.
duced, shall do all ] can to defeat them. |
do not believe in granting pensions to British
and Irish hirclngs, who came here enlisted
and received large bounties and good pay In
the case Of Sillowaye, though you say he saved
ceiveh his reward by promotion, and he Is
well able to earn living for many years to
come.
ternally, WILLIAM MCKINLEY.
1t was at once denounced us Il forgery
by Mr.. Manley of the committee, who de-
clared that 1t was absolutely fraudulent
on tho face of It, He added that any ono
who knew Major Mckinley or was ac-
quainted with his relations with veteran
soldiers know that it was impossible for
him to Islander them or to take any action
with reference to them which was not
based upon II sympathetic appreciation Of
what they had done for the nation.
Following Mr.. Manley's exposure Of the
fraud, Mr.. Hanna asserted that every part
of the letter was forgery, and Robert Il.
Lincoln, son of the martyred president,
gave the final blow when he declared that
tho Colonel Sillowaye mentioned never
was an officer In the army, nor did he on
any occasion save the president from being
captured. II have 10 doubt" said Mr..
Lincoln, that this man Sillowaye is an
impostor"
1t is clear, therefore, that the letter pur-
porting to give Major Mckinley IS views
on the pension question and representing
him as nntagonistic to veterans Of tho war
is nothing but fraud. Besides, it is rath-
er late in the day to represent Mr.. Mckin-
ley as an enemy of the pensioners, for ev.
cry one of his public utteranccs to the old
soldiers who have called to see him mas
brcathed Il spirit of friendliness, sympathy
and support
This is not the first time the Republican
managers have found it necessary to expose
Misrepresentation on the part of the Dem
oCrats. Early in the campaign the forgery
of an editorial attributed to the London
Financial News was exposed. A little later
the Wall street myth, ~. Francis For
sythe, was used as a bugaboo to scare the
workingmen, and he, too, was shown to be
u fraud What other frauds the opposition
may devise for the last few days Of the
campaign it is impossible to imagine, but
the Republican leaders both here and in
Chicago are on tho alert, and they will not
allow any Of these frauds or forgeries to 90
unchallenged.
These letters have from time to time re-
ferred to the feeling Of confidence that the
members of the national committee have
in the result of the election. There is no
reason to withdraw anything that has been
said on this point. On the contrary, the
belief in the success of Mckinley and Ho-
bart has been steadily growing, until now
it amounts to an absolute certainty. There
is, of course, no question about the east
but the reports that have come in from the
south and the west have served to strength
en- the opinion that the so called doubtful
states in the middle west will go for Nc
Kinley, while several of the southern states
will cut loose from the Democracy for the
first time since the war.