The record-union., 1896-08-18
IF He Considers His Reputation for
Truth Valuable.
Says That He Ought to Know as a
Lawyer That Repeating SANDER
or Libel is Equally as SIanderous
or Li5elOus as the Original Matter
and That He Has Repeated Other
SANDERS Against Senator Sharon,
Governor Stanford and Himself.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 11.-This even
ing Senator Stewart gave out for publ-
cation a reply to Senator ThurSton's let
ter to him, published in the papers this
morning, regarding the charge that Mr..
Bryan had been a paid lecturer in the
employ of silver mine-owners. The let
ter quotes Thurstons statement that he
had not assailed Bryan's character in
any instance or by any word, and Stew
art asks Thurston how he can recon-
cile that statement with the following
language used by him in the speech
which gave rise to the controversy:
THE proprietors of the big bonanzas
have found it profitable to keep a large
number of lecturers and other spokes-
men on the road preaching to the peo-
pie. Among the many who have thus
been employed and carried on the pay
rolls of the big bonanzas for a number
of years is William j. Bryan of Ne
braska, paid agent and spokesman Of
the free-silver combine
The letter then continues: your dis
claimer in connection with the forego-
ing statements requires explanation,
provided you consider your reputation
for truth and veracity valuable. But
your explanation that you would be the
last man to assail the character of Mr.
Bryan reflects either upon your verac-
ity or your knowledge of the law of Ii
bel. If you are lawyer-and the fact
that you have been retained by the Union
Pacific Railroad for so many years in
dicates that you are useful in some way
to that institution-you ought to know
that repeating a slander or libel is
equally as slanderous or libelous as the
original matter.
You assume that you are not as
sailing Mr.. Bryan when you quote what
irresponsible newspapers say of him
and giving to such statements all the
credit your high official standing can
confer. You belittle your understand
ing when y@u say II is the duty of MIR.
Bryan to enter into personal contro-
versy with every hireling newspaper
scrlbbler who is employed to slander or
defame him. The people understand
the animus of partisan newspapers and
make proper allowances for their asser-
tions; but when you clothe their SLAM
ders with your official robes it is a lame
and coWardly defense on your part to
protect yourself by skulking behind
miserable newspaper scribblers.
Il called your attention to the injury
of your charge, not the charge of news
papers, which l have again quoted for
the purpose of calling your attention to
the charge you made, supposing you
were an honorable man and would re-
tract the charges at once, if you are un-
able to prove them. Instead of doing
So you repeat other ISLANDERS against
T.
Governor Stanford and others, which.
if true, do not prove your charge
against Mr.. Bryan.
Il shall not reiterate in kind and
quote what venal newspapers or even
respectable men say of you, because it
is not pertinent to the issue. The issue
is whether you have unjustly and with
out truth assailed the character of Mr.
Bryan. You cannot avoid that issue by
pretending that you only repeated a
falsehood which somebody else origi-
mated. Do you fear the repeating of a
faisehood and repeating it to irrespon-
sible parties will impair your influence
in favor of the cause you are advocat-
ing?
You must remember, my dear Sem
ator, that there is a sense of public JUS
tce Which is outraged by SANDER and
libel which you cannot justify by claim
ing you have right to repeat it, because
you had not the courage to originate it.
If you have no case against Mr.. Bryan,
which you have already virtually ad-
mitted by citing incompetent hearsay
to prove your charges, your slanders
will be harmless so far as he is con-
cerned; but can you afford to be pub
lished to the world as peddler of SLAM
ders which you cannot prove? If you
have any friends who supposed that
you were both honest and brave, they
will be sorely disappointed if you fail
to frankly avow your error and retract
your ISLANDERS or prove the truth of your
charges which I have quoted above
Yours very respectfully,
"WILLIAM M. STEWART"