The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-08-18
IT STILL GOES, JOHN
Stewart Again Quotes Thurston's Sian
dsrOus Remarks Against Bryan.
HE CANNOT GET OUT OF 1T
The Union PacifIo's Attorney. Ac-
oording to This Letter. Has
Placed himse In q Libelous
Position-re's Called Down.

Washington, Aug. Ex-senator Will
liam NJ. Stewart sent the following LETT
ter in reply to that Of Senator Thurs
ton. published this morning:
washington, d. c., Aug. II. 1896,
Hon. John NJ. Thurston, Omaha. Neb.-
My Dear Sir: ! observe in the papers
this morning a letter purporting TO
have been written by you to me, In
which I am pleased to note the follow
ing passage: I would be the last man
In the world to assail the character Of
Bryan. I have not done so In any In
stance. or by any word Of mine. Hr:-
an Is the candidate Of great party. IL
VI not just to the American people that
charges Of this kind should g. unan-
swered. He IL the man and the only
man who can make definite and con-
elusive answer
Mr.. Thurston. how can you reconcile
the foregoing statement with your
charge against Bryan and against the
silver producers, which Is contained In
the following language used by you.
and to which had the honor to call
your attention In my former letter:
The proprietors of the big bonanzas
have found 1t profitable to keep 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 num-
Der Of years IL William J. Bryan Of Ne
braska, a paid agent and spokesman
of the free silver combine. In the city
Of Omaha, where Bryan does the edi-
torial work, the Omaha Bee has made
the specific charge editorially time and
again. 1t has never been met. l say.
as an American citizen. having at heart
the welfare of the people. that the man
posing as the advocate OF the DOWN
trodden masses Of his countrymen.
holding a crown Of ithorns' In one hand
and the bugaboo cross of gold In the
other. owes 1t as duty TO every man.
woman and child In this country to
say whether that charge is false or
true. I do say. my countrymen. and
know whereof speak. that for three
and half years without regard to
Bryan, there has been a selected corps
of orators and writers, paid employees
OF the silver producers, spreading their
literature over this country from one
end to the other. telling the farmer
that he will have more for his wheat:
telling the laboring man that he will
have more for his work
Your disclaimer in connection with
the foregoing statemsnf requires an
explanation, provided you consider
your reputation for truth and veracity
valuable. But your disclaimer that
you would be the last man to assail
the character Of Bryan reflects either
upon your veracity or your knowledge
of the law OF libel II you are a law
yer. and the fact that you have been
retained by the Union Pacific railroad
for so many years indiactes that you
are useful in some way to that insti-
tuition. you ought to know that re-
peating q slander or libel Is equally as
slanderous or libelous as the original
matter. You assume that you are not
assailing Bryan when you are quoting
what irresponsible newspa pers say of
him, and giving to such statements all
the credit your high official position
can confer. You belittle your under
standing when you say that II Is the
duty Of Bryan to enter into personal
controversy with every hireling news
paper scribbler who is employed to
slander or defame him. The people
understand the animus of partisan
newspapers and make proper allow
ances for their assertions, but when
official robes It Is a lame and cowardly
defense on your part to protect your
self by skulking behind miserable
newspaper scribblers. I called your
attention to the injustice OF your
charge, not to the charge OF newspa-
pers which you have again quoted for
the purpose Of calling your attention to
the charge you made, supposing that
you, an honorable man. would retract
the charges at once. II you were unable
TO prove them. Instead of doing so,
you repeated other stale ISLANDERS
against Bryan. myself, Senator Shar-
on, Governor Stanford and others,
which, II true, do not prove your
charge against Bryan.
Il shall not reiterate in kind and
quote what venal newspapers or even
better men than yourself say Of you.
because II Is not pertinent to the issue.
The issue Is whether you have unjust
ly and without proof assailed the char
acter of Mr.. Bryan. You can not
avoid that issue by pretending that
you only repeated a falsehood which
somebody else originated. Do you not
fear the repeating Of falsehood and at
tributing 1t to irresponsible parties will
impair your influence in favor of the
cause you are advocating? You must
remember. my dear senator. that there
is a sense of public justice which Is
outraged by slander and libel. which
you cannot justify by claiming you
have a right to remark II because you
had not the courage to originate II. II
you have no case against Bryan, which
you have already virtually admitted by
citing irrelevant, incompetent hearsay
to prove your charge: your ISLANDERS
will be harmless so far as he Is con-
cerned; but can you AFFORD to be pub
lished TO the world as a peddler OF
ISLANDERS which you cannot prove? II
you have any friends who supposed
you were both honest and brave. they
will be sorely disappointed IL you fail
to frankly avow your error and retract
your ISLANDERS or prove the truth OF
your charges which you have quoted
above. Yours very respectfully.
William NJ. Stewart"