The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1896-08-22
IHE REPLY OF STEWART
CALLS ON SENATOR THURsToN TO
sUBsrANTIATE CHARGES.
Every irresponsible News
paper Scribbler.

M 0leWdIl sent tue AOAAOWAhS ltNNSAt III |
reply to that of Senator Thurston. pub
lshed this morning:
Washington. d. c., Aug. 17.-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 l am
pleased to note the following passage:
1 would be the last man in the world
to assau the character of Bryan. /
have not done so in any instance. or by
any word of mine Bryan is the candi-
date of a great party. 1t is not just to
the American people that charges of this
kind should go unanswered. HIS is the
man and the ony man who can make
definite and conclusive 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 1 have the honor to call your
attention In my former letter: The |
proprietors of the big bonauzas have |
found it profitable to keep a large num-
Der of lecturers and other spokesman on
the road preaching TO the people. Among
| the many WHO nave lHuS Detn eIlpiOytI
and carried on the pay rolls of the big
bonanzas for a number CT years. Is Will
liam ]. Bryan of Nebraska, a paid agent
and spokesman of the free silver COM
bine In the city of Omaha, where Bryan
does the editorial work. the Omaha Bee
has made the SPECIFIC charge editorially
time and again. 1t has never been met.
1 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, hold
ing the crown of thorns in one hand AMI
the bugaboo cross of gold IN the other,
owes it as a duty to every man, woman
and child in this country, to say wheth-
er that charge is false or true.
=" I do say, my countrymen, and know
whereof 1 speak, that for three and
half years, without regard to Bryan,
there has been a selected corps of ora
tors and writer's paid employees of the
silver producers, spreading their ltera-
ture over this country from one end to
r the other, telling the farmer that he will
: have more for his wheat, telling the Ia
boring man that he will have more for his
work.
'Your disclaimer in connection with the
1 foregoing statement requires an explana-
ton, provided you consider your repu-
tation 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
j. or your knowledge of the law Of libel.
If you are a lawyer. and the fact that
l. you have been retained by the Union Pa
e cifc railroad for so many years, indicates
l. that you are useful in some way to that
s. institution, you ought to know that re-
$ peating Islander or libel is equally as
Z slanderous or libelous as the origina
II matter.
J. you assume that you are not assailns
u Bryan when you are quoting what IRE
sponsible newspapers say of him, and Civ
is ing to such statements all the credit YOU
lie high official position can confer. You be
W little your understanding when you sa.
D that it is the duty of Bryan to enter int
10 a personal controversy with every hire
IS ling newspaper scribbler who is employed
ye to Islander or defame him. The peopl
n understand the animus of partisan news
s. papers, and make proper allowances 10
N their assertions, but when you cloth
,s their ISLANDERS with your official robes, i
- is a lame and cowardly defense on you
part to protect yourself by skulking be
- hind miserable newspaper scribblers.
called your attention to the injustice o
your charge net to the charge of tn
AZ newspapers which you have again quot
IL ed, supposing that you, an honorabl
Ae man. would retract the charges at once
~ if you were unable to prove them. II
ne stead of doing so, you repeated othe
IT, stale ISLANDERS against Mr.. Bryan, mysel
If, Senator Sharon, Governor Stanford an
on others, which. If true. do not prove you
St charge against Bryan.
at 1T shall not reiterate in kind and quot
De, what venal newspapers or even bette
cy men than yourself say of you, because
ty is not pertinent to the issue. The lssl
he is whether you have unjustly and will
ric out proof assailed the character of Brya
i'm You can not avoid that issue by preten
of ing that you only repeated a falsehoC
ma which somebody else originated. Do W
,,d not fear the repeating of falsehood al
attributing it to irresponsible parties W
- impair your influence in favor of Il
80 cause you are advocating?
0U "You must remember, my dear senate
"a that there is a sense of public JUST
III which is outraged by SANDER and lib
ION which you can not justify by claimil
IN you have a right to remark it becau
4 you had not the courage to originate
to- If you have no case against Bryan, viii
2. you have already virtually admitted
/. citing irrelevant, incompetent hearsay
prove your charge, your ISLANDERS will
harmless so far as he is concerned, b
can you afford to be published to
ina world as peddler of ISLANDERS which y
tee | can not prove? If you have any frier