Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1896-10-31
DESPERATE PLANS
OF POPOCRATS.
Sending Out False Re-
ports at the Close Of
the Campaign.
WARNING TO VOTERS.
A Fraudulent Letter Attrib-
nted to Mckinley -0thor
Misrepresentation Of
the Democratic Man
ayers Republic
an Prospects.
[snecInl Corregnondonce.l

NEW YoRK, Oct 20. The managers Of
he Republican campaign, both at the
headquarters IN New York and In Chicago,
nave been obliged to warn the people to be
n their guard against Democratic "roor-
lacks' sent out i'm the final hours Of the
tampaign-too late for denial or inyosti-
alton. This has been favorite method
{ campaigning in recent years but this
ear the Popocrats are SO desperate that
hey will stop at nothing in their fcvcrsh
forte to bosmirch the Republican candi
,.ates and promote Mr. Bryan's chances. It
3 against false reports, sent out at the
leventh houec that the people should DO
autioned. The average citizen Will do
veil to disregard utterly all sensational
.atelnents circulated on the stump and
trough the papers in tho closing days Of
lie canvass Tho odds arc overwhelming
2 against their truth or reason.
One Of these schemes was neatly nipped
n the bud in the last few days by Mr.
Ianley of the Republican national com
littee. The committee, it seems, had
cen approached by some one who wanted
sell bogus letter purporting to como
rom Major Mckinley 1t was represented
hat the Popocrats were about to buy the
LEGGED discriminating letter, and the en-
erprising speoulator desired to see wheth
r the Republican national committee
would not pay more for the letter than the
'opocrats were willing or able TO pay
}ut the members of the national commit
&c very properly decided that the best use
make of the letter was TO give it all the
ublicity possible and expose the fraud
hey did So and the letter failed of the
feet intended
The bogus letter reads as follows:
WASHINGTON, April 1890.
DEAR GENERAL WEIiEs-Your letter of i'm
ortance begging me to use my influence to
aCure pension for Sigourney, Colonel Sillo-
aye, who was u brave officer, as you may
-ail say, and for Mrs. Mann, can only say
Iat ! decline to do so, and, if bills are intro
uced, ! shall do all | can TO defeat them. l
o not believe in granting pensions to British
I'd Irish hirelings, Who came here, enlisted
nd received lnrga bountics and good pay. In
no case Of Sillowaye, though you say be saved
resident Lincoln from beng captured, he re-
lived his reward by promotion, and he IS
ell able to earn living for many years to
ONE.
Hoping you are well, ] remain, yours fra
ernally, WILLIAM MCKINLEY.
1t was ut once denounced as n forgery
" Mr.. Manloy Of the committee, who de-
Jared that 1t was absolutely fraudulent
n the face of it, He added that any one
tho knew Major Mckinley or was ao-
tainted with his relations with veteran
dldiers knew that it was impossible for
i'm to Islander them or to take any action
Nth reference to them which was not
ased upon u sympathetic appreciation of
What they had done for the nation.
Following Mr.. Manley's exposure Of the
raud Mr.. Hanna asserted that every part
t the letter was a forgery, and Robert I.
lincoln, son of the martyred president,
ave the final blow when he declared that
ne Colonel Sillowaye mentioned never
vas an officer in the army, nor did he on
my occasion save the president from being
aptured II have no doubt, said MIR
lincoln, "that this man Sillowayo is an
mpostor.
1t is clear, therefore, that the letter pur-
.orting to give Major Mckinley S views
n the pension question and representing
i'm as antagonistic to veterans of tho wnr
nothing but fraud, Besides, it is rath-
late in the day to represent Mr.. Mckin-
oy as an enemy of the pensioners, for ey
ry one of his public utterances to the old
Oldiers who have called to see him has
ireathed a spirit of friendliness, sympathy
nd support.
This is not the first time the Republican
managers have found it necessary to expose
Misrepresentation on the part of the Dem
Gratis Early in the campaign the forgery
( an editorial attributed TO the London
financial News was exposed. A little later
le Wall street myth, -. Francis For
ythe, was used as "a bugaboo to scare the
forkingmen, and he, too was shown to be
fraud. What other frauds the opposition
lay devise for the last few days Of the
mpaign it is impossible to imagine, but
10 Republican leaders both here and in
hicago are on the alert, and they will not
How any of these frauds or forgeries to go
nchallenged.
These letters have from time to time re-
1rred to the feeling Of confidence that the
.embers of the national committee have
a the result Of the election There is no
3ason TO withdraw anything thai has been
id on this point On the contrary the
o,ief in the success of Mckinley and Ho-
art has been steadily growing, until now
amounts to an absolute certainty. There
of course, no question about the east,
1T the reports that have come in from the
Juth and the west have served to strength
j the opinion that the so called doubtful
-ates in the middle west will go for Nc
inley, while several Of the southern states
i'll cut loose from the Democracy for the
st time since the war
Lawn parties are all the rage at Canton,
rincipally upon Major McKinley's lawn.