The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-08-18
Many Telcgrams Received by the
ans Are Actively at Work.
LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE SOON
MIR. MKINLEY MAY GIVE 1T TO THD
PUBLIC NEXT WEEK.
Silver-Standard Democrats PrObably
i'm COntI oil i'm Delaware-Mfscel-
Ianeous Political News.

WASHINGTON. Aug. Ex-senator w. N.
Stewart to-day sent the following letter in
reply TO the threat of Senator Thurston
published this morning:
Hon. John NJ Thurston, Omaha, Neb-:
My Dear Sir-I observe In the papers
this morning a letter purporting 10 have
been written by you 10 me, In which L am
pleased to note the following passage:
L would be the last man in the world
TO assail the character or Mr.. Bryan. L
have not done in any instance or by
any word of mine. Mr.. Bryan Is the candi-
date OF great party IL Is not just to the
American people that charges of this kind
go unanswered. He is the man and the
only man who can make definite ana con-
elusive answer
Mr. Thurston, how can you reconcile the
foregoing statement with your charge
against Mr.. Bryan and against the silver
producers, which is contained In the fo,-
lowing 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 il profitable TO keep "A large
number of lecturers and other spokesman
on the road preaching TO the people 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
Jennings Bryan, of Nebraska. a paid agent
In the City of Omaha. where william J.
Bryan does editorial work. the Omaha Bee
has made the specific charge editorialiy;
time and again. il has never been met.
say, as an American citizen. having az
heart the welfare OF the people. that the
man posing as tne aavocate on Ine noiSsn
a crown of thorns'' in one hand and the
bugaboo cross OF gold" in the other, owes
it as a duty TO every man. woman ana ana
charge is false or whether IL Is true. 90
say my countrymen, and 4 know whereok
speak, that for three ard a half years.
selected corps OF orators and writers, paid
employees Of the silver producers, spreading
end to the other. telling the farmer that
he will have more for his wheat; telling
the laboring man that he will have more
Your disclaimer in connections with the
foregoing statement requires explanation
provided you consider your reputation , ,r d,or uor
claimer that you would be the last man
to assail the character OF Mr.. Bryan re-
fleets either upon your veracity or your
knowledge of the law of libel IL you are
a lawyer, and the fact that you have been
retained by the Union Pacific railroad for
so many years indicates that you are use-
full I'm some way to that institution, you
ought to know that repeating slander or
libel is equally as dangerous or libelous al
the original matter.
you assume that you are not assailing
Mr. Bryan when you are quoting what Ire
responsible Newspapers say % oi hin r,, ana n CIV
high official position can confer. You De-
little understanding when you say that IL
is the duty of Mr.. Bryan TO enter into
personal controversy with every hireling
newspaper scribbler who is employed to
slander or defame him. The people UNDER
stand the animus OF partisan newspapers
and make proper allowances for their as
sertions, but when you clothe their SLAM
ders with your official robes IL Is lame
and cowardly defense on your part TO pro-
tect yourself by skulking behind miserable
newspaper scribblerS- i called your atten-
ton to the injustice or your charge. not
the charge of newspapers. which i have
again quoted for the purpose OF calling
your attention TO the charge you made.
snpposing that II you were an honoraDie @
IL you were unable to prove them. Instead
of doing so you repeated other stale SLAM
on. Governor Stanford and others. which,
If true. do not prove your charge against
Mr.. Bryan :.
what venal newspapers. or even better
men than yourself. say OF you. because II
is not pertinent TO the issue The issue II
whether you have unjusuy and without
proof assailed the character of Mr. Bryan
You cannot avoid that issue by pretend
s:.g that you only repeated a falsehood
not fear the repeating of a faisehood and
attributing IL 10 irresponsible parties VIII
impair your influence In favor OF the cause
you are advocating?
You must remember. my dear Senator.
that there is sense OF public Justice
which is outraged by siander and libel.
which you cannot Justify by claiming you
have a right 10 remark IL because You
had not the courage 10 originate 1t. III you
have no case against Mr. Bryan. which
you have already virtually admitted by cit-
ing irrevelant incompetent hearsay to
prove your charge. your ISLANDERS will bo
harmless so far as he Is concerned, but
can you afford TO be published to the world
as a peddler of ISLANDERS which you cannot
prove? II you have any friends who SUP
posed that you were both honest and
brave. they will be sorely disappointed IL
you fail 10 frankly avow your error and
retract your ISLANDERS or prove the truth
of your charges which have quoted above.
Yous very respectfully,
"WIIIIAM NJ STEWART"