Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1896-10-31
Sending Out False Re
ports at the Close of
the Campaign.
WARNING TO VOTERS.
A Fraudulent Letter Attrib
uted to Neutrality-suspicious.
Misrepresentation of
the Democratic Man
agers-Republic-
an Prospects.
Especial correspoudence.l


headquarters in New York and I'm Chicago,
have been Obliged to warn the people TO be
On their guard against Democratic ''rOOr-
backs sent out in the final hours of the
campai gn-tOo late for denial or fnvesti-
Cation This has been favorite method
of campaigning in recent years, but this
year the Popocrats are so desperate that
they will stop at nothing in their feverish
efforts to besmirch the Republican candi-
dates and promote Mr.. Bryan's chances It
is against false reports, sent out at the
eleventh hour, that the people should be
cautioned. The average citizen will do
we'll to disregard utterly all sensational
statements circulated on the stump and
through the papers in the closing days of
the canvass. The odds are overwhelming
ly against their truth or reason.
Ono of these schemes was neatly nipped
in the bud in the last few days by Mr..
Manley of the Republican national COM
mittee. The committee it seems, had
been approached by some one who wanted
TO sell a bogus letter purporting TO come
from Major Mckinley. 1t was represented
| that the Popocrats were about to buy the
/ alleged discriminating letter, and the en-
| terprising speculator desired to see wheth-
er the Republican national committee
| would not pay more for the letter than the
PopocrRts were willing or able to pay.
4 But the members OF the national commit
tee very properly decided that the best use,
TO make of the letter was to give it all the
publicity possible and expose the fraud
They did so, and the letter failed of the
effect intended.
The bogus letter reads as follows:
WASHINGTON, April. 1890.
/ DEAR GENERAL WEILEs-Your letter OF inn
portance begging me TO use my influence TO
| waye. who was n brave officer. you may
| well say. and for Mrs. Mann, can only say
duced. shall do "a ali cam TO defeat them.
do not believe in granting pensions TO British
/ and received large bounties and good pay. In
the case of Sillowaye. though you say he saved
President Lincoln from being captured, he ro--
| ceived his reward by promotion, ard he Is
well able to earn living for many years 10
Hoping You are well, remain yours fra
l ternaIy, WILLIAM McKINIEY.
1t was at once denounced as a forgery
Il by Mr.. Manley of the committee, who de-
clared that it was absolutely fraudulent
on the face OF It. he added that any one
who knew Major Mckinley or was ao-
quainted with his relations with veteran
soldiers knew that it was impossible for
him to SANDER them or to take any action
with reference TO them which was not
| based Uf3sl "A sympa Ghetto appreciation OF
what they had done for the nation.
Following Mr.. Manley's exposure OF tAa
fraud, Mr.. Hanna asserted that every part
OF the letter was forgery, and Robert It.
Lincoln, son of the martyred president,
, gave the final blow when he declared that
the Colonel Sillowaye mentioned never
was an officer in the army, nor did he on
any occasion save the president from being
captured. az have no doubt" said MIR.
Lincoln, "that this man Sillowaye Is an
: impostor."
: 1t is clear, therefore, that the letter pur
porting to give Major Mckinley IS views
on the pension question and representing
, him as antagonistic to veterans OF the wal
: is nothing but fraud. Besides, it is rath
: or late in the day to represent Mr.. McISin
: ley as an enemy Of the pensioners for ev
; | cry one OF his pubic utterances to the ole
Q soldiers who havs called to see him ha
: breathed spirit of friendhness, sympath.
: and support.
This Is not the first time the Republican
+ managers have found it necessary to expos
8 misrepresentation on the partof the Dem
! ocrats- Early in the campaign the forger
n OF an editorial attributed TO the Londo
s Financial News was exposed A little late
8 | the Wall street myth. 81. Francis Fol
: sythe, was used as a bugaboo to scare tn
g workingmen, and he, too, was shown to
d fraud. What other frauds the oppositio
8 may devise for the last few days of tn
campaign It is impossible to imagine, bu
the Republican leaders both here and
Il OnlCagO dro on inc d1drts &kklu Ouoy Will III
allow any OF these frauds or forgeries to 6
unchallenged-
These letters have from time to time n
ferred to the feeling of confidence that Gh
members of the national committee haV
In the result of the election. There is q
reason to withdraw anything that has Doe
said on this point. On the contrary, til
q belief in the success of MCKINLEY and 10
bart has been steadily growing, until no.
~I..k.. ntar
Is, of course, no question about the cas-
but the reports that have come In from til
south and the west have served to strength
an the opinion that the so called doubtfI
q states ia the middle west will go for Nj
es Kinley, while several of the southern stat'
n will cut loose from the Democracy for I'll
" | first time since the war.