Red Lodge picket. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1889-1907, 1896-08-22
THE REPLY OF STEWART
CALLS ON SENATOR THURSTON TO
SUBSTANTIATE CHARGES.
Not Bryan's Duty to Quarrel With
Every irresponsible News
paper Scribbler.

NJ Stewart sent the following letter, In
reply to that of Senator Thurston pub
lisned this morning:
washington, D. c., Aug. 1..-Hon.
John NJ. Thurston, Omaha, Neb.-My
Dear Sir: I observe in the papers this
morning letter purporting to have been
written by you to me, in which l am
pleased to note the following passage:
! would be the last man in the world
to assail the character of Bryan.
have not done SO in any instance, or by
any word Of mine. Bryan is the candi
date of great party. 1t is not just to
the American people that charges Of this
kind should so 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 I have the honor to call your
attention in my former letter: The
prcpretors Of the big bonanzas have
found it profitable to keep large num-
ber Of lecturers and other spokesmen on
the road preaching 10 the people. Among
the many who have thus been employed
and carried on the pay rolls Of the big
honanZas for a number Of years, is WIZ
liam ]. Bryan Of Nebraska, a paid agent
and spokesman of the free silver COM
bine. IL the city of Omaha, where Bryan
does the editorial work, the Omaha Bee
has made the specific charge editorially
time and again. 1t mas never been met
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 | 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 jitera-
ture over this country from one end TO
the other telling the farmer that ne will
have more for his wheat, telling the ia
boring man that he vii! have more for his
work.
Your disclaimer in connection with the
foregoing statement requires an explana-
ton, provided you consider your repl-
tation for truth and verac1ty valuable
But your disclaimer that you would be
the last man to assail the character OF
Bryan reflects either upon your veTaclty
or your knowledge Of: the law Of libel
If you are a lawyer, and the fact that
you have been retained by the Union Pa
citic railroad for SO many years, indicates
hat vct, re -neafu in soma way to that
institution, you ought to know that re-
pcating a SANDER or libel is equally as
slanderous or libelous as the original
matter.
You assume that You are not assail.ng
Bryan when you are quoting what IRE
sponsible newspapers say of him, and CIV
ing to such statements all the credit your
high official position can confer. You be
little your understanding when you say
that it is the duty of Bryan to enter into
a personal controversy with every htre-
ling newspaper scribbler who is employed
to slander or defame him. The people
understand the animus OF partisan news
papers, and make proper allowances for
their assertions but when you clothe
their slanders with your official robes, It
is a lame and cowardly defense on your
part to protect yourself by skulking be-
bind miserable newspaper scribbers. l
called your attention to the injustice Of
your charge, not to the charge Of the
newspapers which you have again quot
ed, supposing that You, an honorable
man, would retract the charges at once,
if you We're unable to prove them. In
stead of doing SO, you repeated other
stale ISLANDERS against Mr.. Bryan, myself,
Senator Sharon, Governor Stanford and
others, which, if 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 it
is not pertinent to the issue. The issue
is whether you have unjustly and with
out proof assailed the character of Bryan
You can not avoid that issue by pretend
ing that you only repeated falsehood
which somebody else originated. Do you
not fear the repeating of falsehood and
attributing it 70 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 SANDER and libel
which you can not justify by claiming
you have a right to remark it because
YOU had not the courage to originate it.
If 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 concerned, but
can you afford to be published to the
world as a peddler Of slanders which yon
can not prove? If you have any friends
who supposed you were both honest and
brave, they will be sorely disappointed
if you fail to frankly avow your error
and retract your ISLANDERS, or prove the
truth of your charges which have been
quoted above. Yours respectfully,
civilian NJ. STEWART."