Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-10-31
THE CLEVELAND INTERVIEW
THE EX-PRESIDENT DENIES HAVING
PREDICTED BRYAN's ELECTION.
Says That He Never Talked to Anyone
on the Subject-RepOrters'
Affidavit.

Affidavit.
The interview published in The Star yes
terday and credited to the Philadelphia
Times in which ex-President Cleveland pre-
dicted landslide for Mr.. Bryan has been
denied by Mr.. Cleveland.
The New York Herald today prints the
following interview with the ex-President
under Princeton N. j., date:
An Unmiti9ated FaIsehOod.
When l called Mr.. Cleveland's attention
to these allegations this afternoon he re-
marked: I've heard of nothing else all day
I've had inquiries on the subject from all
over the country, and l have had twenty
kilograms asking about the story. 1t is an
unmitigated falsehood-a lie from the be-
ginning to the end. Make my denial un-
qualified and as emphatic as possible. II
cannot be too strong
lis there no foundation at all for tho
story?' 1 inquired.
Absolutely none was the reply.
"Have you knowingly seen any repre-
sentative of the Philadelphia Times?'
No, sir, 1 have seen no one who had
any connection with the paper, SO far as
1 know
Mr.. Cleveland then referred to the fact
that the Philadelphia Times recently
changed hands. His original information
on that score was that Colonel Mcclure
had severed all connection with the paper
He heard later that while Colonel Mcclure
had relinquished the management he In
tended to write for the paper.
If Colonel Mcclure were In charge OF
the paper, continued the former President,
1 do not believe that he would publish
such a thing without telegraphing me and
giving me an opportunity to pass upon II
and to say whether it was true or untrue:
Why, | would not be fool enough to say
such things. They do not represent my
sentiments.
II mentioned that the morning papers
had published brief note from Mr.. Cleve-
land to his former Postmaster General, Don
NJ. Dickinson of Detroit, referring to his
speech before the Reform Club in April,
1897, as part Off his record in advocacy OF
true democracy, which he would not sup
press If he could, antFauthorizing Mr.. Dick
inson to make such use of it as he deemed
proper.
Yes. my record Is there remarked Mr..
Cleveland. Mr.. Dickinson communicated
with me, and in reply l said substantially
that my sentiments had not changed since
made that speech Some one had the enter
prise to look up the speech. While l do not
say that what is now published is exactly
what | said, | may say that If the speech is
correctly quoted it contains my views as
they then were and as they now are. 1t is
a part of my record and have no desire to
change it =
l informed Mr.. Cleveland that it was re-
ported in Princeton that the alleged inter
view had been written or inspired by an ell
derby man who had spent a few days at the
Nassau Hotel and who had actually called
upon him and seen him
DO you recall a person who told you that
he was from Nebraska l asked:
well" said the former President. There
was a decrepit old creature here at my house
the other day. He represented that he was
from Nebraska and great friend of j.
Sterling Morton. on Mr. Morton's account,
/ received him and chatted possibly ten
minutes-no more. He was very deaf I
spoke to him about Mr.. Morton's attitude In
the present campaign and he did not seem to
know anything about it. Then 1 spoke to
him about Mr.. MOrtonS paper and he APP
parently knew nothing about it. So l con-
cluded that there must be something wrong
and he could scarcely be as intimate with
Mr.. Morton as he wished to appear. and
cut the conversation short. Politics was
scarcely mentioned
Never Used the Expression.
You did not use the expression quoted by
the Philadelphia Times?'
mo, as l do not think that way"
Have you any reason to believe that this
person wrote the storyT'
II have no means ofknowing as the whole
| thing is a fabrication-a baseless fabrica-
ton, which 1 wish to repudiate in most en-
phatic terms I have at times seen some OF
| the young men living here and connected
| with the press. They at times desire an op-
| portunity to quote my views. This article
| does not emanate, am sure, from any one
| Of them, nor have l said anything to any
person to which any such construction
| could be given
THE article is signed with the initials R
| ]. b." 1 suggested.
| 80 1 am told. 1 do not recognize the
initials, and persons to whom 1 have
| spoken did not know Them
| AS Mr.. Cleveland stood at his door when
| left, he again said the denial could not be
| made too strong.
| The Philadelphia Times today prints the
| following on its editorial page:
The Cleveland Interview Denied.
The following dispatch was received yes
| terday by the editor Of the Times from ex.
President Cleveland, relating to the al
| legged interview from him on the nationa
| political contest, and published prominent.
| ly in this journal yesterday morning:
| PRINCETON, N. j., October 80, 1900.
Editor Philadelphia Times:
| The alleged interview with me published
| in this mornings Times, is an absolute anG
outrageous fabrication:
| GROVER CLEVELAND
| Mr. Cleveland's emphatic denial Of the
| interview on the political situat ion. pub.
| lished in this Journal yesterday morning, is
| accepted as conclusive.
| large circle of readers to say that 1t was
| not in any measure a party to the publica.
| ton of the interview, beyond accepting II
| from the author who was highly accredited
| The Cleveland interview was brought tc
| the Times office at late hour on Monday
night by Mr.. r. J. Black. resident OF
| Iowa. He had letters of recommendation
| from j. Sterling Morton, member of mir
| Cleyeland's cabinet. and from other close
| friends of the exIPresident. He. stated tina
he had come directly from visit to Mr.
| Cleveland; had discussed the political situa
ton fully with him. and had carefully
taken down Mr.. Cievelands utterances
Thus accredited and at an hour too late t.
verify the interview, the editor in charge
| fully convinced that no imposition was in
tended prominently published the inter
visw as II was highly important, if true.
We sincerely regret the publication. NJ
nolitical interest would weigh for mo
ment with this Journal in favor of the pub
the correction as distinctly and conspicu
ously as is possible, not only in justice t
Mr. cleveland, but In justice to public jour
nalism. ,,
we're signed to the dispatch, heard yester
Sav afternoon that Mr.. Cleveland had de
| ha oil ril.r =