The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-10-30
Special to The Washington Post.

special 20 The washington POST
Chicago. Ill. Oct. 29.-The Times-Her-
aid will print tomorrow the following let
ter from Walter Wellman, its special cor
respondent:
New York. Oct 29-Ex-President Cleve-
land has at last spoken, and in a most
emphatic way. He is opposed TO Bryan
and Bryanlsm. and to-day, over his sigma
ture, authorized the publication of his
views. Don NJ. Dickinson. OF Detroit, for
mcr Postmaster General in President
Cleveland's Cabinet and recently author
of a severe arraignment Of Mr.. Bryan. ar
rived here this morning. and this even
ing showed me the following letter which
he had just received from ex-President
Cleveland:
Princeton. Oct g.
Hon. Don NJ Dickinson;
Dear Sir; The speech I made at the Reform Club
dinner in April, 1887. is part of my record in sd
voeacy Of true Democracy. / cannot suppress It
or abate from it, and would not II could.
shall not object to any you At to make
Of II. Yours. sincerely,
GROVER CLEVELAND.
The speech which Mr. Cleveland made
at the Reform Club dinner, April a. 1897,
which he refers TO in the foregoing let
ter, and whose use he authorizes was, in
part, as follows:
Work OF Asitators and Dema soxues.
ION every side we are confronted with
popular depression and complaint. These
are largely due to causes of natural and
certain recurrence, the inevitable accom-
raniments of all human endeavor, and
perhaps they are largely due 10 the WORK
of agitators and demagogues who have
bUsily sowed the seeds of discomfort, hop
ing that in the harvest they inlay reap 4
personal advantage.
Distressing ills, real and imaginary
have been so constantly and iuridly pre-
sented to the minds of honest men that
they are tempted to accept without TAX
ing counsel of reason or judgment any
nostrum cunningly offered as a remedy
for their low condition.
But even so promising a field as this
has not satisfied the designs of ruthless
agitators. While scattering the seeds of
Ciscontent they have also cultivated a
growth of sectional and class suspicion
and distrust which threatens to choke or
destroy that fraternal feeling which leads
TO considerate counsel in the day of
common misfortune and which is abso-
lutely essential to the success of our plan
of government.
"The fundamental truth that orr free
institutions offer opportunities to all with
in their influence for the advancement
and Improvement of their condition has
been so far denied that honest accumula-
ton is called a crime and the necessity
and habit of individual effort and strug-
gle which are the handspring of sturdy
Americanism are described as unjusti-
fable burdens, while unwholesome pa :.
ternalism is presented in handsome and
| inviting garb.
Those enlisted in this crusade of dis
content and passion. proclaiming them
selves the friends of the people, exclude
from that list all their countrymen except
those most fortunate or unreasonable and
those whom they themselves have made
the most discontented and credulous."
These forces and conditions have for
years, with greater or less distinctness.
hovered about our national life, lacking
effective organization and concentration,
neglected by those who deprecated their
existence, and unheeded even by those
who partially appreciated their dangerous
tendency.
I'm the meantime there has lain in wait
behind them all an impatient power ready
10 marshal them in effective activity
when depression, misfortune neglect, and
passion had done their work.
Mr. Cleveland's speech was one of
length. He referred to the first engage
ment, which resulted in the defeat Of
combined forces of dangerous and un-
wholesome policies" as advocated by
Bryan and his followers; arraigned the
victorious party for bad faith in elinging
TO extreme protection after having been
placed in power as the result of Demo-
cratic patriotism, and urged the Demo-
Gratis to return TO their old idols.
The speech throughout showed bitter
antagonism toward Organism and lack of
confidence in the Republican party TO
cure the ills from which the country was
suffering.