The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-11-03
4 SAMPLE OF COERCION
Banker Threatens TO Boycott an
Express Company President.
Denounces Him Because He Supports
Mr.. bryan for President-W. p. st.
The Fearless Response of MIR. Val
entine to Impudent Letter.

NEW YORK, Nov 3.-The Journal
today prints the following:
Ceilan NJ. Splitter, of the banking firm
of Splitter & Co., of Toledo, Ohio and New
York city, wrote some time ago to c. NJ.
Hayden, Toledo agent of the Wells Fargo
Express Company, criticising the action OF
President Valentine, of the express COM
pany, in supporting Mr. Bryan for Prest-
dent, and threatening 10 withdraw from
the company the business of his firm if Mt.
Valentine continued to give voice to his
opinions
The letter was forwarded to President
Valentine, who replied in dignifed. but
unmistakable terms. The correspondence,
which has just been made public is in
part as follows:
&c. NJ. Hayden, Toledo, Ohio:
Dear Sir: We are somewhat surpris-
ed to read in the prominent papers of the
country that ]. ]. Valentine, President OF
the Wells Fargo Express Company, who
was a strong supporter Of Mckinley four
years ago, has declared in an open letter
for Bryan. II this is the case ii is not
necessary for me to state to you that We
shall only use your company when we are
obliged to and shall use every effort to
throw business to other companies.
We cannot afford TO do business with
a company that has al the head of il man
Whe is doing everything ne can to destroy
our business. We know of many more
large customers of yours who are talking
on the same line. but don't feel like let
ting your people know this. You will find
there Will be big crusade against your
company from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
We think your president is deS CRYING
of the same fate that was received by
st. John, who was prosperous man, and
at the head of one of the largest banks
in New York. The pressure brought 10
bear On the bank was so heavy that the
directors were obliged to ask St John to
resign.
Mr. J. J. Valentine is not the proper
person to be at the head Ct any financial
institution. Any man who believes in free
silver and Organism should not be at
the head of one of the largest financial
institutions Of this country He is sim
ply traitor to the cause, and is bound
to ruin the business of the company by
his open letters to the public.
If Bryan should be elected AMI this
country go on a free silver basis, your
banking business would be ruined. as
well as your express business. w Jhi.ik
the directors should Immediately sx This
man Valentine to resign. for be surely
has not the best interests of the stock
holders and officers at heart, but nn The
other hand is seeking TO destroy he com
pany's business instead OF helping il The
celief CT the chief executive If any fnan-
ciaf institution should be on the iae of
building UP the business of the company
instead OF destroying it. Yours, truly,
&C. NJ. SPITzER."
To this Mr.. Valentine replied in part:
"On the none tary question I am gold
standard man, and was on the date of the
founding of your house. which, 1 see by
your letter head, was 1871. I appeared as
a witness before the monetary commission
of 1876. l have written hundreds, posi-
| bly, thousands, of open letters pages
in behalf OF the gold standard, having
been consistent and resolute advocate
OF the same when your candidate for the
Presidency. MIR William Mckinley, was
what the New York Evening Post
called webbing silverite,' denouncing
Grover Cleveland because he showed the
courage of his convictions and sustained
the gold standard.
Il have as already indicated. very
steadfastly advoca ted the gold standard,
and, as the company | represent does busi-
ness in forty-eight of the States and the
Territories of the United States and Mext-
co, I am sure you will have a high opinion
of the tolerance of American and MexI-
can people when I tell you that in all my
twenty-four years advocacy of that stan
dard l have no recollection OF ever having
received a letter like yours from any rep
resentative of silver whatever-Ininer
mine owner, merchant, banker, politician,
statesman, or other, either Mexico or in
the United States.
"On the contrary, / can say that in the
thick of the fight in 1896, when published
an article-an open letter-at least Cnee
a week, for some six months, in defence
of the gold standard, not a single man,
Silver Republican, Democrat Popuiist
Prohibitionist, or what not ever suggest
ed the iDfiction of a penalty for such ex-
ercise of my freedom of thought and ex-
appointed conservator of Mammon regard
less of human rights notably the two fun
damentaI rights mentioned. to do so.
Il reiterate what l have already alluded
to, that there are matters of greater mo-
ment than money OR trade-nameIy, hui
man rights. Between the claim of free
dom that ali men are entitled to equal
political rights and the dogma of tyrannF-
that might makes right, there is no middle
ground Hence 1 shall continue to speak
my mind at will, and when election day
comes 1 shall, IN the courage of my con-
victions, cast my vote for the Hon. ".
j. Bryan for President.
Yours very truly,
JOHN J. VALENTINE"
TOLEDO, Nov. &c NJ Splitter says lie
never in his life wrote any letter to Pres
ident Valentine.