The morning journal-courier., 1908-09-29
MIR, HASTINGS vAciLLATEs,

F, S, Hastings, who, by reason of his executorship of the estate of Grover Cleveland, has sprung Into con- siderable prominence of late be- cause of his comments on tho so-called Cleveland letter to the Amer ican people relative to the present na- tlonal political controversy, appears to be very uncertain gentleman, From day to day one scarce knows where one may put ones finger on him Were we to llken him to anything, the simile had best be that of the little creature that breaks in upon our peace of mind ths time Of the year with It's inces- sant "Katy-dd, Katy-dldn't." Fur thermore he Is highly eyaslve.
 IL was not SO many days ago that MT. Hastings, when urged on by Marsa- Editor Henry Watterson and others, broke his calm reserve sufficiently to make lt certain that he had not the slightest doubt of the real authenticity of the letter In question, which 80 lauded Mir Taft at Mir Bryan's OK pense. There are within my knowi- edge" said he at that time, facts and incidents that confirm my belief In the genuineness of the article as Mir, Cleve- lands own production" Furthermore he said he had abundant proof of a concerted action on the part of Bryan sympathizers to undermine the articles effectiveness by disparaging its authen- tieity although he apparently took some care not to make that same proof" public.
 Now Mir Hastings has swung the other way with the pendulum In a subsequent letter to the New York Times. which was among the news papers that originally published the Cleveland article, and which Is now put In somewhat embarrassing posi- ton, he says. T now desire to say that there has since come to my knowl- edge evidence which leaves in my mind no doubt of the fact that the said Article was not written nor signed by Grover Cleveland It Is to be hoped, if the evasive executor now holds to ore opinion or the other long enough for the public to catch up with him, he will in either event produce such
 evidence" as he may have to prove beyond all shadow of doubt that he Is justified In what he asserts,
 The Idea that the article was not genuine gains no little emphasis by reason of the fact that It IS Mir. Hast ings second guess" because of the we'll established but unreliable princi- pie that the last is the best Fur thermore it is in the latter opinion that Mrs. Cleveland, the little woman whom the nation will long remember with affection because of the gracious way in which she played the part of the nations hostess in the White House, concurs. The Times has made q de- mand upon Mir Hastings for his abundant evidence" and it Is to be hoped 1t will be forthcoming immed- ateiy.
 In the meantime there Is little req son for the New York World to chortle with glee because it foresees the recall of hundreds of thousands of copies of the article sent broadcast throughout the country by the republican national committee as a campaign document. If the article was not really written by Grover Cleveland tand we must con fess we are not even yet convinced or the reasonabeness of 'that point of vIew), then 1t was written by some body of such Uncommon" common sense and such rare insight into things political that he struck phenomenally near to the mark a Somebody" whose words of wisdom can only be given less emphasis by reason of the fact that be has not been known for de- eades as such 0 political Socrates as was Mir Cleveland. With this one ex-. ception the article can and should make as sound campaign material for Mir. Taft as ever.