Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1909-10-28
wsrst Forgery IN Hlstsry.
News and Obs ryer.

y y = 4
No forgervin history has been
20 out Of the usual line as the at
tempt Of Brandenhurg inthe last
presidential campaign to helm
elect TAFT by falsely pretending
that Mr. Cleveland had writ len a
letter that would make q valua--
ble campaign document. . Bran
dpnburg had Furnished interviews
with prominent men for some.
and after the cam
paign opened he offered the New
York Herald. and the New York
Worli an article on public ques-
tions. which he said Mr.. Clpve-
land had written shortly before
hia death. The article was evil
IDENTIFY written by some shrewd
Republican politician who was go
expert in following Mr. Cleve.
laud's well.known style that the
New York Times bought 1t in the
belief that it was genuine. Other
papers printed it and the Repub.
lican committee circulated 1t by
the million The head Of the liter
arv bureau, like editors, were inn
posed upon. hut the forgery Was
too, cleverly done not to have
been inspired by somebody big
ger than Brandenburg. II the
whole truth is ever known there
is little doubt that some man
high up in Republican circles, is
responsible for the forgery.
Most people accepted the letter
as genuine when it appeared and
for days it was treated as such
nv many editors. But the Instant
he read It, the "eagle eye" ri
Hon. Henry Waterson, the deep
est Of all the writer's, declare ! it
was a forgery. He was the first
man to publicly denounce it a. q
frand and point out reasons why
be did not believe Il to be genu.
ine. It was aoon known to the
Democratic National Committee
that both Mr.. Waterson a n d
lMr, John G. Carlisle did not be-
[lieve the late president had writ'
ten such q letter. Mr.. .Cleveland's &
executor. pronounced it genuine
But. so far as the Republican
bosses and papers we're concern.
ed, sit was a good enough Nor
|gan for this election" and they
saw to il that the fraud was not
publicly exposed until after tht
election. Bfandenhurg may not
|have been spirited away Tor po
Ilitical purposes, but he was able
to prevent the facrs coming ont
until after the second Monday in
November. Many will always be
lieve the poor pittance he receiv
ed from the New York Times wal
the smallest part of,his. compen
sation. After the election. th'
testimony of Mrs. Cleveland lef'
no doubt that it was q forgery
She would not permit her hus-
hands good name to be tainted
by the belief that in his ! a e.
hours be was giving the lie to hi
long professions and she BRAY
lily vindicated his name.
The New York papers hav
now printed q letter to Mr.. Z
Prentiss Bailey, editor OF the o.
tica Observer, an old friend, whicl
was Mr. Cleveland's last letter
So far from favoring MIR. Tat
that letter expressed faith in tn
Democratic party and indicatet
that Governor johnson, Of Min
nesota, was Mr.. Clevelands choic'
for, the presidential nomination
. thus completely destroying th'
Brandenburg forgery.
There is no donbt that the pul
licatiun Of the Brandenburg let
ter, timed when many Of lCleve
lan's friends we're coming out 70
Bryan and Kern, was OF mucl
service TO the Republican party
J II was the star that tnrned no
q few, who looked to Mr.. Cleve
land for guidance, to decIars.fo