Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-15
NEVER FAVORED TAFT!
Grover CIeveIand's Last I'M
portant Letter Published.
HE WAS FOR GOV. JOHNSON
Epistle Has Direct Bearing on the
Brandenburg Case.
WRITTEN TO PRENTISS BAILEY
Seems to Dispose Of Contention That
Great Democratic Leader crowned
on His Party.
HE WAS FOR GOV. JOHNSON
TO PRENT1ss BAILEY

UTICA, October 15.-E. Prentiss Bal
ley. veteran editor Of the Utica OBJ
| server and close friend OF Grover Cleve-
land. last night printed in his newspa-
per the text of a letter he received from
the former President few days before
Mr.. Cleveland went to Princeton. N. j.,
where he died later, and which Editor
Bailey believes is the last letter of any
length or Importance that Cleveland
| wrote.
Mr.. Cleveland's letter to Mr.. Bailey is
dated at Princeton, N. j.. March II.
1908. and its contents are particularly
interesting in the light of the contro-
versy precipitated q year ago by the
so-called Cleveland letter produced by
subsequently alleged to have been a
forgery and for selling which Brandon
burg was prosecuted In New York.
Made Him 1ndorse Taft.
The letter which Brandenburg gave
to the public made 1t appear early In
the last presidential year that Mr..
Cleveland, becoming hopeless of his
party, had turned a eulogist Of Taft,
the then expected nominee Of the re-
publicans.
Bsandenburg testified in his own be-
half early this year that the letter was
signed by Mr.. Cleveland and given to
him. about March 8. 1908. The letter
which is given below was written TO
the editor of the Observer six days
later than that date. and it shows that
Mr.. Cleveland was still with his party.
and instead Of having Taft in mind was
contemplating with satisfaction the
possible nomination Of John A. Johnson
Of Minnesota for the presidency by the
democrats
Here Is Cleveland's Letter.
The letter. in part. follows:
PRINCETON, N. j.. March IA, 1908
MY Dear Mr. Bailey: have read with
great deal of satisfaction your last ex-
| ceedingly friendly letter. Regarding you
as one of my oldest and best personal
| friends. as well as one of the stanch polit-
icaI comrades still remaining to wage war
| fare in the democratic cause. your solicit
tude concerning my health and the kind
| expressions contained in your letter are
most gratifying.
Il often recall past political contests and
| those who were prominent as leaders in
days past In winning democratic victories.
do not know but your thoughts are often
| led In the same direction, and if they are
| you must feel the same surprise that do
In being able to recall so few who yet sur
vive. 1t does not seem to me that the sue
cessors Of these old leaders naturally give
rise to great confidence Or hope. Still,
| cannot rid myself of the idea that our
party, which has withstood SO many
clashes with our political opponents, is not
doomed at this time to sink to condition
or useless and lasting decadence.
Hope for the Democracy.
I'm my last letter to you I expressed
myself as seeing some light ahead for de-
mocracy. I cannot help feeling at this
time that the light ia still brighter. It
| does seem to me that movements have
the present time of large dimensions
promise final relief from the burden which
has SO long weighed us down.
Il have lately come to the conclusion
that our best hope rests upon the nomina-
| ton OF Johnson of Minnesota. The pros
poets. to my mind, appear as bright with
| him as our leader as with any other, and
whether we meet with success or not, be-
lieve with such leader we shall take
long step'in the way Of returning to our
old creed and the old policies and the old
plans of Organization which have hereto
fore led us to victory.
II received a letter few days ago from
Judge Donahue of New York. an old war
years old, but still active In the practice
of his profession He said to me that,
though he was by a number of years old
er than l. he not only hoped but expected
the White House. I often think that with
my seventy-one years to be completed in
four days now such hope and expecta-
| ton on my part can hardly reasonably be
entertained. but confess that am some
what ashamed of such pessimistic feel
| ing when / read the CHEEKY and conf
dent words contained in this old veterans
letter.
Not a Political Pessimist.
1 do not want you to suppose that a
feeling of pessimism toward political af-
fairs is habitual with me. On the con-
trary, such a condition Of mind is quite
infrequent and so temporary that it
yields quickly to a better mood and a
settled conviction that our party before
many years will march from the darkness
to the full light of glorious achievement"
DR.. Joseph D. Bryant, Mr.. Cleveland's
physician who was in Utica recently, be-
lieves the letter given above was the last
of any length or Importance that the
former President wrote. When Dr. Bry-
ant was called to Lakewood two days
after it was written. Mr.. Cleveland spoke
ten only day or two before to Mr..
Bailey, though he may not at the time
have regarded 1t as legacy to his
party.
Appears in "Recollectiens"
Editor Bailey tonight prints the Cleve-
land letter simultaneously with its ap-
pearance in the .Recollections Of Grover
Cleveland" by George F. Parker. LII. D.,
secretary of the trustees of the Equitable
ex-consul at Birmingham. England. and
for years close to the person and intimate
confidence of Mr.. Cleveland. Mr. Par
kers work has just come from the press
Of the Century Company, New York.