Democratic Sentinel, Volume 19, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 April 1895 — MR. CLEVELAND'S LETTER. [ARTICLE]

MR. CLEVELAND'S LETTER.

The business men and citizens of Chicago, wbo invited Presiden: Cleveland to visit Chicago, are to be disappointed.Cl The invitation read: “ ks business men and citizens o : Chicago, irrespective of party as » filiations, we respectfully invite you and Mrs. Cleveland to a public reception to be tenderei to you in this city to express our deep sense of appreciation of your statesmanlike and courageous action in maintaining the financial credit of our government and youi uncompromising attitude in favor of tLe preservation of a sound nation al currency.” In response, tbe committee received tbe following letter: “EXECUTIVE MANSION, ’'Washington, D. 0., April IS. “To Messrs. Win. T Baker, Geo. W. Smith, John A. Roche, T. W. Harvey,David Kelley and Henry 8. Robbins: “Gentlemen—l am much' gratified by the exceedingly kind and complimentary invitation you have tendered me, on behalf of many citizens of Chicago, to be their guest at a gathering in the interest of sound money and wholesome financial doctrine.

“1 hope,‘however, the event will mark the beginning of an earnest and aggre?s.ve effoi t to disseminate among the people safe and prudent financial ideas. Nothing more important can engage the attention of patriotic citizens, because nothiing s bo vital t® the web fare of our fellow- countrymen and to tne strength, prosperity and honor of our nation. The situation confronting us des mands that those who appreciate the importance of this subject and those who ought io b? the first to see impending dangerFshould no onger remain indifferent or overconfident If the sound-money sentiment abroad in the land is to save us :rom mischief and disaster it must le crystahzed and combined and made immedhtely active. It is dangerous to overlook the fact that a vast number of our people, with scant opportunity, thus far, to examine the question in all its aspects, have nevertheless been ingeniously impressed with specious suggrstiom, vhich in tnis lime of misfortune and depression find willingllisteners, prepared to give credenca to any scheme which is plausibly presented as a remedy for their unfortunate condition. In Favor of Sound Money.

What is now needed more anything else is a plain and simple presentation of the argument in favor of sound money. In other words, it is time for the American people ti reason together as members of a great nation which can promis a them a continuance of pro. tection and safety only so long as its solvency is unsuspected, its honor unsullied and the soundness of its money unquestioned. These things are ill exchanged for the illusions of a debased currency and groundless hoj e of advantages to be gained by a disregard of our financial credit and 'ommercial standing among the nations of the world. If our people were isolated from all others and if the. question of our currency be treated without Vegard k our relations to other its character would be a matter of comparatively little inn porta nee. If the American peo<« pie were only concerned in the maintenance of their physical use among themselves they might return toj the old days of baj ter, and: mlbis. primitive manner acquire from each other the materials to supply the wants of their existence. But if American civilization vere satisfied with tnis it would abjectly fail in its highland noble mission.

In these restless days the 1 urmer is tempted by the assurance that though our wwDcy may be de* based,, redundant and uncertain, Much’a situation will improve the, price of| his products. Let us remind him that he must buy as wall as se'l; that his dreams of plenty are shaded by the certainty that if the price of the things he has to sell is nomina ly enhanced, the cost of the things he must buy wiU not remain stationery; that the better prices which cheap money proclaims a -e unsubstantial and delusive, and tlftat even if they were remand palpable, ha must necessarily be left far behind in the race for their enjoyment. AS TO THE WaOE-EABNEB, It ought not to be difficult to Convince the wage-earner that if there were benefits arising from a degenerated currency they would reach him least of all and last of all. In an unhealthy stimulation of prices an increased cost of all the needs of his home must long be his portion, while he is at the

same time vexed with vanishing visions of increased wages and an easier lot. The pages of history and experience are full of this lesson. An insidious attempt ia made to create a prejudice against the advoo tes of a safe and sound currency by the insinuation, mor<- or less directly mace, that they belong to financial and business classes and are. therefore, not only ut of sympathy with the common people of the land, but for selfish and wicked purposes are willing to sacrifice the interests of those outside their circle.

I believe tnat capital and wealth, through combination and other means, sometimes gain an undue advantage; and it must be conceded that the maintenance of a sound currency may, in a sense, be invested with a greater or less importance to individuals according to their conaition and circumstauc’s. It is, however, only a difference 11 aegree, since it is utterly im possible that any one in our broad

lane, r ch or poor, whatever may be his occupation and whether dwelling in a centre of finance and commerce, or in remote corner of our domain,Jean bejreallv benefited jy a financial scheme, not alike beneficial to all our people, or that any one should be excluded from a common and universal interest in the ssfe character and stall value of the currency of the country.

The Line of Battle. In our relation to his question we aie all in business, for we all buy and sell; so we all have to do withfiuanoial operations, for we all earnmoney to spend it. We cannot escape our intei dependence.— Merchants and dralers a e in every neighborhood and each ‘has its shops and manufactories. Wher. ever the wants of man exist, business and finance in some degree are found, related in one direction to those whose wants they supply and in anothei to the more expensive business and finance to which ;hey are ributary. A. fluctuation n prices at the seaboard is known the samt day or hour in the remotest hamlet. The discredit or depreciation in the financial centers of any form of mopey in the hands of the people- is ft signal of immediate loss everywhere. If reckless discontent and wild experiment should sweep our currency from its safe support the most defenseless of all who suffer a that time of distress and national iscredit will be the poor, as they reckon the loss in their scanty support, and laborer or workingman ns he sees the money he has received for his toil shrink and shrivel in his hand when he tenders it tor the necessaries to supply his humble home Disguise it as we may, the line of battle is drawn between the forces of safe currency and silver monometallism. 1 will not believe that if our people are afforded an intelligent oppoi tunity for sober second tho’t ;hey will sanction schen es, that lowever cloaked, mean disaster and confusion, nor that tfiey will consent by undermining tbe foun dation of a safe currency to endanger the beneficent character and purposes of their government. Yours very truly, GROVER CLEVELAND.

The day of sectional animosity has gone by. The politician that persists in cultivating it hereafter will certainly receive* as he deserves, the disapproval of his fellow citizens. The South has gloriously demonstrated its loyalty to the government and its fiatemal feci ng towards the North. Gen. John B. Gordon. has supplemented his magnificent speech in the senate with the following statement in conversation: “I am Commander-in-chief of the con* federate union, which is an 'rganization of confederate veterans similar to the Grand Army of the Republic. If occa sion requires it I will march an army of soldiers across the long bridge over the 1-oiomao greater than Gen. Leo ever commanded, every man ol whom will fight to the death to ( reserve the anion and command respect for the old flag.”

Th© new prosecuting attorney, Mr J. W. Douthit, has labored under many disadvantages during this term of court and has not been able to accomplish wha* h a desired to do. The cases he has been called upon to manage were continued from the last term and the p nites a._d circumstances are all new to him. Hereafter he will be able to work with more satis taction to himself at least. He says his desire is to do whatever he can to enforce the law and conduct the office in s uch a manne that Governor Matthews will have have no occasion to regret his action in appointing him.—Benton Review.

Advertised Letters—Mis. Ana B. Wood, Mr. John R. Chr’sty, Miss Alice Stone, Mrs. Cassie Shier er, Mrs. Nancy Watson, 2 r Miss Melcirta Warren, Charlev Harris, Chgrles Mr. Frank Batson,