Mr. Cleveland's Letter

The Planet opposes President Cleveland’s decision to stand in favor of an absolute gold standard.

President Cleveland has written a most remarkable letter to Gov. Stone of Mississippi. He takes a decided stand in favor of an absolute gold standard, which he is pleased to term sound currency, and he argues to the question with an earnestness which betokens that he will fight it out to finish along that line.
He vouches for the truthfulness of the assertion that the entire influence of the administration will be used along these lines, and that office-holders, who have views antagonistic to those expressed by him had better change them or remain ominously silent.
President Cleveland makes a surprising statement of his position, and in a few words replies to the criticism of his past actions, and his apparent desire to establish in this country what may be well termed a Cleveland party. Here are his words under date of April 26, 1895:
My Dear Sir, - Your letter of the 21st instant is at hand. I do not feel inclined to find fault with your criticism but I think the matters you refer to should be judged in the light of the circumstances existing at the time the things were done. I never had an idea of building up or fostering a personal following, but so far as politics should properly influence me in making appointments I have tried to be Democratic and not proscriptive. I am glad you are frank enough to admit your participation in bringing about a condition in office-holding which may not be all that could now be desired.
Whether those appointed to places shall, in speech and action, behave decently toward the administration under which they hold office must remain, to a large extent, a matter of taste and good breeding. There are, however, some officials who devote themselves so industriously to vilification and abuse of those under whom they hold office as to indicate that their fidelity cannot be trusted for the performance of their fidelity cannot be trusted for the performance of their duties in a manner creditable to the administration, and who apparently assume they may spend the time they owe the public service in doing political mischief. In the interest of good government such office holders must not be surprised if they are summarily dealt with.

The same notice which he served upon Republicans is now being announced to disagreeing Democrats. Few men outside of Wall St., New York have dared to take so radical a stand upon the monetary question that announced by Mr. Cleveland. Even where they held to the same views expressed by him, they were careful to speak in favor of bimetallism. Mr. Cleveland has taken issue with two-thirds of his own party, which is hopelessly committed to the free coinage of silver.
Two years is too short a time to convert it to his way of thinking and a split so pronounced that it will send all hope of Democratic success glimmering in the distance is the logical outcome of his declaration. But the President virtually prophesies the success of the Republican Party in the next national election when he says:
If there are Democrats who suppose that our party can stand on a platform embodying such doctrines (free silver) either through its affirmative strength or through the perplexity of our opponents on the same proposition, or if there are democrats who are willing to turn their backs upon their party association in the hope that free and unlimited and independent coinage of silver can win a victory without the aid of either party organization, they should deceive themselves no longer, nor longer refuse to look in the face the results that will follow the defeat, if not the disintegration of the Democratic party upon the issue which tempts them from their allegiance. If we should be forced away from our traditional doctrine of sound and safe money our old antagonist will take the field on the platform which we abandon, and neither the votes of reckless Democrats nor reckless Republicans will avail to stay their easy march to power. This is as plain as any thing can possibly be.
The issue is clearly defined. The South is not in accord with Mr. Cleveland. The West is hopelessly against him. The East favors his views but fears to trust the followers who endorse any wild-cat theory which has the appearance of being an aid to the continuation of the Democratic Party in power. Mr. Cleveland has prophesied truly. Disintegration has already set in and the downfall of the party of heresies and crude ideas is a certainty. It is not at all surprising that the captain of the ship should endeavor to steer clear of impending disaster and plead with the mutinous crew which is determined to keep on the course to certain disaster.

“Mr. Cleveland's Letter,” Black Virginia: The Richmond Planet, 1894-1909, accessed January 18, 2026, https://blackvirginia.richmond.edu/items/show/1402.