Beschreibung:

CLEVELAND, Grover. Autograph letter signed ("Grover Cleveland"), as former President, to Mr. Vroom, his farm manager, Buzzards Bay, Mass., 14 July 1898. 10½ pages, 8vo, on personal stationery . "WHY SHOULD I?" A HARSH LETTER TO HIS HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP FARM MANAGER AGAINST TAKING IN POOR CHILDREN An angry Cleveland sends this "frank and plain" and very long letter to Mr. Vroom, the man living in his vacation farmhouse in Hopewell Township, outside of Princeton. Vroom wants to take in some indigent children from Kansas and Cleveland explodes in rage: "I have just received your letter and it causes me much embarrassment. It is impossible for me to keep up with you in all your schemes and projects. You will remember that in the first conversation I had with you I discouraged the plan of taking the farm for a boy's school, because I did not think it adequate to that purpose....I am besides not ashamed to confess to you that I am not in pecuniary condition to expend at this time more money on the place than I have already spent...Why should I?...I do not ignore the duty we owe to aid charitable undertakings, but I am besieged daily and heavily on this score....How in the world are you to take care of any more people in the home than you now have? You certainly are in no condition to take boys from Kansas and more from the highways and care for them. I beg of you not to rely upon me to help you out in these matters. It is impossible for me to do it, though it may be unfortunate that you have not a more wealthy backer....I am satisfied that disappointment and mortification await us both..."