To my fellow Bourbon Democrats and interested Mugwumps,
What a splendor has arisen in West Virginia! During my first term as president, Bluefield was hardly a blip on the map. Now, it has high-rising buildings to rival Manhattan. All this in but a few years!
The discovery of vast coal deposits has brought enormous changes to this region, including a plethora of immigrants from all corners. This town now teems with men from Germany, Italy, Belgian Manchuria, and more. Neither land nor sea nor air can keep men from this little parcel of Appalachia.
Of particular interest, however, is a burgeoning local middle class composed in large measure of the children of former slaves. Upon the passage of the 14th and 15th Amendments, a certain number of former slave holders warned that Africans would compose a permanent underclass in our nation. Yet here in Bluefield, such men have accomplished much, in spite of any supposed racial handicap. There are even efforts underway to establish a college in Bluefield specifically designed for the Colored Community. It would be an unprecedented innovation in our land!
With such sudden expansion, there have naturally been challenges. The local government has at times descended into corruption and violence. Let me be clear: graft and fisticuffs have no place in modern government. Our Mr. Stevenson has offered to personally return here after the campaign and whip Bluefield's City Hall into shape, regardless of the election's outcome.
The kaleidoscope that is Bluefield demonstrates the kind of inventive economy that can emerge when men are free to pursue their dreams. This wondrous menagerie emerged with little or no action on the part of Washington (and in spite of the local elected officials!). We have here living proof that if government restrains itself, then Bluefields might abound.
Sincerely,
Grover Cleveland