The Portland daily press., 1874-02-24
An ODon Letter.
TO THE PRESIDENT

The Boston Adverti SER of Monday contains
the following letter to the President which is
worthy of attention: 80. !. 49,
=. TO THE PRESIDENT. sk
To HIS Erceucncy Ulysses s. Grant, President
Of the United States Of america: e
Sir,-For almost twenty years the Common
wealth of MASSACHUSETTS, has been devoted to
the interests of the republican party, both be-
fore and since its rise to power. Nowhere with
in the United States have you sir, found suoh
steady and loyal support as from its citizens
They have not been fault-fnding and impa-
tlent: They have seen your administration
cal affairs which they have disapproved; they
have seen the civil-service rules disregarded and
solemn promises forgotten; they have seen you
dismiss from your service men In whom they
trusted, and listen to the counsel of those
whom they despised, and still they have re-
manned true to you, believing that in the end
you would see the right and the truth. and
would Justify the confidence they plaed In you
when they chose you for their President.
And now, sir, we, the citizens of Massachu-
sets, would address to you a solemn 'remon-
STRANGE. We do not wish to deal here with
small local issues, we do not wish to stand on
party lines or to stoop to discuss paltry person
al jealousies, but we wish to speak in the name
of all that is upright and honorable not only in
Massachusetts but in the Union.
Sir, you are beset by evil advisers; ysu are de
eeivedh by their representations and either
through misapprehension of circumstances or
want of knowledge of the sentiments of this
union, you are led to lend your aid to their
schemes. Mr.. Butler is the man in whose
Vaccinations we have now most concern, and
him we will take as an example. His aim is to
climb into power by means of a corrupt use of
the civil service over which you have control
His creatures are given Office with the direct,
almost avowed object of defrauding the people
of their right to hold tree elections Bribery,
corruption, intimidation and lies are the meth
DDS employed to attain this end and how sue
cessfully it is attained the history of the past
few years can leave in you, sir, unhappily, too
little doubt The same sad story is true Of al
most every other State. Will You allow the
name of the party, for whose policy you are
responsible, thus to become by-word of
shame? as4 |
We, sir, have held our peace too long. We
have brought reproach upon ourselves for sit
ting calmly by and seeing others sutherland
that reproach is deserved, for it is the duty of
every citizen to resist fraud at all times and in
all places, regardless of consequences. We have
erred from having too strong faith, but we
will err SO no longer.
The issue is too broad and deep to be lightly
handled. 1t is the great struggle between pur-
ny ~ ana self respect, and degrading corruption;
In this struggle there is no room for compro :
mise or half measures; it is impossible to bar
gam between good and evil We are speaking
syooeriy ana most seriously, and it is not well to
disregard our words What we desire sir and
what we must have, is reform. The emniov-
ment made of the administrative service If
this country is rotten in root and branch: cor.
ruption has eaten to its very core; unprncinlcd
men seek to use the machinery of party for
their own advancement, utterly negiectful of
the wants OF the people, and these wants are
neither few nor small On this evil we peust
trample OR it will destroy us. Party questions
cannot enter here. On this issue, at least. ali
honorable men who love their country are unit
&c, all Republicans, all Democrats. f7a
The great party which you lead was designed
for higher aims than to pander to the ambition
of INSCRIPTIONS politicians. Properly led. il
has still before it long career of usefulness in
the reformation of those abuses which are now
the country's shame, and IN the condnct of
those measures of public policy which lie wear
after year neglected and forgotten; led as Il
now is, it has only future Of bitter disaster :.
and disgrace to you, to us, and to the nation
The moment now seems at hand when a do
cison can no longer be postponed; and we hone
sir, and trust-nay more, we demand. that Won
your minister's and Congress, will choose that
path which craftsmanship, which integrity and
which courage dictate; and be assured. sir. that
In SO doing you willihave the united and heart
support of all that is manly and upright in tbs
American people. 1''s ~ ~ 'ne