The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1875-12-16
The Letter Avowed.

In an interview with the Times reporter,
yesterday, Mr.. Foster. editor of Newark pa
per, says he did write IA letter which was print
ed in an Augusta democratic paper, but it must
have been obtained by that paper in some ques-
tlonabe manner, as 1t was a personal letter adj
dressed to Jas. G. Blaine. The latter did not
see it until it reached him in print from the pa
pers OF last Friday morning. Mr.. Foster OK
plains that he wrote about the strength of the
ant-Catholc order from information and obser-
walton, but he based his remarks upon the re-
suit of the election in New Jersey, where the
United American Mechanics carried the State
against the Catholics.
Mr. Foster also says: ''After the election in
New Jersey a prominent Washington official.
a member of the national republican committee,
called upon me in Newark, and told ME that the
order of United American Mechanics was grow
ing with amazing rapiditv all over the country;
that in every state of the union divisions of the
order were established, and when the next
presidential convention and election came of,
l could see for myself that the order would be
perhaps great directing power.
lie told me there were at least "A score Of CON
gressmen at Washington and great many pub
lie officials, members of this order, and assured
me that Gen. Grant himself was deeply inter-
ested and active member. The same official
was on his way to New York to initiate Gen.
Merritt into the order, and from this fact the
statement was made in the letter by Foster that
Mr. Blaine could be initiated by any one mem
Der. Those statements, combined with the sub
sequent action of the President in his Des Moi
mes speech on the school question, led to the
letter being written.
In an interview with Mr.. Blaine Saturday,
he said to Foster that the stealing of the letter
was mystery to him. Mr.. Blaine denied to
Foster having any previous knowledge Of Il
secret anti-sectaran order in the United States.
This letter is generally accepted as ex-
planning the recent letter of Mr. Blaine
on the proposed school amendment to the
constitution, as well as the Presidents
Des Moines speech and the allusion IN the
message to the same question. 1t means
that there is to be an attempt to array re-
ligious sects against each other, in tie
hope that political party may profit by
it, The leaders of the Republican party
have discovered that there is no longer Il
probability of success by melting one por-
ton of the country to hatred against an
other-and the endeavor is now to be to
array people against each other on secta-
rian questions. The party needs hatred
of some kind as Il means of riding into
power.
The extract given above contains some
very important admissions. The letter is
written by & prominent Republican editor
of a daily paper in New Jersey. That
editor has his information concerning the
existence of the secret order from q a
prominent Washington official, member
of the Republican National Committee"
That is high authority in the party coun-
ellis, and cannot well be disputed The
same high authority says that Gen Grant
is ga deeply interested and active mem
ber.''
This editor, being a strong friend to
Mr.. Blaine. and learning that the Presi-
dent was endeavoring by his membership
of this United American concern to get
ahead in the Presidential race, invites the
| eH-speaker to enter on the same course
Putting all these acknowledged facts to
gether, we have-1st, powerful secret
order, oath bound and opposed to relig-
lous freedom and equality. ID, the Pres
ident of the United States member
thereof. with his oath to support a const-
tuition with religious tolerance, and HIM
self candidate for reelection Sd. Mr..
Blaine, also a candidate tor the Presiden-
cy, offered a membership as a means to
that end. 4th, high officials, members of
the national committee, and prominent
editors, recognizing the fomenting OF re-
liglous hate as the policy of the Republi-
can party, and its most probable road to
success.
This is the entertainment to which the
people of this country are now invited,
and which is most likely to end in foment-
ing the only contest that is worse than a
civil one, and that is a contest tor the SUI
premacy of religious sect. Is there not
enough good sense and patriotism among
the people to prevent such a calamity?
The principal features Of Postmaster
General JewelFs annual report are his re-
commentators that the increased postal
rates on books, manuscript, transient pa
pers, etc, be repealed, except as to ollin-
airy express packages that no change be
made in the law requiring newspaper pub
fishers to pay postage on subscribers pa
pers in bulk; that postmasters Of fourth
class be paid according to the number of
stamps cancelled by them; that postmas-
ers whose net income is 81 900 or more
be compelled to give their entire time to
the service, or to employ some person to
execute the duties Of the position at their
own expense, and last but not least, that
American steamship lines to Europe, South
America, Japan and China should be sub
sidized by Congress. The expenditures
OF the Department, as conducted upon ''the
business principles so much eulogized by
the Republican press, are still over six
millions in advance of the receipts which
is decidedly unbusiness-like. The income
OF the Department is practically stationary
while the expenditures are yearly increas-
ing. Perchance the establishment Of fast
newspapers trains, by which Mr. Jewell
probably expected to bind the metropoli
tan press to his interests, will account for
a considerable portion of the increased OK
penses. Commentator of this new meth
cd of promoting private interests at the
public expense, is a feature of Mr.. Jewells
report In recommending subsidies, the
report goes plainly and far from the true
line of public policy, and though he re-
commends but about 100000 per year to
each line, he officially opens door
through which mischief may enter, and
furnishes a weapon to the Pacific Mail,
Tom Scott and other applicants for sub
sides, which they can use to effect. Once
admit that a small subsidy is advisable,