Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-08-26
MATT TO JOE,

Letter to the Editor Of the Chicago Tri-
bune.
To the Editor of the Chicago Tribune:
WASHINGTON, Aug. 1S.--A friend has Just
sent me an editorial article from your paper
of some days ago, in which you represent me
as having been out of, and now trying to
return to, the Republican party.
The interest you have always taken in my
political welfare, and the fact that you have
recently nominated me as a Greenback can
didate for Congress in the Milwaukee dis
trict authorizes me to ask you to point out
what word spoken by me what act per-
formed by me has indicated that [ was out
of the ranks of the Republican party at any
time since joined it,
You say, since my defeat for reelection to
the Senate, my political status has been
"mattel. Of conjecture" With you it may
have been. There are men who never get
beyond CONJECTURE, and whose mind never
settles s'into the calm of contented knowl-
edge upon any subject. After reading your
paper for years, through the mazes and be-
| wilderment of your financial theories, and
seeing your paper facing sometimes one way
and sometimes the other-sometimes for
| Greeley and sometimes for Grant have
long since classed you in this category.
But in the article before me you say that
my appearance before the electoral commits
/ sion was regarded as reputation of party
| fealty, and my friends lost all faith in my
Republican integrity.
! Before any friend of mine, or even you,
can maintain that my appearance there was
reputation of party fealy. you must first
establish another proposition upon which it
/ AZ.
toral commission proceeding was not--hon-
estly to ascertain who had been elected-but
to seat Mr.. Hayes, achetIle, he had been elect
ed or not.
then had, and still have, too much conf
dence in the honesty OF the Republican
party to suppose that it desired any but
fair and honest trial: trial in which both
sides should be fully heard by COUNSEL after
which an impartial judicial Judgment should
| be pr, nounced, by which all parties should,
in honor, be bound.
was not III public life, but was practic-
ing my profession to- earn living; and
upon the theory that the object of that trial
was to ascertain-not who ought to have
been-but who in fact had been elected my
appearance there was no more Reputation
OF party fealty, than it is for a Republican
lawyer to appear for Democratic plaintiff
against q Republican defendant in an
action of ejectment Or assault and battery. 1t
was not prejudice or party passion, but law
and facts-which were to be inquired into,
as basis OF the decision of the commits
sion. The trial was had, the decision pro-
nounced, and the people accepted the de-
cision, as they do that of all courts con-
elusive OF the right of the successful party
to hold the Office in question.
In the trial of Mr.. johnson on impeach-
ment-a political trial-Mr. Evarts appeared
as counsel for Mr.. Johnson. So far from
losing his party status by SO doing, he was
Immediately afterward.eonfrmed by Re-
publican Senate as attorney general, and is
now secretary of state under Mr.. Hayes.
The commission as constituted was COM
posed of a majority of Republican members
and there never was any great danger that
Iilden would be made president by its de
cision, unless he was fairly entitled; and il
he was, suppose every honest man desired
that he should be.
Again, it is difficult to see how the argu
ment made there should read me cut q
the Republican party, when it is considered
that in the Senate. two years before, | hai
made speeches on the bill for new election
in Louisiana, contending for precisely tn,
same DIOt)OSlbl)liS L 11aluIelleu LII aFSuu1eu
before tbs commission, and was then sus
tanned by the votes of a majority of Repub
lican Senators, after which I was supported
for reelection by tw.-thirds of the Repub
lican members of the legislature, and was
only defeated 10y the action of the Demo
cratic party, aided by some personal enemie:
in my own party.
You say that there has been talk of lat.
about my being a compromise candidate TO
the Senate, to be supported by Democrats
and my personal friends among the Repub
licans.
| There are many Democrats in our State
am proud to claim as personal friends, ane
if / were candidate 1 should be proud O
their support, provided, always, it was no
obtained by false pretenses. But I should
feel Inundated and disgraced were to ac
cept an Office conferred by them under false
impressions of my political status, or ,fals,
expectations Of my future political course
am aware that, ordinarily, it is great in
discretion to enter into controversy with
an editor, who has SO much the advantage
But in this instance I can lose nothing. You
have always treated me as meanly DIS yor
knew how tc, and, from reading your paper
| see no evidence that your capacity is on the
| increase. Yours truly.