The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1880-12-24
A Terrible Example.
JOHN WELSH, THE PATRON SAINT OF 20
LITICAL CoRRuPTIoNIsTs,

of this date
ANCHOR WHIrE LEAD COMPANY, GIN
CfNNArI, December &, 1880. .- Colonel John
". F5raey, PhiddePhid-DEAR SIR:
have Just read your criticism on Mr.. John
Welsh in Progress december 4, page 5l),
AMI regret that, in view of the political
course of your paper, aud especially this at
tack on one OF our oldest and best friends,
than whom there is no one in Pt iladelphia
who is more esteemed and respected for the
purity of his life, | must request you to dis
continue sending me the Hogress from this
date. Yours respectfully,
A. L. GosHoRN.
OFFICE "PRoGREss," PHILADELPHIA,
PA, December IA, 1880. Hon A. r. Cos
horn Cincinnati My DEAR SIR: The
right to stop a newspaper is like the right 10
breathe Gods air But with certain other
rights it may sometimes be abused. So |
hold that no man stopping his paper has
right 20 give confidential reasons insulting
the editor. Having gone through this bus
iness for more than generation, | propose
to discuss the question with perfect csndor
in this public reply to your letter Of the 9th
of December, 1850. As the wrong con.
demned was deliberate outrage upoo the
American people, claim the full privilege
to Justify myself in denuncation of it.
Twenty one years ago James Buchanan,
president of the United States, set the ex-
ample to his army of ofiice-holders by stop
ping my paper, the Press, because | con
scientiousy declared fol the freedom of Kan
sas. boldly exposed his prescription to
the people, and with their aid broke down
his administration at the polls. When ad
vocated, almost alone among my contempo-
raries in Philadelphia, the movement in IA
vor of letting the cars run over our streets
on the first day of the week for the benefit
of the laboring poor of this great city, my
paper was stopped by thousands who now
go to church in the same cars every Sunday.
For that sincere effort | was assailed by a
concentrated Gordon of angry clergymen,
one Sabbath day, calling upon the congre
cations to stop the Press aud now most of
these men Of God frequently ride to and
from church on Sunday. When, equally
solitary and alone, pleaded that the col
ored people should be allowed the use of the
same cars, hundreds of those who now amia-
| bly, sit side by side with the negro in these
cars, also stopped the Press;
| But my last and crowning crime was that
of declaring for General Hancock tor Pres
dent. One man withdrew his subscription
because he declared | was dishonoring the
tame of the dead General Meade, the most
Of the survivors of whose family voted for
the living hero of Gettysburg. Another,
who was one of the loudest TO applaud Gen
eral Hancock in July, 1868, for his magnifi
cent service to our state and city, stopped
Progress because he could not train, he said
with the party which supported Lee in the
rebellion Still another discontinued his
paper because the election of General Han
cock, in his belief, would be decree against
the control of his special ring in this coun
try Others, not quite so bold. waited to see
| if General Hancock could be elected in No
yember, in VIII ch event no doubt your name
would still be inscribed on my books.
John Welsh was among the list. He like
you, waited for Hancock's defeat before he
aired his anger. In addition to his note
Withdrawing his name from Progress, he de-
clared that he could not stand my theory
that tie empire was certain to be successful
| if mere money was hereafter permitted to
crush and control free judgment in this
country.
Now have youf letter of the 9th of De-
| cember. Instead of meeting the direc. is
| sue-instead of discussing on fair grounds
the doctrine that there can be no free un
trammeled suffrage in this country if capi
| tai is allowed to muzzle conscience and to
turn the labOring population into SO many
| white slaves, you speak of Mr.. Welsh as
zone of your (my) Oldest and best friends,
| than whom there is no one in Philadelphia
who.is more esteemed and respected for the
purity of his life"
All of VIII ch | freely admit except that
which relates to the friendship between Mr..
| Welsh and myself That has always been
| maintained by perfect independence of all
money relations betwsen us. But if, in this re-
mark, you mean that went abroad under
| his invitation as Centennial commissioner,
in lS74-75, please remember that, besides
doing my duty honestly, according to your
records and the public judgment, l spent
thousands of dollars out Of my own pocket,
in addition to the $3.50 month allowed by
the finance committee So much for that.
| II is because Mr.. Welsh is precisely what
you say he is, because he is so good a mau,
because his lite heretofore has been model,
because of the purity Of that life Virtues
you claim for him, and | conceded, that a
fatal force was given to bis secret applica.
tion .or the money OF the millionsires to
buy man into the presidency, convicted by
the republican party Of the United States of
brazen corruption in the American con
gre ss.
| The purity of John Welsh's life made
the impu,ity of that example more terrible
| Until he 81 sned the monstrous circular of
the l4-h of September, 1880, General Han
cock was the ioreordaiued president of the
United States Hancock's friends had Just
carried Maine, and Mr.. Garfield him self and
the trained bands Of his psrty-the Office
holders and the reckless managers who have
been getting rich for twenty years from the
punder of the general gnvernment-saw
and trembled before that "handwritipg ou
the wall. y At this point John Welsh took
the field against General Hancock Up to
the Maine election in September, John
Welsh stood aoof. The thrilling record of
General Hancock, his splendid contradiction
of all charges or suspicious against himself,
the attractive incidents of his stainless life,
and the graceful dignity with which he
avoided all offensive advertisement of his
person and his claims had reached thousands
Of hearts, and there is no doubt that if these