The Evening critic., 1882-08-22
DORSEY TO GARFIELD.


Letter From the Secretary of the
Republican National Committee 90
the Republican President-EIect.
The following is the latest contribution OF
the Dorsey Garfield correspondence, and was
found in the New York Sun of this morning;
241 FIFTH AVENUE. NEW YORK,
Feb. III 1881.
General James a. Garfield, Mentor, o.!
MY DEAR GENERAL Il have been thinking q
good deal OF your suggestion respecting the ap.
pointment OF Wayne Macyeagh as a member
OF your Cabinet. The moro consider It, the
more thoroughly convinced am that 1t will bo
a grievous mistake. have heard so much
about this reform business that have stopped
10 consider Just what IL Is and what II means.
am weak enough to believe that the reform
element OF the Republican party is tho ole
ment that formulnteB Its policy and directs Its
purposes and achieves Its splendid results.
Those results have been satisfactory to tho
country for twenty years, and have madc us n
great and prosperous people, and have giyon
us the liberty that the whole world admires.
Now, what does Mr.. MacYeagh represent
Has he got party, policy, or an Idea that is
better and stronger or purer than that repro
lion DO you know MacVeagh Do you know
his history Have you any knowledge OF his
personal character If not why In the world
He has been the paid lobbyist of tho Pom.
sylvania Hallway for great number OF yoars.
occasions. He is charged with, and believe
II TO be true, debauching the Legislature OF
Pennsylvania time and again, and OF robbing
that Commonwealth OF many millions OF dol.
lars In the interest OF the corporation he rep-
resented. II there ever was q corruptionist
his name is Wayne Macveagh.
Pursuing his Pennsylvania training, and In
obedience to his natural instincts, he went TO
Louisiana and debauched tho Legislature of
that State to turn Packard out so that Hayes
might remain in. Knowing what do OF him,
and OF his class, think, upon the whole, he
represents the best reform element OF this
country-a brihe takor and a brlbo giyer, who
fri n M lf1I m " hah Ind hn
holy look OF hi5 hoavenly-turned eyes and con-
tlnuously asserting through the public press
TINT he is aS ref9rmer: The only good thing
son.in.law of q great father.in:law. With me
that would condono much OF his wrong doing,
fnlsehood and assumption.
The only reformer that know OF In Pennsyi.
vania is Aleck Mcclure. For years he was n
professional poker player and general gam.
gambling, and has turned his attention to tho
publication OF reform newspaper. Mcclure
wants Macveagh and Macveagh wants
McClure-both representative reformers.
Maoveagh has always been a forager be.
tween tho two great political armies, and in.
yariabiy adhered to that army which had tho
Now let us take another Wow of this ques.
tion: il you think that any minority In this
country ought TO be represented In your Cabi-
net, why not select n representative OF q re-
spectacle minority What is the use or sense
in appointing man who claims to represent
nifty thousand votes and ignoring a minority
votes. You have been elected by bare
majority of the people-the minority being
the Democratic party not the pretending re-,
thing to appoint, not an "erring brother" as
one OF the seven In your Cabinet, but q we'll
known, able and outspoken Democrat, and ap-
Democratic party, and VINO can sit at your
Cabinet table and discuss with tho majority
iii believe it to be- one Of the wisest things
that any President ever did, and II I were to be
fnaugurated on the day you are, should look
about to find one Of the best representatives,
ono OF the ablest and one OF the most upright
OF the Democratic leaders OF this country and
hand him portfolio In my Cabinet with a
clear understanding that he came in as Dem.
ocrat, to represent the Democratic party, and
nothing else, with no possible obligations TO
the power that appointed him him. In y my iudg;;
think brief time, that Presl.
dent elected by one political party will
give some eminent member Of tho other party
seat in his Cabinet. / think the people Of
this country will demand that the minority,
when It Is large enough to be respectable,
shall have q fair and honest hearing. When
you are thinking about putting a man in your
Cabinet upon the catchword OF reform, who
represents nobody and nothing except his
pretentious righteousness, is IT not well
enough to consider a great minority that
have suggested? Is II not well to recur to
those large and comprehensive ideas OF gov.
ernment that am sure you possess, and put
them in an active and effective operation?
OF course no ono better than you under
stands the differences between our govern
ment and that OF England. You were made
President by a majority. You Will hold that
office for four years. The next election fol-
lowing your Inauguration the othor party may
get control Of both Houses Of Congress-, and
frequently do.
Under our system there is no means of
changing the Executive. Under the English
system tho controllers OF that Government go
out or come in by the votes OF the people, and
that change may be made at least once year.
Now, II were In your place, would distln-
guish my Administration and create an era In
The politics OF this country by putting some
leading idiot.
Advice is very common, and you have lots Of
| It. Wisdom is very rare, and have mono OF
1t; so what / have to say leave for that
| kindly consideration that you havo always
| extended TO my suggestions. Sincerely yours,
s. w. DORSEY.