Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1882-04-12
IMPORTANTL LETTER FROM
SENATOR MITCHELL.
He Declares for a New Leader.
ship in Politics.


Pennsylvania or the nation unless the
honest, wise and capable men can have
their proper voice in the direction OF
affairs and concluding: 'The Presi-
dent knows of Pennsylvania politics at
the hands Of Senator Cameron, anu
hence knows nothing. l write to you
because I want you to know the state
of affairs, as the Independents here IN
Philadelphia see it, and because want
YOU to have chance of doing great
public work and of saving the Rep4o-
lican party from sure death fns
chance now at your door seldom comes
to any man, and while the response
bility is great the advantages are Tar
greater
SENATOR MITCHELL's LETTER.
Senator Mitchell's reply is as fol-
lows:
WASHINGTON, March %, 1882.
Wharton Barker, ESQ, Philadelphia:
DEAR SIR have 5at doEn several
times to reply to your letter ofthe iGs4
inst. but have each time been called
| of by some pressing affair Of tbs mo-
ment. I regret to say that my time Is
90 much consumed by petty details
that [ have little to use as | would In
attending to the legiti@sia work OF
legislator
And now, in view of the tenor, not
the tone, of your letter, | hardly know
what to say. / feel assured that your
political object is the same es my own;
to see II it be possible to repnite tae
Republican party In Pennsylvania upon
its highest plane of thought and eoa-
science and purpose.
recognize and am very glad 10 acc
knowledge the claims upon nyseif OF
all such as YOU who have at heart the
welfare of the true commonwealth, and,
as means to that end, the publication
and continued supremacy of the true
Republican part.
/ think your conclusion that, as
hitherto managed, the Repubilcan
party is in the decline in Pennsylva-
| MIA, is quite true. in view of the Judg-
ment passed upon its management
lately in your city and elsewhere
These spasms do not surprise me, Tor
they naturally supervene, and one VINO
has watched the disease es l have, rec
oenizes them as inevitable symptoms
But it is one thing to diagnose. ana
quite another to cure disease. w hen
said to friend lately that Philadel-
phia should send representative men
to the May convention as one import,
ant "local application" he insisted
that the remedy must come from
the country-that Philadelphia cannot
now speak for herself by such men,
This | do not credit At least l hope
it is otherwise, and that you will look
to this and see whether she cannot
have a will of her own therein. The
trouble has generally come from Phil
adelphia and Pittsburg as combined
central forces united with "rotten bor-
ough representatives from minority
counties. have seen it over and over
agaiu in legislatures and conventions.
With such forces combined and sklliul-
ly generated, the country has ever been
overpowered or used, and must be un-
til honest and good men everywhere
combine. Then they can make short
work of all who stand in tIeir way.
A CHANGE GF LEADERSHIP.
But this involves a change of lea
dership, if not of all leaders. We are
in process of construction, and must
not forget that there can be no leaders
without followers. Such change of
front in the face of well disciplined
adversary is very dangerous feat.
Still. when the time comes, as in this
case, it is necessary evolution, and 1t
will 90 on of its own force, whatever
it's hedgling may be-ringed, streaked
or speckled.
Therefore, | conclude that change
of leaders is now inevitablc-or a
change in the action and spirit ofthose
who remain. This has been my expec-
tation for years. My advice has been
consistent with this view from the irst.
/ am sorry that it has not been respect
ed more than it appears to me to have
been. But too much should not be ex-
pected of men grown rigid in practice
upon a different line of thought. ]. do
not believe in the political methods
too much and too long in practice in
our State. The people generally do
not. / have opposed them from my
first entrance into legislative life, and
shall continue to do So Blu. ! must
do this in ways which | deem to be
faithful to my obligations and my duty
to the Republican party. | shall be
condemned, of course, on the one side
or the other, and probably somewhat
upon both sides expected this from
the first, for knew that my election
was but truce between opposing and
enduring forces" one of which, found
ed in conscience and right, led by supe-
rior intellect, wonld be master in this
process of reconstruction. 1t was a
natural against an artificial aristocracy.
These forces are still extant and active,
therefore strife and friction are inevita-
BILE.
REPUBLICAN, PRINCIPLES IMPERIsHABLE.
Now. what do you propose for rene
dy? What would you have me do?
/ am willing to do anything | can to
unite and strengthen the Republican
party for the work which lies before it.
Its principles must be adhered to.
The rights and interests OF men and
capital demand this, the higher work
of the new republic in many things re-
quires it. The spirit Of that party
will not die. 1t may be Incorporated
anew, but it's soul goes marching on
The principal dangers, then, which lie
along the way of this new departure,
are material, and they threaten the
tariff, the currency, the even tenor
of trade, and the encouragement Of
commerce abroad These will suffer
while we cross this stream, unless we