National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1882-06-03
A SCRAP OF HISTORY,
Shallow artlnce begets suspicion,
And, like n cobweb veil, but thinly shades
Tho lacp of thv desfgn -gnu0,

F'nhOW uIllilCc DVEetS busplClOn,
And like n cobweb veil, but thinly shades
The face OF thy design. -Cong,orc.
To the Editor Of THE REPuBLIcAN:
In looking over the proceedings Of select C I'M
mittee OF the United States Senate, appointed
January "a, 1860, find the following matches
expose ofgenuine Democratic Hdroltuess IN politi-
cal handwriting and likewise Of genuine Demo-
cratic olyil.scrvic reform. In the testimony OF Mr.
Magaigce, at that time q prominent politician in
the Democratic Iariy, the following questions and
answers are recorded:
Questionable you receive any money for poliu-
cal purposes In Pennsylvania and New Jersey
witno,s,-Am really compelled to answer such
questions2
Mr.. Kennedy-I think it is within the scope of
AnsSer.i did sir, receive money at various
times for political purposes.
q. We're those moneys expended for the promo
ton Of the interests Of the Democratic party IA.
Not all Of them. Some of II was used for q third
PARTY, which was organized to divert votes. from
what was known os the Peoples party" with us.
The Peoples party" was in oppt sition to the
Democratic party We did not know there the
opposition to the Democratic party was called the
Peoples party" and TO divert votes from that
PS thS sr thpp apy Ma The object
q. Was such third party organized?-A. Yes,
sir.
q. Did you believe that was necessary to the
success OF the Democratic party?-A We certainly
did or we should not have given them the money.
Q. What was the third party colled2-A. The
Straight American party; the Straightouts.
ln-the testimony Of Mr.. Cornelius Wendell, who
at that time had the public printing, find the fol-
lowing exhibit OF civil-sefvice reform in oil its
Democratic purity-tl at is, when the devil was
well."
q. Mr.. Wendell, how much year do you sup
pose YOU have contributed IA. think, duiihg
The past four years, have contributed, directly or
| indirectly, 100000
O. What do you mean by indirectly?-A Imean
that that amount has been paid out of the profits
OF my office. II clever fellow was running Tor
Congress, and wanted $500 and / lad II, / could
not help giving 1t; but the exact amount could
not tell
q. But, without this public printing, you would
not have been able 10 do it2-A. No, sir.
Let 1t be borne in mind that those honest lagos
were carrying out their peculiar ideas Of civil
service reform with the direct knowledge and as
sent OF the last Democratic President, the testl
mony proves.
Recently in the Pennsylvania political arena
we find quixotic United States Senator raving
around garuiously, while his sancho dc la Panza
henchman, ws>Lo income from postmastership,
IL seems enables him 10 exhibit clean shirt, If
not clean conscience, is following tho lead of
his master in perfect storm Of political frenzy,
bearing aloft the red gage banner of reform, on
which Is inscribed the puerile, quixotic legend,
| bOsssm.
Amidst all the pharisalcal din and Chinese clat-
| ter OF those " Lam holier than-thou Pennsyl-
vania political hucksters, nondesctps, soldiers OF
fortune, political traders-loose fish at home in all
| waters, and ready to migrate whithersoever the
| contents, ever ready to get down in the hope OK
| getting up better, can l mako myself heard TO ask
| the simple but significant question, Is history
repeatng itself in Pennsylvania" w. $. Q.