Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1884-08-19
ence they might look for letter somewhat
EXECUTIVE MANSION,

DA"ihc, d Voiy yUuuS SHlITG IldudppdTtuuly
who got your Spencer rifle accepted by the
Ordinance Department, brought me you
very generous offer for share in the con
tract, for which accept my thanks. l learn
also, of your friend Mr.. Caldwell's disposi
ton to let me have share of his interest II
the manufacture of belts and cartridge
boxes. Let him make me definite pro
position as quickly as possible. / tell you
am not going to be dead head in that en-
terprise. | feel it. There are lots Of chan
nels in which I can make myself useful. By
the way, you can tell Mr.. Caldwell that
did him great favor some time ago with
out knowing him. A large lot of belts and
cartridge-boxes were detained here because
the ordnance officers wanted more time tc
inspect them. But the troops needed them,
and | ordered them to be hurried to the
front. and Caldwell got his money. You
see? | want him to send me definite pro-
position at once. aei5
Yours truly, ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
! lWells if such letters could be found
among Washington's and Lincoln's private
correspondence, and if it could be further
discovered that Washington and Lincoln
had publicly declared that the interest they
had in those contracts was only such as any
other citizen might have purchased on the
Boston market, and that they could not
have exercised any power with regard to
those contracts, because in the one case it
was the business of the commiSsary and in
the other of the Ordnance Department, and
If Washington and Lincoln had taken those
letters from Mr.. Fishers book-keeper with
out authority and Kept them, notwithstand-
ing promise to return them, and if Wash
lngton and Lincoln, before committee OF
Congress investigating these things, had
time and again protested against inquiry in
to their private business, and if Washing
ton and Lincoln had accumulated large fortu-
nes while in office-then, I admit, the
parallel would be justified, and Washington
and Lincoln, too, might be enrolled in the
order of Americans with a big A.
But as history knows them it would have
been delight to see Washington's bost
kick the man suggesting such propositions
out of his tent, and to hear Lincoln crying
out at the insulting tempter, sDo you take
me for knave ?" and whirling him down
the stairs Of the White House,
WHAT BLAINEs ELECTION WOULD DO.
You see what Mr.. Blaine's nomination
has already done for us. Not only has it
taken the moral backbone out of many liv-
ing men who were aggressively honest be-
fore, but it has led even to the desecration
of the graves of the dead. Washington and
Lincoln had to be paraded as tattooed men
to make the American people forget the
dark spots on the Republican candidate
Our great historic names, whose significance
should ever be the inspiration of American
youth, had TO be dragged down into the
dust to meet his. We have had to witness
one of these infamous attempts at profana-
ton which even the most passionate zeal of
partisanship cannot excuse.
But if the mere nomination of Mr.. Blaine
has accomplished this, what would be the
effects of his election to the presidency p
Imagine that event to have taken place.
Imagine, then, one of the older men amorg
us, with the old fashioned notions of better
times, to meet q company of young, able,
active, and aspiring politicians, and to dis
course to them about their duties as public
men. He would, of course, mention fore
most among those dnties unselfsh devotion
Ito the public interest, scrupulous honesty,
and the maintenance of the highest stand
ard of official honor. You must not be sur
prised if an answer like this comes back:
''Old friend, you are behind the times. That
was good talk years ago, but only Pharisees
and dudes speak so now, and they, you
should know, are very ridiculous persons
AS for us, we are going into politics to make
money. We see various channels Of useful
ness there and we are not going to be dead
heads in anything that offers itself -
"But," you object, ''the people will never
tolerate such a thing" What will the an
swer be? 'You are behind the times again,
old friend. Years ago the people might not
have tolerated if, but now they do. They
rather like it. Do you know the story OF
James G. Blaine? His case was clear enough.
Everybody knew that he had been 'On he
make when he was Speaker Of the House.
There were the Mulligan letters and the
testimony and the fact that he had made a
large fortune without any business. There
could be no doubt aboutit. And what hap
pened? The Republican party nominated
him for the presidency. And Mr.. Evarts
made long speech for him, with several
Jokes in it. And those who protested against
1t were laughed at as dudes and Pharisees
And he was elected President, and called
the great representative American. You
see the American people like this sort of
thing. This is the way to wealth and to
public honor at the same time, as in James
G. Blaine's case. That is what we want,
too. 1t is the road to the presidency. And
some of US may get there in the same way.
Let us be 'on the make then" What
would you answer? Would not, in case OF
Mr.. Blaine's election, all this be true, every
word of it?
THE CORRUPTION OF BUSINESS.
But more would be true; and here | ask
for the attention of businessmen. Do you
think that the contagion of that example
would remain confined to the political field?
Do you think that the sanction and encour-
agement, aye, the glorification, which ''be-
inc on the make'' would receive by the
the popular vote for Mr.. Blaine, would not
be noticed by your cashiers and your book
keepers and your salesmei and your clerks?
Will not many of them ask themselves why
they should be more conscientious in the
discharge of their business duties and the
use of their BUSINESS opportunities than the
man whom the American people honored
with the presidency was in the use of his
opportunities as Speaker of the House of
Representatives? Have you not had enough
of that sort of thing? Do you want to
give it an additional stimulus by letting
every one in the country who handles other
peoples money or goods know that the
American people regard being 'fon the
make" by hook or crook rather as an ele-
CANT accomplishment which will not stand
in the way of the highest honors?
Now, what does all this signify? 1t is
what will follow if in electing man with
a notorious record. such as Mr.. Blaine's, to
the presidency of the United States, the
American people take the fatal step of de-
claring that the corrupt abuse Of public
power, the prostitution of official trust
for private gain, will no longer be
branded with dishonor, but will henceforth
not even stand in the way of a mans pro-
motion to the highest Office of the republic.
There is corruption enough now. But
when the American people shall have pro-
claimed that they care nothing for a proper
sense of honor in their public men and
the public service, then crop of corrup-
ton and Generalization will ripen such as
we have never dreamed of. You COM
plain. now that the money kings and the
great corporations have too much power in
our public concerns. But when the Amer
ican people by a solemn popular election
shall have taught our politicians, young and
old, that they can make themselves rich by
the prostitution of official trust without
fear of disgrace, that they may have pelf
and public honor at the same time, there
will be no limit to the corrupting power OF
xyao1th and vour dreaded money Ir;prs q n II