National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-08-07
HARPER, THE HYpocRIrE.
Hc Was Only Talking Business when He In
dorsod Mr.. Blalno-The Harper Code OF
Honor aud Morals-Thc Miserable Evasion
Of Canting Confidence Man.

Honor aud MOrnlS-Thc Miserable Evasion
Of q Canting Confidence Man.
The following letter from J. w. Harper, jr.,
Of the publishing house Of Harper & Bros, adj
dressed to the editor of THE NATIONAL RErUB-
IICAS is found IN the columns Of tho New
York Commercial advertiser aud New York Ercii-
ing Post OF Tuesday II was probably mailed
In tho counting rooms of these journals:
FnANKLiN SQUARE, Ngw YoRK, Aug. I, 1885,
Sir. That public record should have been
made of private letter to the Hon. William
Walter Phelps, IN which ! frankly expressed
my admiration for certain qualities in Mr.,
political opponents, Is of no moment so far ms
am concerned personally; for on all proper
occasions am ready to renew such express
siOns But these views, which may be credit
able enough In themselves, become impcrti-
nent when they are disCrcditably and unfairly
made public In connection win private
business matter. The ayOwed object Of such
publication was to impugn the political honesty
OF Hdrper's lHtcHy whose publishers "aro now
accused Of having personal spite against Mr..
Blaine because he declined their eager oiier TO
publish his book Harper " Bros, In their
letter Of Aug. > to the Philadelphia Press, pro
uounccd this accusation unqunlthcdly false
propose To demonstrate It's iAlsily and TO SHOW
that the position of Hirpc'S lIocAy is in no
way inconsistent with the utteranccs in my
letter OF March 10, 1885, TO the Hon. William
Walter Phelps.
Before doing so, however, cannot forbear
the expression of my sincere regret that such
unworthy and uniustihublc use should have
been allowed by Mr. Phelps OF a private and
personal letter VIII the honorable gentleman
from New Jersey declare his responsibility for
the publication of a private letter and, un-
mindful, as he appears TO be- OF the whole
some prcCepts OF alma mater, and having
yielded himself to the influence of his present
political associations, will he insist that such
use, of q personal letter Is strictly honorable
mud tylt hon punHfI M prp a. ttph conduct
dishonorablo, will he deridc them as only so
many (or so few) dependent dudes, Pharsees,
ministers, and mugwumps2
Now, Mr. Blaine and his publisher are quite
welcome to the "irst-ratc notice. which has
been extracted from my purely personal letter
to Mr. Phelps. American publishers, rs
rule, are not cnviOIs or Jealous of one another.
In our friendly rivalry and wholesome conpe-
tition we are not unlike college crews in
boat race, where, when our own college cannot
win. II Is lett to us to cheer the crow which
iairly wins; and 1t was left 70 Harper
Brothers to wish success, which they did
most heartily, to Mr.. Blaine's publisher, Mr..
Henry Bill, who has been the friend of my
house for nearly iily years. Albeit, my dis
appointment was somewhat alloviated by MT.
Phclps's assurance Of Mr.. Blalnc's repeatedly
expressed qualification at the ofler-which does
not accord with your statement that the offer
was cOldly declined.
The success of Mr. Blaines book shows how
true was my instinct as publisher, while the
result of the Chicago republican convention
amply confirmed my Judgment Of Mr.. Blaine's
great personal popularity. The book is good
one, and unqucstiOnably "the historian OF his
own times" has the synipathies of the people
with his literary undertaking.
You assert that Harper Il Bros. were disnp-
pointed In securing the publication OF Mr..
Blainc's book, and that therefore they are
politically hostile to the author. This state
ricut Is utterly without foundation. The fact
is that Harper Il Bros, us a firm, were un-
aware, until ailer the VocNy had refused to
I Ne lat lanN NRN
had been made in their behalf; though my
| suggestion on the subject in my personal note
TO Mr.. Phelpswas one which my partners would
| have ecurdiallyapproved. Mr.. Phelps s'sexplana-
tion IN his reply Of March %, 1888, that II was
200 late for business" with Mr.. Blaine, owing 10
the fact that "some old.tine Maine friend had
by degrees bcguiled him into II Publication
association aud there he was fastened"
left no room whatever for chagrin or resent
mcnt on my part. But Mr.. Phclpss insinua-
ton that Mr. Blaine had become the victim of
the insidious wiles OF a down.eastcr and had
been deceived by juggling tricks into arrange
mcntS hostile TO his Interests Is, in my judg-
ment, unfair to his present publishers, and not
crcdtablo to Mr.. Blaine's sagacity.
The business relations between authors and
publishers are not unlike the business and
professional relations of other classes of tho
community. Publishers have their political
convictions quite independently of their au.
thOrs, In the same way that bankers and
merchants and lawyers and physicians hold
their political opinions uncontrolled by the
dictation of their customers and clients and
patients.
For more than five years Harper's Weekly has
been on record In its opposition TO Mr.. Blaine
rs u candidate for the presidency, and any
| business relations which we might have had
| with Mr.. Blaine as the publishers of his
| Twenty Years of Congress" could not have
affected the course OF the paper. Its proprie-
| tors would have been tnlse to the trust which
| they have inherited and regardless of the high
| est obligations of Journalism; they would have
l.1t toN.lt
| ent to the teachings of their own journal, and
| dislOyal to the editor who has been so long as
sociated with them, had they allowed the
Weekly TO advocate Mr.. Blainc's nomination or
| to support his candidacy. II would have been
| easy TO throw up our caps and to join in the
enthusiasm of the June convention and to
| pay thoughtless tribute by pen and pencil to
Mr.. Blainc's unguestloned popularity. But as
q Journal of civilization 1t is the duty of oul
| U6eHyto continue to protest against the indif
| ference to political integrity which Is disinte
grating the republican party; to continue IT,
light tor the people against the worst class oi
politicians, and 10 advocate the great patriotic
measures which the people are determined
upon and the politicians hate, civil service re
form,
have no wish to recall or withdraw my las
year estimate of MIR. Blainc's extraordinary
popularity. hut while | freely concede thl
warm sympathy of his nature and confess Il
continued admiration of his elOquonce anC
his courageous defense of some republican
principles, yet claim that Il by no means fol
lows that the magnetic qualities which makl
the personal popularity of a great writer or ora
tor are necessarily the qualities most TO be de
sired in u candidate for the highest executive
ollicc. History shows us that the pcrsuasly,
qualities OF the Oratornre too often united will
those of the demagOgle. our best orator.
have passed Into history simply as orators
whatever may have been the aspirations o
some of them; and our cOuntrymen, with al
their admiration for them, have abstainet
from making them rulers,
There is one omission In my letter to Mr.
Phelps which seems TO have escaped him, and
us II was designed, | beg leave to draw you
attention to Il. | carefully and studiousl.
avoided any allusion whatever to Mr.. Blaine
Integrity. His indecent use of official position
10 secure personal pecuniary advantages wa
disclosed In his own printed letters to Nj
Fisher, and is therefore authoritatiyely an,
concluslyely established. This indecency 1
shalnclully upheld by certain politicians, VIII
boast Of its business smartness, and In tn
familiar slang Of the Tweed ring ask, "Wha
are you going TO do about it?" 1t Is reluC
family cOndoned by larger class who try I
believe in party supremacy ut any price
even ut the cost Of national degradation. Blu
that this official indecency Is condemned b
the largest class Of our countrymen, bellev,
will bo fully demonstrated ia the Noyembe
election And this largest class are the guio
thoughtful voters who are not professe
politicians, who love official decency an
cleanliness. who dGspise charlataury, VIII
form the great jury to whom the politician
and editors must appeal, and that their We
diet will be discrlmiuutingly given for pur
government and decent politics no one ca
doubt who believes In the lofty patriotism
the people, which has so often asserted itse
at critical periods Ofour history. Your obedicr
servant, JOSEPH W. HARPER, JB.
Cold Comfort for MIR. Harper.
EUeIling star.
Mr.. Joseph w. Harper undertakes, in
long letter in yesterdays New Yor
! Erening Post, to extricate himself froI