New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-10-28
4 sCATHlNG REBUKE.
.crr1 W. PENNYPACKER TO GEohuI
eAAo WILLIAM CURTIS.

.rv HONOR AND PUBLIC WELFARE
-. GEORGE WILLIAM CURTIS ,o.h 70
ns.v Sir: An address dated OCTOBER 'o.l 70
s,Ins the rounds of the Democratic papers VIZ
nov ,~nature attached to 1t. dsnsenuonsy ahnoun.
!s ,,.,nblican Appeal" for the statements con'"N
asa ~ 90, doubtless hold yourself responsioie' nav
WIZ ;as,,ded with the Of Civil service he'oiu
me ,.. becinnng OF the agitation upon 'na' sooI'N
n'" ,,,c IN the past publicly commenced your owl,
anu Course take the liberty OF examining so"' "
p,s,ious assumed and assertions maze IN .na' '.'
fhe largely mpelled to this step by the desire 70
dress can Z, preyent the cause OF Civil Service
% "" belnc imperilled and the regulations oil It's
ke'o from being injured by the course you an"
So a,lsd With you have seen III 10 I"'s"' ~'"'
nr,.eut campaign
F TREACHERoUS INDELICACf.
,,,, me to call your attention at the outset 10 INC
,.ey with which you. who are the PRESIDENT Oh 'io
s.aI Civil Service Reform League assert that he
~ p,a,nel did his best by hostile committee ID XIII
-.,orm while his opponent Governor has been its
.,dfa friend" Apart from the accuracy or inaecur"o9
AZ this assertion, had you bcen inspred oy "Piol
assre for the permanent success OF the reiorn !o ~
ocae YOU would have yielded to the temptation
., drag IL into fierce political contest ana 10 s'ro "
make il answer the purpose OF partisan appeal %'"!
rsa, measure In the history OF the world mas oeon
rad nv the faitnessness and selnshnes OF those 10
whom IL has been entrusted. John OF Leyoeh' represent
inc In the sixteenth century the struggle lot Tue
n. The common people OF Europe made IL suoscrNio" W
b nss and the peasauiry of Germany are not even
vet freed from their bondage. You ought 10 nave oe
aware IL you not that's any attempt by you 70 nan
This reform tender to the Democracy must be seriously
MT fatally injurious 1t since the inevitaoie res.
must lie disintegraton among lts s"PPo''o
awakened antagonism among Repul Hc'"S so"'
who both from reflection and interest are l's n"'
friends The present enactment upon the suoIo' %
came law through the support OF Republican "i'
NJ Conrross and a Republican President, anu IL ma
been enforced by a Republican administration Inc
Republican National Convention OF this year. az your
Urgent solicitation made at time when you were app"i
cuty sincere IN your denuncatons OF Democracy and III
vour approval Of Republican policy adopted radical
resolution in its favor II is no doubt true that the
uembers of that convention were somewhat influenced
by the expectation that they would by suoh course
receive the support OF civil service reforners lot le
ticket and there is just little doubt that you then
knew that they entertained such an expectation froO-
ably many Of them feel they properly may that since
Mr. Blaine was that time the most conspicuous can
d,da,e before the convention candor required that
von before getting Endorsement for the measure TO
which YOU were especially committed, shouid nave
made some public announcement that III the event OF MS
success you Individually would aid the Democracy II
after the OF the Republican candidates result
toward which all OF the probabilities to point the
prineipes of that reform shall still be vigorously en-
forced II will be because Republicans recognize the
merits OF the system. msgnanmousy oVefiooKing Tue
weaknesses OF OF Its advocates. aud II unhapplN
n shall meet with les, in the future than in the
past will be largely due to the irritation caused Oy
your detection and IN circumstances attending IT,
POLITICAL MORALITY.
You say in your address,
He Mr. Blane) evade the real issue OF pont-
ical morality by INSISTING that che tan is ,ne are o
IN ranks willing TO leave TINS question 10 W.
Congressional elections and To a President who VIII
execute the will OF the people by Congress expressed
To assert that protectioniss may be found in
your ranks the real before the country not rro
lection is to mistake egosm for logic What are the real
issues to settled in the present campaign can hardly
be determined by an inquiry TO who are enrolled ia
your ranks an inquiry which it might be difficult TO
prosecute and which would lie valuecss ii completed
Leaving then this nconsequental reasoning. proceed
10 examine your statement that the real issue is that
OF political morality" You deliberately invite the
American people to forget that sixteen states are sill
welded together a sectional unit for political purposes.
that hundreds and thousands OF manufactures through
the land dependent upon the maintenance OF
tariff. and that hungry and thirsty party with other
and other principles is eager TO oveturn the ex
listing order OF things and you assert that the question
IS simply which OF two men shall be elected to the
Presidency You seek limit the issue further by max
ing il question OF the general fitness OF candidates,
but of their morality. Conscious OF the fact that you
your stand upon the ground OF morality your can
didste of the manner OF life he has led would
be necessarily defeated you have sought TO narrow and
refine s further and have invented the new virtue Of
political morality" After having selected that species
Of morality which likely to yoGr purpose
you 20 oyeras with microscope. carefully and infinitely
betrayed business correspondence OF Mr. blaine OF
years if perchance yoa are rot able to find
something which may construed into being in conflict
with the newly discovered virtue.
THE MAN WHOM MR.. CURTIS AssAILs.
And who is he whom you subject to this minute nqusi
ton In the long list Of American statesmen there has
been other who had many OF the characters
ties OF a leader OF During the last quarter OF
century have lived in the state OF Maine would have
bean enough In itself OF locality to have excluded
any other from the hope OF reaching the Presidency
but strong the hold OF Mr. Blaine upon the hearts OF
the people that Pennsylvania, Iowa, and California
alike forgot their local interests and prejuGces aud with
equal enthusiasm. demanded his nomination At any |
other time the power Of National administration might
have sufficient have dictated its
but 1t overwhelmed when endeayoring to stem the
popular movement for Mr. Blaine. For twenty years.
the monentous in history. he has been
the foremost in every struggle With the literary skill
Of Derby or Gladstone he has written the history OF
those important events great part OF which he
strong with brains, pluck and self-relance, be
has played his part upon mighty stage before the eyes
OF the world bravey and WELL aud his virtues aud
his faults have alike long been known to us -Four years
ago the whom you urged for the Presidency made
year ago the Harpers who are your employers said of
him that he had been absolutely fearless IN his patriot
Tor the defects IN such character. The people OF Amer
lea. with their good common less concerned
about the defects OF their candidates than ab their
merits and capabilities II YOU able say that
b. had been tried In any National Held that he
had been thrown up by the Of political accident
OF that having been Speaker OF the House and Senator
and Secretary OF state lie had zen unequal the duties
these positions imposed upon him. It were the
purpose. Who Is here whose life nr scruinized
with the industry and detail which ron and your fellow
delivers have given 20 tina OF Mr.. Blaine without |
finding something which could be used in political
campaign against him For my own part am satisfied
MAT II some scoundrel should furnish with your |
private corresT ondence 7 would be able show the
World that blended with your keen denqucrcles
% Mr. Blaine there u less the earthly motive
OF self interest. ! am al loss 20 account Tor your |
present ALLIANCES except upbn the theory that the ppn
Ind tongue % Mr. curtis like the tent ol Nj Mas, |
which was equally virhic,r toward gtrery hc spnl M
honesty and pnrty. Tweed the the ara rnn,rnii.i IA,