New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-07-09
THE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN
PRESIDENT .ELIOrS ISLANDERS MET.
A PUNGESr AND PTTHY LETTER FROM EDWARD
MCPHERSON.
lBr TELEGRAPH To THE rRIErNE.I

BosToN July Sin a letter TO The JoUadi Ed'
ward Mcpherson crticses the statement made by
President Eliot of Harvard IN his speech Of jane
20. attacking the history and purposes of the Re-
publican party. After referring to some Of the
sweeping charges by President Eliot, Mr. McPher-
son says
But this general rashness Of statement u not the
most offensive pa of President Eh0rs speech.
The specific charge which he makes respecting Mr.
Blaine'- attitude on civil service II even
more open 70 criticism gaGite tine a s@n'e9So aS
When men like Blaine and Logan whose whole
lives show they do not believe m It, place
Themselves on platform with the cNli
servicel principle. they commit an act
of goss immortality and do great mischief 70
the public mind.' This purports to be . stat'ment
of "A fact: vet II ~ not fact. President bltot
ought 10 know that as early as the spring OF lSrS
Mr.. blaine committed himself 81 y reform IN Civu
Service as ia testified by United states senator
Mitchell. of Pennsylvania. then chairman ot the
tivii service Reform Committee of the Senat- and
"a publicly satsd by Mr. Curtis ~ HdrRcr's U0lv
of september %. 1882. IN which Mr blaine was
credited with having outlined In his campaign IN
Maine . plan by. which security aud nodeta's
tenure could be obtained for all pcrsuns IN public
employment. Furthcfmorc, II - well known 10
those orduaty informed m public Rnelr,
that Mr. blnincs previous views nan
h, the onlce hunting pressure which marked and
cloudcd the brief months Of 0nrhcds ndminlstra'
Prcaidcnt Eliot can, In this matter. be spared Tho
proper censurc which attaches lo an incorrect re-
presentation alone ey pleading aR isnornnn1o
duties ia inconsistent with instruction. President
Eliot Ia -udly dirsatsne not only with tie ptetene
aspects of political fe, hut with all We have hhh
for twenty years. In aHprit OF nippaht CRITICISM
he proceeds with an air 0t authority to say that
there was u time when every young man knew how
ho could honombly save his country but W. have
not felt that tO Ice since the close of the war an
thnt We have not had for many years that political
action which II u high educltion tull ot moral
principle II IN htting that such men should bs
promptly and publicly challenged. since the war
our Constitution has been relieved OF tue ,alnt OF
slavery, our laws of the stain Of caste aud real
Republic created. Not only have slaves been ffe'd
| and made aA citizens. but thoy have been nads
sharcr- IN political power-a revolution OF prodi-
gions import. which called forth all the heroic
qualities of tho generation which carried II Tor.
ward. Besides the vast issues of paper money
self Las practically disappeared me REMAINING
treasury notes have been made conVcrtibls
into con- pupIbLe fstn mas oTIs ,he sTee{sst
| of civil stTifes have been healed
aud n regenerated Nation has arisen mighty
IN the resources Of Intelligence industry ald
achievements. In all this Massachusetts has ad q
conspicuous and IN some features distinguished
| part
man rights of natlOnal honor, of cemented aud IN
| dvIsible union, the president OF Harvard has no
| condescending word of tolerance for tanatlclsm
| unwIsely directed; nothing but the scorniul sen-
tence that in all these controversies with selhsh-
ness and dishonesty and greed aud in these -lgnai
victories over each and all there has been nothing
to stir the principle or arouse the ambition ot
high education
! view of his opinions of the pollilcai
history of his country the close OF the war 0r
the rebellion, in the light of the actual events
! which, for the strength and majesty OF pOpdar
| movement they invoked, for the inherent excel
| ence Of the results attained and TOR the eXalta-
tion in our public life which accompanied and sue
| ceeded them, have been without paralle, IN ths
history of mankind. Manifestly he has not srddiec
| them. invite him TO do So"