Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-05-11
1hR FROM SENATOR ,rvr


6n FROM SENATOR Arvr
On ~ s.. F s9R,,'snstiea a. to His Posit,..
-.
A'e Lewiston Journal publishes the fol,ov.
ing letter from Hon. W. P. FRYE.
~ y. - LEWISTON. May 9Th. lsss
yom. ~Ss'. 81 me Le,ctston Journal
tordss,. rrolshsd interview with me in ve..
far - ~. ouraaI' compels me to explain. 40
certain r eau WIN propriety, my position a. to
Firs, + nsuons made by the President
hnrv,. lever agreed to vote for Mr.. pills.
statements in some of the naner. p;. ..;
NOT promised to do so, nor said that T .a..,s
! ne rules OF the Senate properly and nls;n,..
pronioit any such pledges, when I,
r .umoren that this gentleman was to h. an
po.n:eo pension agent for Maine, did saw =
friend of his. with emphasis that - "
Spluion' II would be the duty of the Maina
senator's to oppose his confirmation 70 an.,
office in this State. a''oh 70 any
- ~ reply 70 the inquiry, "What will Won do
II ne Is named for the position of CoIiao.s "
Internal Revenue in Massachusetts 81
l didnt think the Maine Senators had anu
special duty or interest in appointment. m I'D.
~ Massachusetts; that they were rather Co..
the consideration of the Senators NJ th..
state that so far as l was concerned r haS
no objections to the democrats of Mas.ooh,'
sets rewarding Pillsbury for his service ~
me party in that way, if they pleased. In
sact, ! tnink did say enough to Justify the
iriends OF Mr.. Pillsbury in the belief that his
nomination to that position would meet with
no opposition from me, but not enough IN
prevent me from acting with perfect FREQ.
presented. "'io" 10
And pray wherein does Mr.. Pillsbury fall
Deio~ the average OF the nominations already
made by the President and very peneraliv .n,
proved 6y the press? He is LAWYER Of re-
spectacle standing. man of agreeable man.
ners, OF correct habits and of updophted a
deity to his party? "He was copperbead ;,
les, but no more determined and optsnoken
IN his disloyalty than MIR Phelps, whose
nomination to the most important position of
minister to England, was so favorablv viewed
ana 50 promptly confirmed; no more so than
Mr.. Bayard, whose Dover speech frightened
even the democrats from nominating him as
their candidate for the Presidency no more
so than Mr.. McLane, Minister to France M
more so than Mr.. Pendleton, Minister IN
Germany. who was openly denounced "a .
traitor, during and after the war; no more so
than two-thirds of the nominees thus 70,
named for conspicuous places. 1 believe
every successful candidate from the Soutb wao
a rebel. some OF them, even now. publiclv
def. ndinR their treachery. some of them nm.
willing to bend the knee sufficiently to ask
the removal of their political disabilities.
but he was an advisor in the state steal.
so called" Admitted, and his party, the
same now administering the government,
from whose ranks officials are to be selected
nobly stood by him. have since in every way
possible endorsed the attempt. One can coun,
on his fingers every prominent democrat who
denounces the outrage, and every democratic
paper discOuntenancing it even in the mildes
terms.
Again, their is hardly an intelligent man
in the country who doesn't know, and who
wouldn't, conscience speaking, admit, that al
least five state governments in the South
have been worse than "stolen," have been
seized not only bv fraud, tissue ballots and
false counts. but, whenever necessary, BY
wholesale murder. Thousands have beer
slaughtered simply because they were repub.
licans and stood in the way of such seizures
Gen. Phil Sheridan, after careful examina.
ton, reported over 5000 in Louisiana alone
Mississippi was wrested from the republican.
ov ''the shot gun campaign of 1876, present
United States Senator being the chairman OF
the democratic committee then running thai
campaign, a d ne% p wer in the distribu.
ton of federal patronage Another Senator
from the same state, Mr.. Lamar gather ed
the fruits of that damnable campaign is at the
head of the most important government de.
partment, himself distributing patronage
lowers the flag in memory of the most afro.
cious traitors on the roll, champions Jeffer
| 81 L..
without division.
! If you hope to see the offices of this country
| filled for the ensuing four years by men who
have been true to the country for the last
twenty five years, who have been faithful to
the best wishes of the people. have favored
measures to defeat rebellion. to restore the
credit of the nation, to establish sound cur.
rency, to purify the ballot, to ensure honest
elections aud honest counts, to guarantee tc
every citizen all of the rights under the con
stitution, to educate the people and fit them
for sovereignty, greatly fear that you are
doomed to bitter disappointment Mr.. Cleve
land is no better than the average of his
party, will do their bidding, and is doing i,
as rapidly as is possible. One hundred
thousand officers cannot be changed in the
twinkling of the eye. 1t must be remembered
that almost every attempt involves contest
and a decision as to the merits of half score
of applicants. each endorsed and urged by
his friends. His nominations thus far indicate
that the civil service reform rules and prin-
ciples apply only to term offices, two or three
thousand in number, and on the necks OF
some of the occupants of these the axe has
fallen. The search seems to be not to dis.
cover where reform can be extended, but
rather to find out what limitations ingenuity
can devise. silk purse cannot be made
from sow's ear.
In conclusion, permit me to say that care
nothing about Mr.. Pillsbury; SHALL when
called upon, try to do my duty; do not ex-
pect much from dem ocratic administration.
and shall not be disappointed. You must not
demand too much Of the democratic nomi'
nees, and ought to consider somewhat the
source OF supply lne1e 10 oaGm n.ms,
Very truly,
WM p. FRYE.