The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1886-07-09
Dear Beaver ! Don't Talk.


just about four years ago, when
General Beaver had been nominated
for Governor, an enterprising news
paper correspondent desired to inter-
view the new Gubernatorial candidate,
and he applied to Quay for note of
introduction. Quay complacently took
his pencil out of his pocket, tore slip
CT margin from an old letter and wrote
on it---"Dear Beaver don't talk" He
sealed it up in an envelope, addressed
it to General Beaver, and the cores
poudent rushed off to get his fondly
anticipated "beat" on his rivals, only
to find that Beaver shut up like a
frightened clam after gazing at Quay's
epigrammatc epistle. Quay obviously
knew General Beaver better than Gen
eral Beaver knew General Beaver, and
had the advice Of the quiet leader of
piscatorial fame been studiously follow
ed by Beaver, there would be fewer
obstacles in his effort to reach the
Gubernatorial chair.
1t was naturally expected of Gener-
al Beaver that he should appear before
the Convention when renominated for
Governor and present his acknowledge
ments in pelson but it certainly was
not expected that he should make q
most pitiable exhibition of his utter un-
fitness for leadership that requires man
ly devotion to conviction. Had Quay
been less engaged in battles with dis
putting leaders who seek to dim his
laurels, he would doubtless have either
repeated his command for silence on
the part of Beaver, or he would have
played the role of the blue pencil fiend
and struck out and interlined the pre-.
pared address of acceptance until whit
tied up and down to common sense ;
but it is evident that Beaver was neg
lected by Quay and ventured upon an
original speech of his own. Certainly
neither Quay nor any other leader of
even tolerable intelligence ever sug-
gested or saw before its delivery the
following paragraph from Beavers s
speech, which is reported in precisely
the same language in all the public
journals
81 am not, my friends, in doubt as to
what are the principles which you pro-
pose shall guide us in the approaching
contest. You will declare for the never
fading principles of the party of Lin
coin, of Sumner, of Garfield and of the
immortal Grant. They will never die,
and in the confident belief that the
wisdom of the great leaders of the
past have guided you in the building
of your platform / am willing to leave
to you the declarations which we shall
follow and accept your work, feeling
tina. we will be able to stand where
you will place us, and shall / say that
we shall lead the banner to victory ?"
Think of man aspiring to the first
honor of great State that is second
to none In intelligence and an Empire
in wealth and progress, who thus
prates and babbles beforeSa convention
that has gwen him an unanimous
nomination The "never-fading prin-
ciples of the party of Lincoln, of Sum-
ner, of Garfield and of the immortal
Grant are they? Sumner was
Grants most relentless critic and led
in a national contest against the "never
fading principles" of "the immortal
Grant, and there is no party in exist.
ence to-day that cannot quote Lincoln
in its vindication, while all shades Of
Tariff men, from Golden Club free
traders TO monopoly protectionists, can
quote Garfield in their defense. Had
this utterance been merely a rhetorical
flourish to grace an exordium of a
speech to be followed by something
manly and heroic,it could be pardoned;
out when it is followed only by the
most abject subordination of all con-
viction, and all declarations on politi-
cal issues, to a lot of mere exped =
iency leaders, it is simply pitiable in a
Gubernatorial candidate.
Think of Republican who aspired
to the first Office of Pennsylvania a
quarter of century ago, declaring 81
am willing to leave to you the declara-
tions which we shall follow and accept
your work y A man who thus con-
fessed his want of conviction and his
willingness to follow the unknown
declarations of others, addressing a
Republican State Convention in the
days when Republicanism meant the
profoundest convictions and the bold
est expressions and actions, would have
been hissed from the stand and strip
ped of his leadership but 10 this age
of universal schools and newspapers,
General Beaver rises in n convention
to accept Gubernational nomination
and confesses that he leaves to Quay,
Magee, Cooper, Cessna and a conclave
of expediency schemers, who have no
conviction beyond winning a political
battle at any cost of honest public sen.
timent, "the declarations which we
shall follow" Like candidate. like
platform both come before the peo-
pie of Pennsylvania without a single
clearly defined conviction applicable to
the present both will offend the hon
est Judgment of the people, and the
more such champions as General
Beaver rush into public discussions, the
more they must invite contempt upon
themselves and their cause. There is
only one path of safety to General
Beaver in this battle, and that is
"Dear Beaver don't talk !'-IImes.
Republican Platform.