St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-10-08
INTRIGUING WITH pOwDERLY

III was stated III the GLOBE QlSpatcneS
yesterday that letter from Mr.. Pow
DERBY would appear in the Pittsburg
Leader Sunday in reply to series of
questions prop0UHded 10 him in refer
ence to alleged propositions made to
him by Republican leaders. in case he
would use his influence with the Knights
of Labor to promote the election of the
national Republican ticket. To the in
terrogatOry, ''Were you not offered the
appointment of commissioner Of the
department of labor?" foryour influence
in behalf of HARRISON, Mr.. PowDERLY
says: Eyes; the Republican party,
through some of its leaders, and, am
told, at the inStigation of Mr.. BLAINE
himself, offered me that position in 1884,
provided | would say word for
BLAINE. Two weeks after the nomina-
ton of HARRISON was offered the po-
sition which Col. WRIGHT now holds in
Washington by man who came direct
from Republican headquarters, provided
l would pull the Knights of Labor off
HARRIsoN'S back in Indiana, This, of
course, was to be my reward in case
HARRISON was elected" That Mr..
POwDERLY should have been solicited
by Republicans to vote either for
HARRISON or BLAINE, would have
been entirely legitimate, and such re-
quest would have been in line with
what any man had the right to ask.
But the request for his influence, in the
shape Mr.. PowDERLY puts it, was a
distinct and unequivocai offer of
bride. 1t said. do for us certain work,
which by your position you are capa-
bic of doing, but which you are morally
bound as an honest man not to do, and
you shall be rewarded for infidelity to
your order, and for the betrayal of your
trust, by high official position in the
Republican administration" That these
offers were made with the concurrence
of Mr.. BLAINE in 1884 and of Gen.
HARRISON in 1888, is apparent from the
fact that the bargain with POWDERLY
could not have been carried out with
out the assent of the beneficiary of his
treachery. That Mr.. BLAINE should be
party to such scandal will excite
surprise in no one. But Gen. HARRI-
SON is church member. is particularly
and especially piOus, teaches Sunday
school, and is famed far and near for
his great moral ideas; and to learn that
he is willing to become purchaser of
votes, no matter how indirectly, is some
thing calculated to make the judicious
grieve. And yet the fact that Mr.. Pow
DERBY was approached with offers
which Gen. HARRISON could alone con-
summate creates logical inference as
strong as direct circumStantial evidence
could make it.
The fact that Mr.. MERRIAM is gen.
orally believed to have corruptly con-
Spired to receive his nomination for
governor has withdrawn from him the
support of many ardent and influential
Republicans in Minnesota. 1t is re-
gardeG by them as an outrage upon the
dignity of the high Office to which he
aspireS. But here is an intrigue
for the presidency-the highest Office
in America; and so eager is the
Republican candidate TO secure the sup
port of large and influential Organiza-
ton, that he deScendS to the criminal
lawlessnesS of bribery. "All of this
will l give to you, if you fall down and
worship me-" said Gen. HARRIsoN's
prototype on memorable occasion. 1t
was the first historical incident recorded
of Republican methods. The Republic
can tempter, however, of that day did
not succeed, and we have Mr.. POWDER
LY's assurance that his disciple of this
day has as signally failed in his attempt
to purchase an adherent.