The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-11-25
THE WAR ON THE PRESIDENT
Republican Leaders Are Discontinued
Because Of a Scarcity of Spells.
Senators and Representatives Will Antagonize
the Chief Executive on the Ground that
He Has Not 0beyed Their Orders.

1t hardly seems possible that a more dis
couraging view Of politics, and especially
the Republican side of politics, could be
given than a collection of correspondence
from various States as to the way in which
the Harrison administration is reviewed.
The gist of the advices is the same from
New York TO Montana. In every State the
leaders are reported to be discontinued
with the administration, and, in every
case, for the same undisguised reason that
they have not got all the Offices they want.
There is no pretense of criticisIng the adj
ministration with regard to matters of
state policy, for the double reason that the
administration has shown no policy as Yet,
and that the politicians do not care what it
does, so that they get their fill of patron
age. But as the latter need has not been
supplied they are frankly vociferating for
their spoils.
No more utter degradation of the pur-
poses and aims of politics can be imagined
than such a stand. There are abundant
and vital issues on which it is essential for
the dominant party to shape it's policy: but
none of them receive the slightest atten-
ton. The revision of the tariff SO as to
conserve the prosperity of American indus
tries has been pending for two years: but
leaders and Legislators can do nothing with
1T because they want pOstOtfices. Tie cut
ting off of a surplus revenue which heaps
up idle money in the Treasury demands at
| ~tentiOn; and statesmen vociterate for clerk
ship appointments: The people are bur
dened by trusts which call for the restraint
of wise legislation. and the politicians are
only able to perceive the necessity of grab
hing tide-watership. Commercial, tinan-
| cial and national interests are all demand
L 49, e l.A $hn o,a
policy to which the political mind assents
is that of getting its nose and both f~Orefeet
into the trough.
AS TO judging of the administration. an op-
! %pOrtunity to do so will be afforded when the
| Presiden has outlined a policy in his message.
But as TO the sO-called statesmen whose pO-
liJical course recognizes no public purpose
except that of pap. nothing more is neces-
| They have ranked themselves as mere bar
nacles.
Men Who Are Hard to Please.
New York Herald lind. Dem)
The Republican chiefs are hard to please.
| They made war on Grant! They made war
on Hayes! They made war on Garfield!
| They made a more bitter and .unscrupu-
lous war on Mr.. Arthur! Cleveland, of
course, dbl not please them; and now it is
openly said that IN the Congress soon to
meet General Harrison will have scarcely a
| dozen friends. Matters have gone so far
that q Republican organ in Pittsburg has
taken the trouble to make inquiries in sew
enteen States, and reports that in all of
them the Republican chiefs are "soreheads"
and down ON their President.
Agar ago Mr.. Harrison was a great and
good man. To-day the leaders who then
beslavered him with praise are engaged in
striking a blow" at him.. What is it all
about! Has the President Tylerized? Has
he turned his back ON the platform? Has
those of his party! Has he turned Demo
craft Is he nnfaithful TO his oath of offices
Not a bit of it.
No Republican says anything like this
of him. His inaugural message pleased
them all, II he has as yet made no recon-
mendation to Congress, nor has he at
tempted any policy contrary to the plat
form of his party. What then!
Well. they hate their President because he
has not flung enough public plumber to
them. Senators and Representatives arc not
ashamed to let it be known that they hate,
and will oppose their President. because he
has refused to hand over to them, not a
part, but the whole of the Offices. HE
refused to appoint my men to the post
offices!" screamed one. HE will not give
the c0llectorshlp to my man" cries out an
other. They do not accuse him of appoint
ing incompetentS, or thieves. or men of bad
LIZ "a NAos AaA
has been said by any of them.
No. their complaint, their sole complaint,
is that he has not meekly obeyed their or
deEs! That he has used bis own Judgment
That he has honorably refused to prostitute
the public service to the base uses of Rep
resentatiyes and Senator'S. and because he
has chosen to remember his oath of Office
and to do his duty and maintain his consti-
t~utional authority as President. therefore
he has scarcely a friend in his party in Con-
gress, and Senators and Representatives
talk of opposing his recommendations on
public questions to 'pay him up."
The Republican leadership has certainly
fallen into mean hands when this is the
voice of the leaders. "Plunder! Plumber!
Give us the plunder.," is all their hungry
and furious cry. Can base men in public
life go lower than thisl Is there no sense
of shame among the party leaders that
they grovel in the dirt in this ways And
to this the great party of moral ideas has