The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-06-14
THE PRESIDENTS CRITICS.

Democratic papers say there Is a great
deal of dissatisfaction with President
Harrison's administration, and are doing
what they can to increase and exagger-
ate it. This is politics-at least it is
American politics. AS a form OF lying,
it is a legitimate Democratic weapon.
We expect that sort of thing in Demo-
cratic papers, and should be disappoint-
ed If it did not exist.
But afew Republican papers and poll
ticians are lending themselves to the
dissemination of this idea, thus playing
into the hands of the Democracy and
helping to weaken and decry the admin
istratiOn they assisted in making. The
number of such Republican papers and
politicians is very small, but that there
should be any, or even one, is discredit-
able to our politics and to the American
character. 1t shows that the Republican
party is accessible, in some degree at
least, to the same small, selfish, unpatri-
otto and contemplate motives that pre-
vail among the Democracy.
Republican dissatisfaction with the
administration has a transparent motive.
1t begins and ends in appointments to
office. That is its alpha and omega.
Show us a disaffected Republican or
critic of President Harrison's admins
t%ration, and we will show you a man
who has failed to get what he expected
for himself or some of his friends. There
is no denial, and there can be none, that
the President has fully met every de-
mand of public duty Or public policy;
that he has stood and is standing firmly
for the principles of the Republican
party, or that he is executing the laws
and administering the government hon.
estly, faithfully and justly. In all his
public acts and utterances he has shown
his ability to grasp the duties of
his Office, and to maintain its
dignity. His bitterest political en-
envy cannot point to any failure or
shOrtcoming in this regard. The
only respect in which he has failed to
give complete satisfaction is in the dis
tributiOn of offices. Even in this the
criticism is purely personal and selfish
in its origin. There is no pretense that
the general welfare, the public interests
or even the interests of the Republican
party have not been carefully and con-
sc~ientiously regarded. 1t is only that
some person, or some persons friend, or
some PERSONS friends friends claims
have not been recognized.
The Journal has no sympathy with
this kind of criticism, and no respect for
those who make it. General Harrison
was elected President for other and
higher reasons than to give every good
Republican an Office. He is doing, and,
doubtless. will continue to do, the best he
can in that regard, but he must
not lose sight of the weigEtier
matters of the law. The masses OF
the Republican party and of those who
elected President Harrison do not want
Office. They do want a clean, honest,
firm, high-toned Republican administra-
ton of the government, such as Presi-
dent Harrison is giving, and as they be-
lieve he will continue to give. Further
than that they are not concerned about
who is appointed TO Office or who is dis
appointed. They are not finding fault
with the administration. They are 81
lent and satisfied. The critics are few
but noisy. The shadows murmur, but
the depths are dumb.