San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-08-07
TUCKER VERSUS wANNAMAKER.

TUCKER VERSUS WANNAMAKER
Benjamin R. Tucker, American
translator and publisher of Tolstoi's
"Kreutzer Sonata" has put himself
in q nine hole, or else ne has put
Wannamaker in the pillory. Tucker
makes himself responsible for this
statement:
"It is possible, too, that Mr.. Wan
namaker Is moved in the matter by
motives Of private revenge, as he was
unable to buy the "Kreutzer Son alta"
of me to sell in his Philadelphia store
a. terms low enough to suit him. Be-
fore published the "Kreutzer Son
ata," / sent out circular to the book
trade offering a special discount to
dealers who should place advance
orders. One of these 1 sent to Mr..
Wannamaker himself. At first /
did not hear from him, but after the
book appeared and was selling rapidly
he wrote to me pretending that he
had mislaid the circular and had
been thereby prevented from placing
an advance order, but now giving me
a large order for the work at the spe-
cial discount named. replied that,
unfortunately, it was too late, and
that could not allow him only the
regular discount. 1t now appears
that the book, which John Wanna
maker, merchant, was willing to sell
If he could only buy it cheap enough,
is adjudged by John Wannamaker,
postmaster-general, unfit for circula-
ton in the mails"
IfTucker Is not an outrageous liar,
then the resignation of John Wanna
maker as postmaster general is in
order. Between these two positions
there is no middle ground. IfTucker
speaks the truth, Wannamaker has
prostituted his official position to the
purposes of mean personal revenge,
in seeking which he has made him
self and the United States postal de-
partment the scorn and derision of
1t was bad enough to |
meet the sneers of all intelligent |
over that seuseless act |
the book from the mails;
but, if it was 80 excluded as a person
II revenge, and as set forth by MIR.
Fucker, it shows that Mr.. Wannama-
zer Is not only of too petty mind to
be entrusted with the administration |
If great office, but so srrant hypo-
rite that he is unfit to be trusted |
With any public trust. There has
ong been among sensible men, in the |
republican ranks, feeling that there |
was too much namby-pamby about
the postmaster general; too much |
Sunday school tactics in his manage
ment of national postal matters, but
he has been treated with consider
alton, because his professions of sab
zeal have been accepted as
honestly made aud honestly adhered
to. If however, Mr.. Wannamaker has
excluded from the mails, as obscene,
3 book that he was anxious to give
personal distribution to in the way of
private business, then has Mr.. wan
demonstrated that his object
ions as postmaster were not honest.
If this be denied, then it must be that
Mr.. Wannamaker stands convicted of
his notions of right
and wrong to personal profit, and on
this account is unfit to be such custo-
dian Of public morals as he as
sumes to be In this very remarkable
order concerning Tolstoi's work. Mr.
Wannamaker owes it to himself, and
to the republican party, and to the,
citizenship he serves to deny Mr..
fuckers charge and challenge its
proof, or resign q position his fitness
for which ne has so fatally compro-
missed.