Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-23
LINCOLN AND INDEPENDENCE

line appeal OF Mr.. Andrews 10 Mr.. ROBERT
T. Lincoln to say something against the bad
Independents of Philadelphia who are using
the name of the great President for their
( organization, and Mr.. Lincoln's response,
principally suggest Chairman andrews
conviction that something has got to be done
to check the unbridled Independents. In
default of better resort he appeals to Mr..
Lincoln's son. Some sons of Presidents are
undoubtedly qualified to speak for their
fathers. Mr.. Russell B. Harrison's nomi-
nation of sundry of his personal follow
ing to fat. Offices proves him to be one
of this class. But Mr.. Robert 7. Lincoln,
although much more estimable and in
offensive gentleman, has never given such
proofs of commanding influence that his
assertion is infallible as to whether the
greater Lincoln would have regarded party
lines as forbidding the efforts of State to
preserve for itself clean and independent
administration of purely State affairs.
1t is natural that man of Mr. Lincoln's
modesty should disclaim, as be does, author
ity to speak for anyone but himself. AS it
is, in the party ethics. obligatory upon man
holding one of the political prizes in the
way of Government position, Mr.. Lincoln
in response to Mr.. Andrews appeal asserts
the duty of Republicans to support the party
nominee and SAYS that he "knows no war
rant for the use of his fathers name BY the
Lincol independents" The obvious COM
ment on this is that what Mr.. Lincoln does
not know about the present condition of
Pennsylvania politics when be relies on
Chirman Andrews for information, would
take up much larger space than he occupied
in his letter. As he refers to the Inde-
pendent leaders as personal malcontents,"
it is easy to see that Mr. Andrews in his
alleged statement of the case, adopted the
plan of statement which has prevailed in his
remarkable political addresses.
OF course, if Mr.. Lincoln had been in
formed on more than one side of the ques-
ton he would have known more than is In
dicated by his assertion that II know no
warrant" and would haYe perceived the
wisdom Of the course of Messrs. Mckinley
and Ingalls, in leaving purely State issues
religiously alone. While, at the distance
of England Mr.. Lincoln's lack of informa-
tion is natural, there are plenty of people in
Pennsylvania whose Republican ante
cedents are as good as his, and who believe
in the fitness of using his fathers name for
q reformatory organization.
The first Republican President was
famous for his sterling honesty. He did
not use his political opportunities to in
crease his private fortune. He showed in
his career that when old party organizations
became effete and useless to meet live issues,
that men of clear perception and earnest
purpose should be ready to join new parties.
His whole career was that of opposition to
privilege for the few above the many. If he
would not have cast aside party lines to
protest against the practical rule of privi-
lege, by permitting favored corporations
and influential politicians to nuilify consti-
tutional la =, then the estimate in which
grateful nation holds his name is gigantic
delusion.
To assert that there is nothing in common
between the name OF Lincoln and the princi-
piles of democratic government, of support
to the Constitution. and of a square admins
tratlon, which are lnfolVeo IN the present
movement, is an insult and derogation TO
that great name. We have no doubt that
Mr.. Robert Lincoln, if he had drawn his in
formation from some more reliable source
than Mr.. Andrews, would have taken very
different attitude. The name is of little i'm
portance in this campaign, as principles are
stake. But that the Independent movement
hurts the Republican managers so much
that they have to drag in the estimable And
inoffeDsiye minister to England, is princi-
pally important in the fact that Mr.. An
drews has misled the younger Lincoln by
such misin formation that the only man in
the world who had the power to discredit
the name of Lincoln by the above assertion
has been deluded into doing so.