The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-11-09
A REFLECTION FOR REPUBLICANS

n AsA1A r On n1L1-I
"The heads thereof judge for reward,
and the priests thereof teach for hire
and the prophets thereof divine for
money; yet will they lean upon the Lord
and say, Is not the Lord among us? none
evil can come among us. Therefore
shall Zion for your sake be ploughed as
field, and Jerusalem shall become
heaps"
Such we're the burning words of the
Hebrew prophet that were applied to
Benjamin Harrison and his administra-
ton in April last by Henry Charles Lea,
an eminent republican citizen of Phila-
delphia, in an open letter to the presi-
dent on the Quay scandal. Everybody
must remember the volley Of abuse
poured by the republican press upon
the head Of Mr.. Lea for that letter, but
he stood his ground and to day his ira
ducers stand with him on a common
platform viewing ruin that never
would have been wrought had his words
been needed.
"In thus entering into political part
nership with Mr.. Quay, you must share
the losses as we'll as the gains of the
venture" wrote Mr.. Lea. ut is not
Pennsylvania alone, nor even the repub-
lican party only, that has right to pro-
test. Every citizen of the land must
feel humiliation at the smirch thus in
fllcted on the chief magistracy of the
nation"
And then came this startling prophecy
and admonition:
You have refused to heed the lesson, and
the elections of next November will en-
phasize it. The narrow republican major
ity in the lower house will be swept away,
and your path for the latter half of your
administration will be path of thorns.
You have rewarded the magnificent major
ity of $4,000 given you by Pennsylvania by
riveting upon her the chains of Quayism;
you need not wonder that disaffection is
spreading rapidly throughout her borders
in manner that may FINDER even her al
legiance doubtful. The outlook for 1892 is
even darker. Were the presidential elec-
scarce be doubt of democratic success. Let
uo COuInoI you, MT. TIeHlueuG, Hb u 1rleUO,
to reflect that this has been your work in
one short year of misused power.
II this retrospection should bring with it
repentance and amendment. you still have
before you three years which may be fruit
full for good. Bear in mind that fruitful
are the wounds of a friend. but the kisses
Of an enemy are deceitful." Discard the
advisers who are Turing you to your down
fall. Recognize that the truest political
sxpediency lies in the application of con-
science to public affairs, and that you can
serve your party best by stimulating the
nobler aspirations of the nation rather than
by panderinR to the baser appetites of
spoilsmen. Cease to expect to gather figs
of thistles or to touch pitch without defle-
ment. Apply to your public duties the high
standard of morality to which you adhere
in your private life. Remember that evil
can give birth only to evil, and that you, as
chief magistrate of sixty-fve millions of
freemen, have on your soul charge for
which you must reckon to posterity and to
God,
These are words which Benjamin
Harrison and all other republicans who
have aided, Allotted and encouraged
Pennsylvania and Montana methods in
politics would do we'll to recall and let
sink deep into their souls.