Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1890-05-08

uarlHB career Vi lne hepuDllcan leaue
in the United States, which appeared
some time ago in the New York World
was read by the people of this country
at large with much pain and some shame
But inasmuch as the policy of silence il
regard to it was Immediately adopted by
the Republican press, it was impossible
to measure its effects. In Pennsylvania
the slightest possible public notice was
taken of it. The Republican newspapers
studiously ignored it and the Demo
cratic and Independent papers seemed
to doubt its authenticity or were afraid
to handle it. 1t has been suggested that
many of the newspapers of this State
have been forced to spare Quay as thev
have hitherto spared Wanamaker, by
the dread of loss in their advertising
patronage. We prefer not to accept this
view of the case. 1t implies an imputa-
tion upon the honor of the press too gross
to be tolerated and it would furnish a
sign, if true, of moral decay of the most
ominous kind. Some newspapers may
have been throttled in this way. The
suspicion, at all events, becomes very
strong when a newspaper containing col
umns of Wanamakers loud advertise
ments, permits the most flagrant of that
persons offenses against public decency
and public morals to pass without a word
of editorial comment, allowing its readers
to understand that he is public servant
as well entitled to their confidence and
respect as others who in the past have at
tanned to his official position.
But then came Henry c. Lea, life
long and distinguished Republican
leader, a gentleman of the highest pri-
vate character, and he personally adopts
the articles of accusation exhibited by
the World. He not only adopts them
as his own, but he republishes them sub
stantially over his signature, and calls
the special attention of the President of
the United States to them. He practi-
cally ask Harrison if he does not know
the character of the man who elected
him, the notorious means by which he
elected him, and the fact that all the
| patronage of his administration available
for the purpose is being used to discharge
| the infamous obligations incurred in the
election and to support the licentious and
tyrannical partisan machine of which the
| Pennsylvania boss is the sole and con-
| fessed autocrat. He tells him what every
one else sees and knows, and what
no doubt, Harrison himself sees and
knows quite as well, that in the State Of
Pennsylvania, where Quay must sustain
his offensive boss-ship if he would main
tain his authority in the party at large
the whole power and patronage of tn,
administration is employed to crusl
reputable Republicans and to smothe
honest Republican sentiment, and if tn
Republican party has no better excuse fo
existence, or Republican administratio
no higher purpose than the exaltation {
such boss, Mr.. Lea, speaking for hin
self and for the large number of respec
able Republicans who agree with hin
informed Harrison that the time has a
rived when his party should be swel
out and kept out until it can be at lea
partially purged.
He speaks of Harrison's appointme1
of "Quay's man Wanamaker to the gre
: Office of Postmaster General as vel
base prostitution of official trust, and
one of the worst offenses of the admin
tration against the Republicans of PEN
I sylvania," But if John Wanamaker
Quay's man, whose man is Benjami
Harrison? Had Mr.. Lea any right to SUI
pose that one was less Quays than tn
other? When he saw John Wanamake
industriously gathering the fat of tn
tariff benefciaries with which to buy
Presidential election, and carrying
over to Quay, could he, with the fin
sense of honor which he now develops
have conceived that the man thu
elected by Quay would be less h
property than the man who furnishe
the money? Could he have expecte
Mr.. Harrison, after having accepte
the services of Quay and Wanamake
and Dudley, to turn his back upo
them and hand over the patronage of HI
administration, all tainted with the orig
inal corruption of the campaign, to re
spectacle Republicans like himself? 1t
a condition, not theory which cor
fronts the Leas and the Barkers an
the Emerys, and the many other honors
BILE citizens who have remained i
the Republican party, notwithstandin
the fact that it has passed bodily into tn
hands of combination of mere monopc
lies, represented in the management b
notorious boodlers, who are there onl
because they are boodlers. When the
undertake to remove the gangrene {
corruption from their party they will fin
that they must cut away its vitals an
destroy its life.
Curiously enough, Mr.. Lea's letter hs
produced much more noticeable impre
sion than the Worlds publication. New
papers which ignored the one ha,
printed the other, and it has starte
an agitation in this State for relief fro
the shame of the boss-ship which prom
ises important results at the fall election
Quay has already nominated his ma
for Governor. He cannot withdraw hi