Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-04-23
An Important Letter to President Harrison

The author ia prominent and life-long
Republican. He is not a politician and not
an Office seeker. He belongs to publish
ing house of Philadelphia. and voted for
Harrison, but would not do 80 again, and
he gives good reasons why he would not do
So 1t will be read with interest, and is as
| follows:
PHILADELPHIA, April 8.
TO the President:
| SIR-No graver scandal has darkened oul
political history than the charges brought
against Senator Quay by the New York
World, in it's issues of February 10 and
| March 3.
1t would be useless here to recapitulate
them further than to say that with full de
tails of names, aud places and dates, the
World asserts him to be a man whose po-
itical career has been succession of fla
gravity dishonest acts, including the tenn
porary abstraction from the State Treasury
of 5000, 600. in one instance, and of $500,
600 in another. No such accusations involv
ing iniquity SO varied and SO continuous,
and supported by such an array of minute
detail, have ever before, believe, been
! brought against politician so conspicuous.
If they are true Senator Quay should be in
the penitentiary; if they are false he is q
cruelty libeled man. His accuser is a jour.
nal of the highest financial standing, and
no jury of his countrymen would refuse him
exemplary damages that would put him be
yond all future reach of want. Vindication
and profit both await him as an incentive to
prove his innocence; but although two
months have elapsed since the gravest Of
the charges were made public, neither
solicitude for his character nor desire OF
gain has prompted him to break the silence.
1t is his own fault if the public should re.
gard this as acquiescing to the truth OF the
| charges.
1t is true that the crimes alleged against
Senator Quay are connected only with his
career as Psnnsy luanis "boss," but your
close connection with him has rendered the
scandal national. You were duly warned
IN advance from friendly source of the
dangers of such an alliance, yet by accept
Jog his man, Mr.. Wannamaker, as men,
Der of your Cabinet, you assumed RESPONSE
biliiy for both of them. In pursuance OF
this alliance you have enlarged Mr.. Quay's
Importance by virtually giving him control
of the Federal patronage in Pennsylvania,
thus rendering him the dictator of the Re.
publican party in the State. He boosted OF
your subserviency to him when, in explain.
ing his triumph over Representative Dalzell
in the struggle for the Pittsburgh postofice,
he publicly said that 1.-THE President, though
very anxious to crafty Mr.. Dalzell, fol
whom he has high esteem, could not, uu-
der all the circumstances we'll avoid com
plying with my wishes" Even Mr.. Quay's
remarkable silence under the accusations OF
the World, does not seem TO have lessened
his influence over you. He signalized his
return from Florida, week or two since,
by capturing the Pittsburgh Surveyorship
Customs against candidates urged respec-
lively by Secretary Blaine and Representa-,
tive Dalzell. Indeed, his power would seem
to be as great in Washington as 10 this
State, for the party organs now tell US that
he has been endeavoring to buy off super
huous candidate for the Governorship with
an Assistant Secretaryship of War.
In thus entering into political partner
ship with Mr.. Quay you must share the
losses as we'll as the gains of the venture. II
is not Pennsylvania alone, nor even the Re-
publican party only, that has right to
protest; every citizen of the land must feel
Inundated at the smirch thus inflicted on
the Chief Magistracy Of the Nation.
AS Republican by conviction, ardently
desiring the SUCCESS Of the party SO long as
it deserves success, let me request you, Mr..
President, to take calm survey of the
situation and render to yourself an account
of Jour stewardship. Thirteen months ago
you entereu upon the duties of the highsst
office which the world has to bestog:: YOUR
party vas supreme IA the control of both
Houses of Congress and of the Executive;
everything promised a prosperous and use
full administration in which you by simply
adberipg to the pledges under which you
we're elected, might earn another term from
the confidence and gratitude of the people.
The only cloud on the political horizon was
your acceptance of Postmaster General
at Mr.. Quay's dictati0n, ostensibly as re-
ward for certain services performed during
| the canvass. That cloud, then DO larger
than a mans hand, has spread till it covers
the armament. Look back now and reflect
upon your work. You have sedulously de
voted yourself to the distribution of ''pat-
ronage;" you have turned out nearly 10000
Democratic officeholders, ard in this igno
bic business you have filed vacancies thus
made by giving recognition" to the worst
elements in the party. You have thus de-
graded it TO the lowest leVel, till it no long
er deserves or enjoys the public confidence,
and it's interest. as well as that of the na
lion, demands it's publication by defeat
You have earned for it the denunciation of
the Hebrew prophet: The heads thereof
teach for hire, and the prophets thereof di
vine for money; yet they will 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 plowed as field
and Jerusalem shall become heaps"
But il reeds 10 prophet to foretell the re-
suit. The elections of last November we're
warning that the people would not tole-
rate your methods
You have refused TO heed the lesson, and
| the elections of next November will en-
phasize it. The uarrow 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 80 900 given to you by Pennsylvania
by rivetting upon her chains of Quayism.
You need not wonder that Justification is
spreading rapidly throughout her borders
in a manner that may render even her ale
glance doubtful
The outlook for 1899 is even darker. Were
the Presidential election to take place to
morrow there could scarce be doubt of
democratic success. Let me counsel you,
Mr.. President, as friend, to re1scS that
this has been your work in one short year of
misused power
If 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 "faithful
are the wounds of friend, but the kisses
of an enemy are decetiful."
Discard the advisers who are Turing you
to your downfall. Recognize that the truest
political expediency lies in the application
of conscience to public affairs, and that you
can serve your party best by stimulating
the nobler aspirations of the nation, rather
than by pandering to the baser appetites of
spoilsmen. Cease to expect to gather figs
of thistles, or to touch pitch without defile-
ment. Apply to your public duties the
high standard of morality to which you ad-
here in your private life. Remember that
evil can give birth only to evil, and that
you, as Chief Magistrate of 100000 of
freemen, have on your soul such charge for
which you must reckon to posterity and to
God. l am, Mr.. President,
Your obedent servant,
HANDY CuAprFs INA