The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-08-28
A sENsELEss ARRANGEMENT.

An editorial article in late issue of the
Philadelphia Record takes an extraordinary
and untenable position. 1t states that Re-
publican senators who have talked with
President Harrison and Speaker Reed, re-
port them as "being bitter" toward Senator
Quay on account of his attempt to defeat
the elections bill. On this matter they are
said to entertain the same opinion, and
cherish the same feelings as are accredited
to Senators Hoar and Spooner.
And on the strength of this report the
Philadelphia paper proceeds to lecture the
President and the Speaker. 1t claims that
both owe their election-the one to the
presidency and tine other to the speaker
ship-to Senator Quayl The people in the
one case and the Republican members of
the House in the other, had nothing to do
with it. According 10 the Record it was all
Quay's work.
Yet both President Harrison and Speaker
Reed, says this superserviceable Philadel-
phia organ. "have repudiated their obliga-
tons to Quay, and are endeavoring to
break down his influence" This takes no
account of their obligations to the people,
or to their party, or to their own pledges
and declarations, and is especially oblivious
of anv obligation to regard the oath they
have taken to support the constitution and
perform their duty faithfully.
Besides all of these considerations there
is another which might mollify the Record .
treatment of the Presidents case. Not
only in his letter of acceptance. but in his
inaugural and in his last annual message
the President took strong grounds in favor
of the early passage of an effective law for
the supervision and control of federal cleo
tons. If. as the Record claims. Senator
Quay is solely responsible for the Presi-
dents election, he brought about that re-
suit with full knowledge of the commit
'ments in the platforms and in the letter of
acceptance on this subject. 1t is not pre-
tended that he made any objections. So
far, then, there was no deception. And
beyond all doubt he acquiesced in and
approved of the two messages on the SUBJ
ject.
But now the Pennsylvania senator. for
reasons best known to himself, has seen fit
to change his mind or his tactics, and in
addition TO forfeiture of all the obligations
above noted, the President is called upon
to stultify himself by q like change of tao
tics though be has not changed his mind.
Otherwise he must submit 10 a charge of
ingratitude and of repudiating Obligations.
The same paper preposterously claims
that the utterances of Republican papers
which have not endorsed Senator Quay's
course have been 'instigated" by the Presi-
dent and the Speaker. 1t goes further and
intimates that the influence and power of
the administration will be exerted against
the Republican ticket of Pennsylvania by
way of retaliation.
This is indeed richness. The President
no doubt comedies the right of Senator
Quay to differ from him on this subject
He no doubt appreciates any service that
the chairman of the National committee
rendered as an organizer in the presidential
campaign. but he knows, and Quay and
the Record should know, that of the 8. 44O.-
2l6 votes cast for Harrison in 1855. more
than five million would have been cast for
him though no such man as Quay had
ever lived.
They must learn that something is due
to these millions who voted for Harrison,
and who constitute the Republican party.
no less than to the gentleman who hap
pened 10 be selected as chief organizer of
the campaign, for which there were thou-
sands ot @sa within the party equally