The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1890-05-08
GOING FOR HARRISON.
A SEARCHING REVIEW OF HIS AD-
MINISTRATION.

MlN1SIRA1lON.
An Open Letter to the President, in
which He is Invited to Contrast His
Promises with His Performances
What He and Quay are Doing.
H. C. Lea, of Philadelphia, has pub
lished the following review of the Ad
ministration in the shape of an open
letter to the President:
"SIR: No graver scandal has dar-
Kened our political history than the
charges brought against Senator Quay
by the New York Worla in its issues
Of February 10 and March 3. 1t
would be useless here to recapitulate
them further than to say that, with
full details of names and places and
dates, the WorlH asserts him to be
man whose political career has been
succession of flagrantly dishonest acts,
including the temporary abstraction
from the State treasury of S26o, 900 in
one instance and of 100000 in
another.
"No such accusations, involving
iniquity SO varied and so continuous
and supported by such an array Of
minute detail, have ever before, | be-
lieve, been, brought against politi-
clan SO conspicuous. If they are true
Senator Quay ought to be in the pen
itentlary. If they are false, he is a
cruelty libeled man his accurser is
journal of the highest financial stand
ing and no jury of his countrymen
would refuse him exemplary damages
that would put him beyond all future
reach ofwant. Vindication and profit
both await him as an incentive to
prove his innocence; but although
two months have elasped since the
grayest of the charges were made
public, neither solicitude for his
character nor desire of gain has prompt
ed him to break silence. 1t is his own
fault if the public should regard him
as acquiescing in the truth of the
charges.
alt is true that the crimes alleged
against Senator Quay are connected
only with his career as a Pennsyl-
vania boss, but your close connection
with him has rendered the scandal
national. You are duly warned in
advance from a friendly source of the
dangers of such an alliance, yet by
accepting this man, Mr.. Wanamaker,
as member of your Cabinet, you as
sumed responsibility 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
Republican party in the State.
"He boasted of your subserviency
to him when, in explaining his triumph
over Representative Dalzell in the
struggle for the Pittsburg postofice, he
publicly said that sthe President,
though very anxious to crafty Mr..
Dalzell, for whom he has high es-
TEEN, could not, under all the circum-
stances, we'll avoid complying with my
wishes Even Mr.. Quay's remarkable
silence under the accusations of the
WorM does not seem to have lessened
his influence over you. He signalized
his return from Florida a week or two
since by capturing the Pittsburg
surveyorship Of customs against candi-
dates urged respectively by Secretary
Blaine and Representive Dalzell.
"lndeed, his power would seem to
be as great in Washington as in this
State, for the party organs now tell US
that he has been endeavoring to buy
off a superhuous candidate for the
Governorship with an assistant secreta-
ryship of War. In thus entering into
a political partnership with Mr.. Quay,
you must share the losses as we'll as the
gains ofthe venture. 1t is not Pennsylva-
MIA alone nor even the Republican par
ty only, that has right to protest /;
every citizen of the land must feel
humiliation at the smirch thus inflicted
on the Chief Magistracy Of the ma
ton.
GAS Republican by conviction,
ardently desiring the success Of the
party so long as it deserves success, let
me request you, Mr.. President, to take
a calm survey Of the situation and
render to yourself an account of your
stewardship. Thirteen months ago
you entered upon the duties, of the
highest Office which the world has to
bestow; your party was supreme in the
control of both Houses of Congress
and of the Executive; everything
promised a prosperous and useful Ad-
ministrat;on, in which you, by simply
adherng to the pledges under which
you were elected, might earn another
term from the confidence and graft.
tude of the people. The only cloud
upon the political horizon was your
acceptance Of postmaster general al
Mr.. Quay's dictation, ostensibly as a
reward for certain services performed
during the canvass. That cloud, then
no larger than a mans hand, has
spread till it covers the armament.
"Look back now and reflect
upon your work You have sedulously
devoted yourself to the distribution o.
patronage you have turned ou'
nearly 40, 900 Democratic Office hold
ers, and in this ignoble business you
have filled vacancies thus made BY
giving reorganization to the worst
element in the party. You have thu:
degraded it to the lowest level, till il
. no longer deserves or enjoys the pub
!. lie confidence, and its interest
. as we'll as that OF the nation, demand:
. its purihcation by defeat. You have
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