Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1890-04-25
Plain Republican Talk For Harrison.
HIS sUBsERvIENcY TO QUAY.

HIS sUBsERyIENCY TO QUAY.
The following 'open letter" has been
addressed by Henry g. Lea, the prominent
Republican civil service reformer of Phil
adelphia to President Harrison:
''1o the President:
''Sir:-No graver scandal has darkened
our political history than the charges
brought against Senator Quay by the New
York World 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 World asserts him to be a
man whose political career has been sue
cession of fagrantly dishonest acts, in
Guiding the temporary abstraction from
the State treasury Of $260,000 in one in
stance and of S400, 900 in another
mo such accusations. involving iniquity
so varied and so continuous, and support
ed by such an array of minute detail have
ever before, | believe been brought against
a politician so conspicuous. Ii they are
true, Senator Quay ought to be in the pen
itentiaIy. If they are false, he is a cruelty
libeled man; his accusGr is a journal of
the highest financial standing, and no jury
of his countrymen would refuse him eXem-
plary damages that would put him beyond
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 So
Iicitude for his character nor desire OF
| gain has prompted him to break silence.
1t is his own fault if the public should
regard him as acquieScing in the truth of
the charges.
cit is true that the crimes alleged against
| tort uav arg oopnpota6 on y with hic
career as a Pennsylvania boss, but your
close connection with him has rendered the
scandal national. You were duly warned
in advance from friendly source OF the
danger of such an alliance, yet by accept
ing his man, Mr.. Wanamaker, as member
Of your cabinet, you assumed responsible
ty for both OF them. In pursuance of this
alliance, you have enlarged MI. Quay's
importance by virtually giving him con-
troll of the federal patronage in Pennsyl-
vania, thus rendering him the dictator OF
the Republican party in the State. He
boosted of your subserviency to him when,
in explaining his triumph over Represen-
tative Dalzell in the struggle for the Pitts
burg postOffice, he publicly said that the
President, though very anxious to crafty
Dalzell, for whom he has a high esteem
could not under all the circumstances,
we'll avoid complying with my wishes.
Even Mr.. Quay's remarkable silence under
| tile dCCuSdGlOllS Vi bllG UOTGU uOto HOt SGGul
to have lessened his influence over you.
He signaliZed his return from Florida a
week or two since by capturing the Pitts
burg Surveyorship of Customs against can
didates urged respectively by Secretary
Blaine and Representative Dalzell. In
deed, his power would seem to be as great
in Washington as in this State, for the
endeavoring to buy off superf1uous can
didate for the Governoyship with an Assis-
tant Secretaryship of War. In thus enter
ing into political partnership with Mr..
Quay you must share the losses as well as
the gains of the venture. It is not Penn
party only, that has right to protest
every citizen of the land must feel humili-
alton at the smirch thus inflicted on the
Chief Magistracy of the Nation.
| Gas a Republican by conviction, ardent
ly 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 your stewardship. Thirteen months
ago you entered upon the duties of the
highest office which the world has to be-
stow; your party was supreme in the con-
troll OF both houses of congress and of the
executive; everything promised prosper
Gus and useful administration, in which
you, by simply adherlng to the pledges
under which you were elected, might earn
another term from the confidence and graf
itude of the people. The only cloud upon
the political horizon was your acceptance
of postmaster-generala at MI. Qray's die
tation OStenSibly as reward for certain
services performed during the canvass
hand, has spread till it covers the frma-
ment. Look back now and reflect upon
your work! You have sedulOusly devoted
yourself to the distribution of patronage :;
you have turned out nearly forty thousand
Democratic office-holders, and in this ig-
noble business you have filled vacancies
thus made by giving recognition to the
worst elements in the party. You have
thus degraded it to the lowest level, till
it no longer deserves OF enjoys the public
confidence, and it's interest, as we'll as
that of the nation, demands its publication
by defeat. You have earned for it the de
nunciation OF the Hebrew prophet:
"'The heads thereof Judge for reward, land
the priests thereof teach for hire, and the
prophets thereof divine for money, yet will
they lean upon the Lord and say, is not til,
Lord among us? None evil can come among
us. Therefore shall Zion for your sake b,
plowed as field and Jerusalem shall be-
come heaps
'sBut it needs no prophet to foretell the
result The elections of last November
were a warning that the people would not
| tolerate your methods. You have refuse,
to heed the lesson, and the elections OF
next November will emphasize it, The
narrow Republican majority in the lower
house will be swept away, and your patti
for the latter half of your administration
will be path of thorns. You have re
warded the magnificent majority of O,oOt
given to you by Pennsylvania by rivetine
upon her chains of QuayiSm; you need moi
wonder that dissatisfaction is spreading
rapidly throughout her borders in man
ner that may render even her allegiance
doubtful. The outlook for 1892 is evel
darker. Were the presidential election t.
take place tomorrow there could scarce
be doubt of Democratic success Let me
counsel you, Mr.. President, as friend, t.
reflect that this has been your work in ONT
short year of misused power.
| eff this retrospection should bring with
| it repentance and amendment, you still
fruitful for good. Bear in mind that faith
full are the wounds of a friend, but the
kisses of an enemy are deceitful' Discard
the advisors who are Turing you to youl
downfall. Recognize that the truest poll
tical 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 fig.
Of thistles, OF to touch pitch without defle-
HIGH standard of morality to which you adj
here in your private life. Remember thai
evil can give birth only to evil and that
YOU, as chief magistrate of sixty-fve mil
lions OF freemen, have on your soul a
charge for which you must reckon to pos
terity and to God. [ am, Mr.. President,
| vOur obedient servant,