Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-09-08
HARRIsON's RECORD.
Men and Measures Of the Present
Administration
Depew's Bold Challenge to the Democ-
racy-The Appointment OF Clark
SON Dudley's BLOCKS
of Five.

racy-The Appointment or Clark
Dudley's BLOCKS
of Five.
(Compfed from the Chicago Tmes-1
PART I.
In his speech at Minneapolis placing
In nomination the candidate of his
choice. Chauncev NJ. Depew said:
1.-THE unequaled and unexampled story of re-
pubicanism in its progress and in its achieve
ments stands unique in the record of parties In
governments which are free. But we live In
practical times, facing practical issues, which
affect the business, the wages, the labor and the
prosperity of to-day. The campaign viii be won
or lost not upon the bad record OF James K Polk,
OF Franklin Pierce, or Of James Buchanan;
not upon the good record of Lincoln, or of Grant,
OF Arthur, or of Hayes. or of Garfield. It
viii be won lost upon the policy, foreign and
domestic, the industrial measures, and the ad
rninistrative acts of the administration Of Ben
jamin Harrison. Whoever receives the nomina-
ton of this convention will run upon the judg-
ment of the people, as to whe her they have been
more prosperous and more happy, whether the
country has been in a better condition at home
and stood more honorably abroad under these
last -four years of Harrison and republican adj
minis tration than during the preceding four
years of Cleveland and democratic govern
ment"
1t is a bold challenge and will be &C
copied by the democracy. It was not
an admission in which the speaker gave
voice to a wish. He recorded a fact
which exists despite his party's effort
to maintain supremacy by tanning the
flame of sectionalism. It is the logic
of events. For since four years of
democratic administration disclosed the
hypocritical pharisaism which depicted
the democracy of Tilden and Cleveland
as seeking the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of the
republic and the pensioning of 'trebel
soldiers the Tourgees of the postwar
period have lost their opportunity.
While republican organs are voicing
querulous complaints at the promi-
nence in democratic councils of men
formerly allied with the opposition on
issues long since settled, there is no
potency in the alarm cries of carpet
baggers plundering states under cover
of patriotism. Mr.. Depew admitted
what he would as partisan have glad
ly concealed. The issues of to-day are
those raised by the administration of
BENJAMIN Harrison. 1t is to be deter
mined by the people whether they
have been more prosperous and more
happy, whether the country has been
in better condition at home and stood
more honorably abroad under these last
four years of Harrison and republican
administration than during the preced-
ing four years of Cleveland and demo-
cratic government
In common with other ambitious
statesmen of his party Benjamin Harri-
son as a candidate affirmed his earnest
desire for such reform of the civil serv-
ice as would remove abuses that had
grown up under all administrations.
Immediately upon his Inauguration Mr..
Harrison appointed as the chief heads
man of his administration the most no
torious manipulation of patronage
known in the party. 1t was the con-
slant boast Of the partisan press that
| Mr.. Clarkson had broken the record of
dismissals and appointments. There
was no pretense of demonstrating the
unfitness of persons removed. There
was absolutely no respect paid to exist
| ing laws, nor to the spirit of reform
| which had actuated the preceding adj
ministration. The offices were needed
as rewards for partisan services, and
these were promises to be kept, because
they were to be redeemed without cost
to the unlearned economist in the white
house.
| And there was logic in the selection
of Clarkson for this work. The head of
the post Office department had received
his position as the direct result of a
| bargain and sale of official position
prior to the election. Mr.. Wanamaxer
was rich merchant who had achieved
wealth and longed for a social position
it had not gained for him. He could
count his millions made in retail trade,
but the doors of aristocrats who never
sold less than the full piece were closed
against him. He could run Sunday
school, and was accorded recognition
| within the edifice dedicated to its use.
But when outside its walls he was SIM
ply the retail draper, with money at
command and no social position among
the patricians of the Quaker city. The
secretaryship had been bestowed as
reward for cash in hand. What more
natural than that the entire department
should be made use of in the admins
| tration of practical politics?
When, therefore, the republican con-
vention commends the spirit and evil
dence of reform in the civil service and
the wise and consistent enforcement by
the republican party of the laws regu-
lating the same" attention is invited
to the fact that in the administration of
the post office department every rule
has been violated, every law disregard
ed. 1t was the testimony Of a delegate
at Minneapolis that he held list of
nearly two hundred officeholders sitting
as delegates in the convention to record
the will of their patron. 1t was noto-
rious that the administration had
secured control of the delegations from
southern states by the free use of
patronage. More than four thousand
oficeholders thronged the Hobbies of
| Minneapolis hotels and the convention
hall to influence action in behalf of the
dispenser of official rewards for par
tisan and factional service In every
state the officebolder was active in eau
Gus and convention. The 'sspIrit and
evidence of reform was only notable
by its absence.
Dudley's Blocks of Five.
During the campaign of 1888 Col Dud-
icy wrote a letter advising the ssbunch-
ing of voters in blocks of fve." 1t was
proved by conclusive evidence that Col.
Dudley wrote and sent the letter. His
handwriting was identified by promi-
nent republicans of Indiana who were
active in an attempt to secure the
proper punishment of Dudley's attempt
IL IL L. Ia I. -