The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-05-27
THE POsTMAsTER GENERAL.
The Malignant Attacks ON . Man whose
Life and w orks Speak for Themselves.

THE POsTMAsTER GENERAL.
The Malignant Attacks ON Man whose
Life and w orks Speak for Themselves.
The following letter in defense of Postmaster
General Wanamaker recently appeared in the
Milwaukee Ssrsinci:
WHITE PLAINS, n. Y, April 81 was de-
lighted to see in your issue OF April 70 strong
and pertinent editorial entitled "The Extreme
of Malignity,'' in which you defend Postmaster
General Wanamaker from the attacks OF the
confessed briber, Godkin, editor OF the ErcatnJ
Post of New York / have known Mr.. Wanna
maker long and we'll, and desire not only TO
thank you for what you have written, but TO
tell you thing or two in addition that hap
pen to be certain OF.
John wanamaker is guilty OF being Presby
terrain, but he never in his life objected TO any
body's holding any other religious faith, and
do not know why Baptists, Methodsts, Catho-
lies, Episcopalians--why Ingersolls and God
kins even-should not allow him to believe as
he chooses. They do-all but the Godkins and
Ingersolls He was a religious mana pious
man IL you wiil-thirty years or more ago. He
started. under the greatest difficulties mission
school in the low quarters of his native city In
tent or loft, and sometimes In going TO ana
from the services his personal safety was en-
dangered by the hooaums He has been
superintendent of that Sunday-school for
more than thirty years. and now two
own energy. have risen on the spot where he be-
gan his religious labors-his pious labors II you
willard thousands of men, women and chill
oren who live In that locality and In others IN
and love him, now that he IL postmaster gen.
eral, just the same as when he was plain shop
keeper-a haberdasher, If you wiil-because In
spite of the distractions Of public life and the
multiplicity of industry, in spite, even, OF the
opportunities OF politicians, he has not given
up this work. Why should he give it up. when
npnn m, tpE nf
wish that every person who may have been
led to wonder from what the Godkins have
written whether John Wanamaker is hypo.
critic or not, could see that Bethany school
superintendent at work. They would see
plain, honest-eyed man, full OF business tact,
energy, originality, rs well as fervor OF the
grown people, now two or three times as many
children, now q great band of teachers, now
meeting OF men. now group Of
clingng about his knees hoping TO
feel the touch of his hands upon their heads or
the sound of his voice upon their ears. They
pious names as the "Wesley Band" and the
"John knox," waiting to do his bidding week
by week among the poverty stricken and the
sick They would see such religious and chari-
table enthusiasm, such pious and charitable en-.
never seen before. They would stay through
the whole service.
wish these same people could know other
things about John Wanamager. ! wish they
could see the little chapel at JenkintOwn,
where all the Presbyterians of the neighborhood
wOrship-a little chapel erected i'll memory of
the postmaster generals dead daughter. wish
they could see the orphanage in the city,
they could know that when this same mother
died and the afectionate, heart-broken
son closed his business place to all
commerce for those dreary days, these
same enemies even accused him OF doing
1t for advertising purposes wish his critics
could know these things. None OF US can Know
how much effort he put in (though an invalid
the war time and debarred from going to the
'front.' as member of relief committees; as Or
ganizer OF Christian associations; a. the builder
OF the immense Christian association building
in Philadelphia; as originator and sponsor of
all the charitable efforts, great and small. con-
nected with his Sunday-school.
There are but few papers now that speak oil
the postmaster general as Holy john" and but
few persons who refer with contemptuOus tones
to his piety. Ii they could know his piety they
would know a bubbling, hearty, CHEEKY. fun
biooded, thorough bred, busnesslfkc, courage
Gus, tender, charitable piety. They could find
nothing morbid or hypocritical about 1t. But,
let me repeat, they have stopped talking about
"Holy john" it didn't exactly "go." There
too many religious people in this great
country; there are millions who, If they. do
not subscribe TO all the articles OF faith OF all
the denominations, are yet willing to grant
to all others the same freedom OF thought that
they demand for themselves. Even those most
illiberai of al thinkers, the persons who sup
pose that they think freely, understand very
well that the solid and the true in all communi-
ties are the religious people, and they have
noticed this additional advantage under which
they have labored; they have noticed that the
solid and the true in all communities, big and
little, are also business people, the traders
shopkeepers, if you will 1t was inevitable that
small headway-that no Roadway at all.
in fact-should be made attacking
the most prominent representative
of the combined religious and business element
that stands before the American people today.
1t was inevitable, indeed, that a reaction, such
as your article indexes, should set in. 1t was
inevitable that Postmaster. General Wanna.
makers works and faith should show in his Of
fetal relation. just as they have in his personal
relations. l know that that has been all that he
has desired-that he should be judged for what
when the history of his faith and works shall be
written, he will stand nigh among the good,
the true, and the great The religious people
and the business men of this country realize
now at last that one OF their number has been
on trial in a public station. They have resented
the animus of all these bitter attacks upon him
there has never been in American public
affairs such malicious and bitter warfare before,
and, unless l am Mistaken this same element
in society and in the body polite, in the whole
skeleton and flesh and blood, in fact, of our
national life. will insist in the future upon
having In high places in the state and nation
man now ana then who is religious and at the
same time is not afraid to say so or to do so;
and a man, too, who is plain, everyday bust
ness man, employing thousands of people and
serving thousands of others, and making thou
sands of dollars, it may be added. in d perfectly
legitimate way. SIMPLE JUSTICE.