The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1892-09-23
REPUBLICAN RECORD.
AN ABLE INDICTMENT OF HARRI-
SONS ADMINISTRATION.

travagance and Corruption The Trade
with Plutocrats-sone of the "states-
men, of the Present Regime.
The issue in this campaign is the Re-
publican record of the last four years.
It is a very bad record. 1t is record
Of wrongdoing, of unfair favoritism in
legislation and of scandalous miscon-
duct in administration; record of reck-
less squandering; Of the debauchment
of the public service; of corruption in
Office and in getting office, and Of shame
full malpractices in the attempt to retain
power regardless Of the popular will.
The administration and the Fifty-frst
congress came into power by plain pur
chase. The Republican party in 1888
secured its triumph by selling legisla-
ton short.
Abandoning all that it had professed
and all that its leaders, living and dead,
had taught concerning the limitations
of right in tariff legislation, it framed q
platform In Chicago in which it offered
to monopolists such tariff rates as they
should desire for their enrichment at the
expense of the people, in return for con-
tributions to the campaign fund.
The offer was accepted. The money
was paid, and with it the notorious cor
ruptionist, Matthew Quay, with his
lieutenant, Dudley, was set to buy the
election. When the funds ran low John
Wanamaker purchased an option on a
cabinet Office by securing an additional
contribution of 100000 from the buy
ers of legislation upon margin.
When the congress thus elected came
together the Republican majority was
too narrow and uncertain to do the
work it had promised. 1t could not de-
liver the legislative goods it had sold to
monopolists without resort to further
unfairness and wrong. 1t proceeded to
unseat members of the minority whom
the people had elected and to seat Re
publicans whom the people had refused
to elect, and not man in ali the major
ity was brave or honest enough to raise
voice in protest.
When the time came for debate the
majority decided not to permit debate
lest the truth be made plain to the peo-
pie.
The rules of the house were revolu-
tionized. A dictator of peculiarly arbi-
trary will was placed in the chair, who
suppressed discussion, overrode all con.
siderations of fairness, changed the
house from a deliberative body into Il
mere machine for recording his de-
termination, and thus enacted the meas
ures of monopoly which the party had
been paid in advance to pass.
In two short years this congress squan-
dered an enormous surplus, reduced the
treasury to the sorest straits, laid heavy
burdens upon the people and upon in
dnstry, and made determined, though
fortunately fruitless effort to rob the
several states of the right of free cleo
hons in order to secure for the Republi-
can party longer lease Of power. 1t
sought to buy votes for the future by
pension legislation of the most reckless
and unjust character, whose shadow
hangs like pail over the finances of
the country and must embarrass its
prosperity for generation to come.
The administration thus elected de.
hvered to Wanamaker the cabinet Office
he had bought, put Tanner into the pen
sion Office, with his exultant exclama-
tion, "God help the surplus!" hot upon
his lips, and when his scandalous mis-
conduct made his removal necessity,
put Raum there instead to work still
larger mischief in less vociferous fash.
ion, and to fill the Office with specula.
ti0ns, peculations and scandals so shame.
fu1 that even the Reed congress could
not be dragooned into palliating them
And in spite Of further and more flag,
rant exposure Raum is in Office STILL
The administration came into powe:
protesting most solemnly its purpose 4
enforce the civil service law in letter
and spirit, and to extend its scope and
influence. 1t straightway set Clarksor
at work to behead postmasters at rate
wholly unprecedented. The president
openly farmed out the federal offices as
spoils to such bosses as Quay and Platt
and quartered his own relatives and
partners and chums upon the public
service. When the civil service com
mission discovered the most fragrant and
aAlaIIleleSS ABUSES III odlllIuOTe, anu uISeC
the removal of numbers of persons by
name for proved misconduct amounting
to criminality-miscond perpetrated
in the name and on behalf of the admin
istration-the whole matter was jaurt
lily put aside by Wanamaker, and the
president in no way interfered to redeem
his pledge or to free himself from tht
shame Of it all.
Dudley was one Of the agents in the
purchase of Mr.. Harrison's election, ant
he was found out. MIR. Harrison ha.
since refused to hold intimate persona
relations with the "blocks Of five
statesman, but through his attorney
general and former law partner he ha.
interfered with the administration o.
justice in Dudley's case, has caused {
Judge upon the bench to shield and pro
oect crime, and has since rewarded tha
judge for his corrupt subserviency by
elevating him to higher judicial posi-
lion.
And within these later months III,