Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-09-19
CARL SHURZ WRITES
A Letter Giving His Views On the
Political Situation.
EVILS OF OUR POLITICAL SYSTEM
The Most Obvious of These Are
Money and the Machins-Mr.
Shurz Speaks Highly of Grover
Cleveland and He Does Not
Think Much of President Harri.
sons Administration.

New YORK, September 1s.-Tho
Hon. Carl Schurz has written a lengthy
letter addressed to the Cleveland and
Stevenson clubs OF Kings county and
Alexander +. Orr and other citizens Of
Brooklyn. giving his views on the pres
ent national political situation. Mr..
Schurz was invited by the clubs and cit
liens to express his opinions in an ad-
dress, but Ill health prevented him do
ing so. After brief introduction Mr..
SchurZ says:
1--WE are told that the tariff Is the
chief issue Of this campaign. certain
ly do not underestimate the Importance
Of any OF its aspects, but / regard IL
only as a part OF far more comprehen-
sive question which is not merely econ
omic, but political In nature, and con-
Germs the general working, In fact, tho
moral vitalitp OF our Democratic system
Of government.
There is school of pessimists
growing up among us who, whenever
anything goes wrong, are ready to de-
and 10 despair OF the republic. ii
their dismal state OF mind only led
them to more sharply critlcise, IL would
do no harm. But when every attempt
at Improvement is discouraged as useless
il becomes harmful. by the same meth
DDS every kind OF government would
fail and anarchy would remain. IL
must be
A GOVERNMENT OF PUBLIC OPINION
expressed in the form OF laws. Such
government will have mistakes but as
long as the growth OF public opinion Ia
the body polite is free the good sense
OF the people may be trusted 10 bring
about the correction OF existing evils.
This is country In which things may
90 badly In detail but well on the whole.
| This will remain true provided certain
influences are kept out OF politics, which
pervert the honest expression ef public
opinion.
The most obvious OF these evils are
money and the machine. There al
ways has been and always will be some
money used In elections for perfectly
proper purposes. But sums arc spent
| In presidential and state campaigns
II
which generation ago would have
been thought fabulous. The election
OF some United States Senators by some
legislatures occasions financial arrange
ments as large as those OF starting n
| big bank In some congressional de
tricts and In some municipalities
the cost Of canvass is enormous. That
much Of this money Is used for bribery;
that not q few constituencies, not long
ago pure, are now thoroughly debauch'
ed, and that the evil has been growing
and spreading from year 10 year cannot
be denied IL has come to be that the
raising OF big sums for use ir
elections Is officially recognIz-
ee as high political function
deserving OF signal recognition. Look
at the frankness and gravity with which
party managers discuss the statistics OF
purchasable voters. and the methods OF
purchasable voters and the methods Of
watching and buying 1oaters. In con.
clusion, Mr.. Schurz spoke highly OF
Grover Cleveland, aud said that he
looked upon his nomination. In spite OF
the efforts OF the machine, as a good
sign. lie did not think highly OF Pres
ident Harrison's administration.