Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1892-10-11
REPUBLICAN RECORD.
AN ABLE INDICTMENT OF HARRl-
SONS ADMINISTRATION

Indiana Politics in National Ahairs-Ex-
travaSance and Corruptton-The Trade
with Plutocrats-so1ne of tho Estates
men' of the Present Regime.
The issue in this campaign is the Re
publican record of tho last four years.
1t is very bad record. It is record
of wrongdoing, of unfair favoritism in
legislation and of scandalous miscon-
duct in administration; a 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-first
congress came into power by plain pur-
chase, The Republican party in 1888
secured its triumph by selling legisls-
ton short. M
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 a
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
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 all the major
ity was brave or honest enough to raise
voice in protest.
When tho 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 thu
house from deliberative body into a
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
dustry. and made a determined, though
fortunately fruitless effort to rob the
several states of the right of free cleo
tions in order to secure for the Republi-
can party a 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-
ivered to Wanamaker the cabinet Office
he had bought, put Tanner into the pen
sion Office, with his exultant exclana-
ton, a"God help the surplusr' 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-
tions, peculations and scandals so shame
full 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 power
protesting most solemnly its purpose to
enforce the civil service law in letter
and spirit, and to extend its scope and
influence. 1t straightway set Clarkson
at work to bchead 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
shameless abuses in Baltimore, and urged
the removal of numbers of persons by
name for proved misconduct amounting
to crinlinality- misconduct perpetrated
in the name and on behalf of the admin
istration--the whole matter was jaunt-
lily put aside by Wanamaker, and the
president in no way interfercd to redeem
his pledge or to free himself from the
shame of it all.
Dudley was one of the agents in the
purchase of MIR. Harrtson's election, and
he was found out. Mr.. Harrison has
since refused to hold intimate personal
relations with the CLOCKS of five"
statesman, but through his attorney
general and former law partner he has
interfered with the administration o!
justice in Dudley's case, has caused q
judge upon the bench to shield and pro
tect crime, and has since rewarded that
judge for his corrupt subserviency by
| eleyating him to higher judicial posi-.
ton.
And within these later months the
country has seen the president organize
the civil service into political,machine
and with it compel his own nomination
for second term.
From the very beginning Mr. Harri-
son has used the appointing power as a
means OF securing second term for
himself. He resorted at the outset to a
device justly denounced by the elder
| president OF his name aswrong and dan
| gerous. He muzzled the press of his
own party so far as criticism of his ad-
ministration was concerned. He made
sure of the support of the prominent Re
publican newspapers for all his ambi-
tions by putting their editors under OBJ
! legations to himself for high Office, car
rying with it pecuniary rewards, politi-
| cal advantages or social distinction. ac-
cording to the known need and desire OF