Omaha daily bee., 1892-09-19
CARL sCnUKZ WRITES A LETTER.

He DeprecateS the Use of Money In Elec-
tIous and Praises Grover Cleveland.
NEW YORK, Sept. 1S.-Hon Carl Schurz
has written lengthy letter addressed TO the
Cleveland and Stevenson clubs of Kings
county and Alex E. Orr and other citizens
of Brooklyn, giving his views on the pres
ent national political situation. Mr. Schur.
was invited by the clubs and citizens to OK.
press his opinions in au address, but i'll health
prevented him from so doing. After brief
Introduction, Mr. Schurz says:
I'VE are told that the tariff is the chief
issue of this campaign. l certainly do not
underestimate the importance of any of its
aspects, but l regard it only as u part of
iar more comprehensive question, which il
not merely economic, out political in nature
ana concerns the general working in fact,
the moral vitality of Our democratic system
oil government.
There is a school of pessmists growing
up among US, who, whenever anything goes
wrong, are ready to declare democratic gov
ernment failure. If this dismal state of
mind led them to more sharply Criticlsc, 1t
would do no harm, but when every
attempt at lmprovemen3 is discouraged
As useless, 1t proves harmful. BY the same
methods every kind OF government would fall
and anarchy would rule. 1t must be- a gov
ernment CT public opinion, expressed ip the
form of laws. SUCH government will have
mistakes, but as long as the growth of pub.
lie opinion in the body is free the good sense
OF the people may re trusted TO prlng about
the correction of existing evils. THIS is Il
country in which things may 60 badly in de-
tail, but well or the whole. This viii be,
provided certaiA things are kept out of poll
tics which pervert the honest expression of
puUllc opinion. The most obvious of these
evils ara money and the machine.
Money Used in Elections.
"There always has been and always will
be some money used in elections for per-
fectly proper purposes, but sums are spent
ia presidential and state campaigns winch
generation ago would have been thought
fabulous. The election of some United States
senators By soue legislatures occasions
financial arrangements as large as those of
starting big bank. In some congressional
districts IN some municipalities the cost of u
conyass is enormous That much of this
money is used Tor bribery, tnat not
Jew constituencies, not long ago pure, are
now thoroughly debauched ana thai the evil
has been growing and spreading from year
TO year cannot be denied. H. mas come that
the raising or Dig sums or use in elections Is
Officially recognized as u high political fuuc-
tion, deserving Of personal recognition
Look at the irankness and gravity with
which party managers discuss the statistics
OF purchasaDle voters anu the methods OF
watching and puying tioaters."
The Machine in Politics.
Referring TO party machines, he SAID
"Puolic spirited citizens form party be.
cause they have Substantially the same OBJ
iect OF interest In view. They form com
nlttees, clubs and whatever effective organ
zatlcns require. They seek in the first
place to run the party they belong to so as
70 make its victory their spoil. 1t is their
machine, nor Is that spirit ever different
when the ofiice-holdng force OF tho national
government Is called into political ser
vice 10 promote personal ends. Ca
the whole the development of party
organization has OF late years been
largely in the direction of machine methods.
What will be the effect on our political lifel 4
Money wrongiuily used In elections CORFU pts
public opinion. 1t serves TO raise a race of
unprincipled, selfish, mercenary politicians
aud repel from pol!t cal life those VINO WISH
10 serve the Duo!lc according TO their honest
convictions"
In conclusion Mr. Schurz spoke highly of
Grover Cleveland and said he looked upon
his nomination in spite of the efforts of the
machine as a good sign. He does not thlnK
highly OF President harrison's administra-
lion,