The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1892-10-20


himself. He resorted at the outset to a
device Justly denounced by the elder
President of his name as wrong and
dangerous. He muzzled the press OF
his own party SO far as criticism 'ot his
administration was concerned. He made
sure of the support of the prominent
Republican newspapers for all his
ambitions by putting their editors under
obligations to himself for high office,
carrying with it pecuniary rewards,
political advantages or social distlnc-
ton, according to the known need and
desire of each of his beneficiarjes.
In certain directions he filled the
foreign service with incapable men to
oblige unworthy interests. He sent
Miner to Central America, aud kept
him there long after the country had
given expression to its disgust aud
humiliation with tue conduct OF an
American Minister who, in the interest
of speculative syndicate, sacrificed the
honor of the Nation and the flag.
He sent E 5an and McCreery to Chile,
with results grevously hurtlul both to
the good name and to the commercial
Interests of the country.
To Wanamaler he has added Elkins as
a Cabinet officer-Elkins, a political
adventurer and speculator, who had
grown rich out Of politics wlthoaS hav-
ing won respect enough anywhere to
make his name suggestive even of posi-
bilities in connection with honorable Of
fee. He made Porter the Su perinten-
dent of the Census. knowing him to be
an already discredited manipulator Of
statistics, foreign adventurer destitute
of convictions and in search Of market
for his peculiar abilities, mansat that
very time conducting business as vul-
gar wine tout in combination with poll
tics and ready to placard his advertise
ments in the Executive Mansion itself.
He permitted this man to falsify the cen
sus of great States by way of robbing
them of their just representation and
thus increasing the chances of that
party's success to whose service he had
hired himself.
1t is a sad and shameful story of
pledges broken; of fiscal legislation bar
tered for campaign funds; of elections
secured by the purchase OF voters; OF
high Office made the subject of vctgar
traffic; of the public service, including
the most honorable places, prostituted to
the promotion of the Presidents personal
ambitions; of court converted into q
sanctuary for the protection OF scoun.
drel; of judicial subserviency rewarded
with high judicial place; of debate sup
pressed III Congress; of a surplus squan-
dered, and of the enormous increase OF
the peoples tax burdens that the pro-
ceeds might flow into the golfers OF
favored monopoiists willing to snare
their spoil with the political organization
that made its collection possible.
1t is grievous indictment that IS here
made, but it is perfectly true aud 1t
covers but part of the truth. The
specifications will come later in the
course of these letters. The facts will
be given upon which every accusation
rests. The whole record will be laid
bare-that record which the people by
their votes in November are to approve
or condemn.
Aud this is not a mere rccatling OF
old errors, u recurrence to oHenses re-
pented of. The courses that condemn
this Administration have been continuous.
Raum is still at the head OF the Pension
Bureau, and that bureau is not reformed
or purified. Marshall Airey still holds
office in Baltimore, Notwithstanding
Commissioner Roosevelt's report as to
his organization of the postoilice and
Custom House employees there into
band of political rutians, his use OF
them to carry primaries in the Admins
trations interest by wholesale cheating
and by actual physical violence, IN wAlch
he personally participated. Neither ne
nor Postmaster Johnson nor any OF their
subordinates have been removed, though
their conduc5 was fully set forth and
their removal strongly urged by Mr..
Roosevelt, Republican member of the
Civil Service Commission; though some
of them, according to Mr.. RoosevelTs
report, deliberately testified to lies;
though many of them openly confessed
to cheating; though all OF them set at
naught the law against political assess
ments, and though they all protessed
with more or less of candor the creed of
lying, cheating and ballos-box stutfing
which the testimony showed that they
had practiced.
These men who, as one Of them put it
in his testimony, believe sin doing any
thing to win," are still in office by grace
of Mr.. Wanamaker's favor and Mr..
Harrison's neglect of duty. And they
still constitute the Administration ma
chine in Baltimore and Maryland politics.
In brief, the Administration is what it
has been. 1t profits still by the practices
for which honest men in both parties
have condemned it in the past. 1t pro-
tects its scoundrels and its law breakers.
1t keeps them in office. 1t uses them in
politics. 1t sanctions their creeds and
their performances. 1t sent them and
such as them to Minneapolis to nominate
Mr.. Harrison lor second term in spite
of any desire the Republican Party might
have for some other candidate.
1t still looks to the monopoles it has
s. 81 with UbIph fc