The morning call., 1893-12-05
A FAIRY TALE.

j. j. Van Alien contributed large sum
to the Democratic campaign fund last
year. The general opinion is that it
amounted to $4,000. The chances are that
more money than that was given. for W bile
the contribution is acknowledged the exact
figures are withheld. Mr.. Van Allen was
q OF previously known in politics, except in
very small and reticent circle. The cleo
tion having gone in favor of the Demo-
Gratis, President Cleveland. shortly after
his inauguration, appointed Mr.. Van Alien
ambassador TO Italy. The appointee had
not previously distinguished himself as a
diplomatic. He had never seen any service
in any department Of the Government. 1t
Is also In evidence that Mr.. Whitney in
formed the President of the obligation
under which the party lay to Mr. Van Allen.
These are the leading facts in the
remarkable exhibition of civil service re-
form which The case affords. There is no
dispute over the subscription of Mr.. Van
Allen, the interposiiioD Of W. c. Whitney,
the appointment and the notorious unfit
ness Tor many reasons of MIR. Van Allen.
But that gentleman has since resigned the
Office in that way obtained. He has
written a letter to Secretary Gresham in
which he denies that there was any con-
nection between his subscription to the
Democratic party and his appointment.
There is a letter from President Cleveland
earnestly imploring MIR. Van Allen not to
step down and out. The effect all around
is to expunge Hamlet from this play OF
the King of Denmark. Fairy tales con-
structed after this fashion are encoun-
tered nowhere outside Of politics.
m th a cha m Qd rirplp U1e do fhn
extraordinary things. They are often
known to give money to men with whom
they had no acquaintance and never be-
stow thought on the transaction after
ward. In this instan,e Mr.. Van Allen
gave away a small fortune to political
party, and when handsome appointment
subsequently, came his way saw no con-
nection whatever between the two facts.
The report, il true, that Mr.. Van Allen
last summer informed his friends in Lon
don that be would be Min lister TO Italy if
the Democrats won in the United States
has tendency to weaken general belief in
the childike innocence of the story in the
form which il is now sought to give TO it,
The line OF defense adopted If perms ssible
would work mighty change in our juris-
prudence. If the separation of the motive
from the act was always allowable to the
accused a conviction could never be
reached.
The man who deliberately shoots an
other might allege that all he did was to
press his finger on an innocent piece of
mechanism known as the trigger, with no
mnlevolent intentions against any one,
when the gun went off and did the rest.
In the life that is outside OF politics there
are no instances Of handsome eontribu-
tions for any purpose and equally hand
some returns without any connection
between the two. But Of the two who
figure in this memorable object lesson in
Democratic civil service reform Mr.. Van
Allen now certainly appears TO the b ST
advantage. He saw clearly enough that
with the facts as they stand it would be
impossible for him TO make anybody be-
lleve that the appointment was not the
outcome of the campaign contribution.
There was at least something Spartan-like
in his retirement after he had been found
out
But President Cleveland sticks to the
fairy tale now before the public to the
last. He appears to think that the public
can be made to believe that first-class mis-
sons come 10 people not before known in
politics who contribute $4,000 to cam
paign funds, just in the way of accident,
and without any violation of morals. But
then Mr.. Cleveland is great believer in
the rectitude of his own wrong-doing.