The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-30
SCHURZ AND CIVIL SERVICE.
MIR. FOulke Responds to Recent Criti-
cisms of the RefOrmer.

TO the Editor OF the Indianapolis Journal:
In your editorial columns you say that 1.-The
failure of Mr.. Schurz as senator to control
the Missouri patronage under President
Grant converted him to his present views :"
This statement is, as ridiculous as the claim
that George VIM. Curtis voted for Cleveland
because the Harpers threatened to turn him
out if he should vote for Blaine Such
absurdites are the laughing stock of his
tory. What efforts did Mr.. Schurz make to
control the patronage under Grant? If his
belief in civil-service reform was hypocriti-
cal, why did he not make the most of his
patronage when he was secretary of the
interior under Hayes? The fact is that such
critics. unable to comprehend the motives
of a statesman, attempt to weigh them in
the balance of the ward politician.
1t is a rather umseemly performance for
Republicans to attack Senator Schurz for
adhering to his lifelong principles when the
platforms of their own party have I'M
equivocally supported these principles and
when the party managers have themselves
made use of the eminent abilities of Mr.
Schurz during the last campaign. Upon the
financial issue no mans work was more
potent for the success of the party than
that of Mr.. Sehurz. Is it becoming in Re-
puDllCdLS 10 AVIAN themselves OF efforts like
these and then to belittle and calumniate
the man who made them? Happily our Re-
publican President does not share the pref
udices voiced by these vociferous but OBJ
scure detractors but gives to Mr.. Schurz
his friendship and confidence. In the letter
OF jonathan Keith, published in your issues
OF the 9th and 2Sth, ! find the question,
Who is Carl Schurz? A political refugee.
repudiated by his own country; an adven-
turer; restless, changeable character; a
n lot fNfnlf f.a.alI
dering Socialist, Observation-Disclosures and APP
parently master of none. And yet he has
been selected togreform our government and
ports this statement by chronological
abridgment of Appletons encyclopedia of
American biography containing passages
IKE these: ''lS29, born near Cologne. PruS-
STA Did this make him an adventurer,
dramatist or a Socialist? Where ought he
to be born That he might be reliable and
revolution, assistant publisher of liberal
newspaper" Is there anything in liberal
newspaper which makes a man a restless
changeable character and a stage actor?
1879, attempted to promote an insurrection
at Bonn, in consequence of which he fled
from his country and became a refugee and
Joined the revolutionary army" Is Mr..
Keith such a supporter of the divine right
OF monarchs as to believe that rebellion
from their tyranny is unjustifiable? II So
what does he think of Washington and
Franklin? 1850. returned secretly to Ger
many to assist rebel friend of his to
cS1dpS. II llittC dlly iHOIt HOHOTdDie proof
of friendship than for man to risk his
own life to secure the liberty of his COM
rade? 1851, in Paris as correspondent of
German journals. Same year taught school
in London" Did teaching school make him
ain adventurer? And must newspaper cor
respondent be therefore Socialist? 1852
came TO the United States" Was there any
better place TO go? 1851. appointed min
lister to Spain by President Lincoln Would
Lincoln have appointed him If he had been
the man described? Resigned and joined
the Union army" Did this make him an
adventurer? And when he was promoted to
the rank of major general did that indi-
cate that he was a ''iack-of-all-tr trades and
master of none?" "In 1868 he was chairman
of the Republican convention in Chicago. "
How came Republicans TO choose the sort
of man Mr.. Keith describes? In 1869 why
did the Republicans of Missouri select such
a man for senator? 1t is useless 10 go owe,
all these details. In calling Mr.. Schurz q
restless and changeable character Mr. Keith
can be safely defied to point out a single
principle advocated by Mr.. Schurz which
he does not advocate to-day. Must mar
not change his occupation or his residence.
IL all had thought thus what would be the