The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1898-09-21
LEACH LOYAL TO QUAY.
Especial Correspondence

Philadelphia, Sept. 20.-A communi
cation addressed to Hon. NJ. 5. Quay ol
Frank Willing Leach has just beer
made public. 1t will be remembered
that Mr.. Leach was formerly identified
with Senator Quay in politics, but fol
the last two years has strongly opposed
him. In 1896 he was prominently iden'
titled with the movement in favor OF
Hon. John Wanamaker's election to the
United States senate Mr.. Leach's let
ter which is now the chief topic Of dis
cussion among politicians and others In
Philadelphia, is as follows:
Philadelphia, Sept. l6, 1896.
Hon. NJ. S. Quay, Atlantic City n. j.:
My Dear Sir: In1S92 just afteryou had
been subjected to a series of personal
attacks, unparalleled in their malicious
ness, from certain Democratic news
papers of New York, as a punishment
for defeating Mr.. Cleveland in 1888, you
were candidate for reelection to the
| United States senate, and were almost
unanimously returned. The details OF
| your campaign that year were under
my direction. In 1895, in your candi-
dacy for state chairman, you were
again subjected to an avalanche of
abuse and vituperation, in the endeavor
to eliminate you as a factor in Pennsyl-
vania politics. In that memorable bat
tie you were overwhelmingly success
full and your enemies were demoral-
ized and driven to the woods. 1t af-
forded me no little pleasure in that
year to resign the office then held
and again assume charge of the work
of organization in your behalf. Another
battle is now on, your return to the
senate being at stake, and again the
weapons of offense seem to be slander.
falsehood and vilification. If such is
to be the nature of the warfare against
you l cannot be found among your
venom-girdled enemies, but among
your friends, and if there is any proper
and legitimate service 1 can render
you have but to command me.
From April, 1896, to March, 1898,
vigorously opposed the domination of
those of your lieutenants whom you
had unwisely permitted to direct the
party organization in Pennsylvania.
fought as hard as l knew how, and
have no apologies to offer. But two
things should be noted. In the first
party lines. In the second place par
ticipated in no personal assaults upon
you. Having been a part of the Quay
organization for ten years, 1t would
have been the personiflcation of indeli-
cacy, not to say folly, for me to have
joined in a TRADE against "Quayism,"
so-called. My reason for leaving you
in 1896 was clearly understood at the
time. While the ordinary professional
reformer assailed you for 'bossing" too
much I denounced you for "bossing"
too little. For some time you had al
lowed a certain more or less distin-
guished state senator-fortunately now
more or less extinguished-to usurp the
functions of leadership and assume
control Of the details of organization
in the state. This you had permitted,
even though you were held responsible
for his many shortcomings, with result
ant injury to your political fortunes
and to the party organization. I de-
clined to follow any such vicious lead
ership, and arraigned you for permit
ting this man to attain such a COM
manding position in the councils of the
party, to your own and the partys
hurt. Several months ago, with my
finger somewhat upon the political
pulse of the state, discovered that this
mans influence was waning, and this
conviction was confirmed when he fail
ed to appear at the last state conven-
ton. Subsequently l learned that he
had obtained control of a gold mine
in New Mexico, and that he had re-
moved the seat of his operations to
that interesting territory, the climate
of which, l trust, he will find conducive
to good health. 1t is because of my
firm conviction that you have reas-
sumed your full functions as the leader
of the party in the state, in fact as we'll
as in name, that 1 am willing to give
my best energies in behalf of your re-
turn to the senate, with only one con-
dition precedent-that you will do a
good deal more "bossing" in the future
than in the past, and not leave the de-
tails of organization to inefficient,
blundering, selfish lieutenants, pretend
ing to be your devoted adherents, but
with a devotion subordinated to their
own personal schemes for public plum
der. With this condition of things at
tained, your own position, politically,
will be unassailable, and the Republi-
can party will be united and harmo-
nious.
Your action, or rather non-action. in
permitting the reins of leadership to
be usurped by irresponsible lieutenants,
has subjected you to torrent of abuse
because of the doings and failures of
the last legislature AS a matter of
fa IL,
that body was doing at the time. Your
own duties, as a member of the fed
eral legislature, prevented your close
attention to the details of legislation
as they developed at Harrisburg. Yet
you are charged with all the short
comings Of that historic body. 1 have
no doubt you did not read, before in
PRODUCTION, the titles of ten bills out of
many thousands presented by members
Of the two houses, and doubtless you
could not give the titles of six of them
now. During all the years 1 was asso-
ciated with you 1 never knew you to
be interested in a dozen bills before
the legislature, you always evincing a
disinclination to interpose in what, you
claimed, did not concern you, except
as private citizen. / never failed to
combat this theory maintaining that
while the people might have no right
to demand such service from you
they would, however unjustly, hold you
responsible for the misdoings and fail
ures of those claiming to represent you.
No matter how irllsome the task, I
trust you will give your personal scru-
tiny, so far as your duties as a United
States senator will permit, to the doings
Il future legislatures, to the end that
their acts and non-acts may not be a
reprcach to the Republican party AMI