Evening journal., 1899-01-31
LETTERS FROM The PEOPLE
HE HON. JOHN wlANAAnAKER.

ldl NOIAtiN aAl IltlA A7yAA NAfA NN'~e
itself, apropos Of the unlkelihood Of
the name OF Mr. John Wanamaker be-
ing presented for the Pennsylvania
senior Senatorship, as follows
"He, Mr.. Wanamaker, has
led this fight against Mr.. Quay
He has stirred up the State to
a realization Of the iniquity Of
machine rule, and organized a
strong public sentiment
against Mr. Quay's reelection.
But he who sows does not al
ways gather the harvest"
The sentiment Of the above quota
ton is all very good 50 far as It goes,
but it altogether falls TO go far
enough. There is such thing as
damning a man with faint praise:
there is such thing as blowing
neither hot nor cold. We are averse
10 all such lukewarm, half-hearted
terms Of support concerning either
this or any other important issue.
The representation to now
Of Mr.. Wanamakers name at Harris
burg for the senior Senatorshlp Of
Pennsylvania is not only matter for
great regret, but It is a distinct loss
(assuming his election to have fol-
lowed the presentation) to the people
and State of Pennsylvania. i-deed,
it is an exceedingly Euclid-hke prob
lem for the lay-mind to solve the rea-
son why Mr.. Wanamaker's name was
not presented in the first instance for
the United States Senatorship IN ques-
tion. Are we to suppose that the rea-
son is to be found in the fact Of Mr.
Wanamaker having labored day and
night for months past against the
Quay machine? Are we TO suppose
that the reason exists in the supposi-
ton that Mr.. Wanamakers political
enemies would, had his name beer
presented to the Legislature, have ex.
pressed dthemselvesto the effect that Mr.
Wanamakers past herculean efforts tC
unhorse the now-under-bail Quay were
actuated by the desire to gain the
Senatorship for himself? Or are We
20 assume that Mr.. Wanamakerl
name was not presented because Of thl
seemingly frivolous objection that he
Mr.. Wanamaker, is identified with th'
Eastern, not the Western part OF thl
State? If either the one or the othe
Of these presumptiOns is tEe cardina
or controlling reason for the non-pre
sentation-up to now-of Mr.. Wana
makers name at Harrisburg, thel
every level-headed man will regre
that so false an argument, 50 speciou
a reasoning, should have been permit
ted to stand in the way Of Mr. Wana
makers possible election to the Uppe
House Of Congress.
We long ago came to the lamentabl
conclusion that in the pest, as in tn
present, very great many c
the electors of Pennsylvania al
together failed to realize or appreci
ate the more than ordinary statesman
like attributes Of Mr. Wanamakel
This failure, upon the part Of tn
aforesaid electors, TO palpab,y apprecl
ate the sterling political qualification
Of that gentleman is unquestionabl
their loss: and, perhaps, in an exact
" inverse ratio. their loss is Nj
Wanamaker's infinite gain. But let u
eay-and we sit on the fence of
pure and simple disinterestednes
when We say it-that Mr.. Wanamake
IS not Of the common herd OF mel
men without either a Legitimate aim c
an honorable ambition. He stands oil
in distinct relief from the fiat an
Improbable" passengers Of life. Tn
woods of this world are densely peS
pied with members OF this latter an
purchasable class: and il would seel
as If such men. much TO the disgrace
the electors, were often drawn fro
their native or indigenous obscurit
and elevated to high political offic
to the exclusion Of mSa better qual
fed both morally and inte.iectuall
This installation into office OF suS
men, men of facile corruptibilaty,
one Of the culpable weaknesses Of II
American political world: and it is T
sponsible, in a great measure, for Il
existent malfeasance OF office. Had N
Wanamaker's name been presented {
and adopted by, the Legislature, thu
the Keystone State would have be-
represented in the United States Sc
ate by man who would be in no wi
subservient to any INSCRIPTIONS p
litieal machine: a man wao would
rock against any such illegaI tricke
as, for instance, speculating with I
COmmonwealth's monies for his oV
direct or personal gain. Even n
Wanamaker's bitterest political o
ponents must concede all this. Al
they must also concede tie open ia
that Mr.. Wanamaker, as United Stat
Senator would be able to hold his on
in any dchafp affqpfinp aWhay- m. 1r