Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1900-01-25
CHAMP CLARK LETTER
Remarkable Epistle to
Secretary Gage.
FROM LYMAN'S PET BANK.
Brazen Corruption Should
Arouse the People.
FROM LYMAN'S PET BANK.
MOTIVE OF THE IMPBRIALIsrs

MOTIVE OF THE IMPERIALIsTS.
Senator Vest Claims the Right to Ex-
press His Opinion on Questions of
Public Policy and Declines to Be
MuzzIed Public Documents Not
Free-Some Cheap COnEressmen.
Especial Washington Letter.l
On the 5th day of June, 1897, A. B.
Hepburn, vice president of the Nation
al City bank of New York. wrote let
ter to Hon. Lyman j. Gage, a letter In
which is found the following remarka-
bic language:
I'VE should like to remain a United
States depository. as at present OF
course the bank is very strong, and If
you will take the pains to look at the
list of directors you will see that we
also have very great political claims in
view of what was done during the can
vass last year"
That letter is certain to have a very
large circu.ation-larger perhaps. than
any other letter ever addressed to a
high official of this republic.
1t should arouse the American people
like a fire bell at midnight. OF course
the. secretary could rot prevent Hep
burn from writing the letter, but he
could have rebuked him and should
have rebuked him for so doing. He
would have received the hearty thanks
of every honest man between the two
oceans for rebuking him. but he did
not do so. He appeared to think it all
right and eminently proper. Mores
the pity.
Does anybody believe that any man
living in the days of Alexander Hamil-
ton. Albert GaIlatin or Salmon P. Chase
would have dared to write such let
ter to any of those illustrious states
men?
But Mr. Hepburn knew his man. His
letter gave no offense to Mr. Gage.
Ponder these words: IF you"-you.
Mr.. Secretary Gage. the chief financial
officer of the most puissant republic
since the world began-"if you will
take the pains to look at the list of our
directors, you will see"-what would
Lyman see?-.you will see that we also
have great political claims in view OF
what was done during the canvass last
year,. e.. in the campaign Of 1896.
Bank to Furnish Doodle,
Evidently Lyman did look al the list
of directors and did see that 1--WE also
have very great political claims In view
of what was doue during the canvass
last year" for he proceeded to confer
the greatest financial favors upon Mr..
Hepburn's bank that was ever confer
red upon any bank by any government
officer since banks We're first instituted
among men.
Gratitude is said to be lively expec-
tation of fayors to come According to
that rule the Republican secretary Of
the treasury must be deeply grateful
to Mr.. Hepburn's bank. not so much
for what it did for the party in 1896 as
what 1t is expected to do ia 1900 If
Mr. Hepburns bank had great political
claims on Lyman growing out of its
action in 1896 by reason of the com
paratively small fayors he had confer
red upon it prior to June 3. 1897. what
astounding activity that bank will ex-
ercise for Lyman's party this year aft
er being made the recipient of his un-
precedented and colossal favor! You
tickle me. and | will tickle you" seems
to be the theory on which Lyman J.
Gage. Republican secretary of the
treasury. and the National City bank
of New York are conducting their nego.
tiations and operations Lyman is to
furnish the deposits of the peoples
money to the bank. and the bank is in
return to furnish boodle-a part of the
Doodle = TO conduct the presidential
campaign AS this particular bank is
part and parcel Of the Standard Oil
company, Lyman will probably know
where to get some more Doodle when
he needs 1t.
A deposit of S3O0.O00.OO0 is a nice
thing to have in the family. or in the
bank. which is the same thing 1t is
presumable that the bank can lend that
vast sum at an average rate of per
cent which would bring in $4,000. 600
per annum in interest. 1t was srated
on the floor of the house lately that In
the recent gambling panic on Wall
street money was loaned at 1856 per
cent. Now. If T.yman's pet bank could
lend this $300.000.00O at that rate it
would make old Crpsus himself blink
to behold its profits could he return TO
earth.
Brnxen COrruptionists.
Lyman must experience creepy sort
of feeling in the region of his spinal
chord when so conservative a gentle
man as Hon James p Richardson of
Tennessee. leader of the Democrats In
the house. talks on the floor of i'm
parchment. to say nothing Of the full
limitations of the more ardent and belIi-
eose Suizer of New York Not that
Lyman believes the Republican house
would impeach him or the Republican,
senate convict him, for he knows that
they would do no such thing. no mat
ter what he does, but there is a force
with which even the most bfazen cor.
ruptionists fear 10 deal. and that is
public opinion.
What the deuce are we coming to
anyway? Who was II declared tha;
Republicans are 4 band OF brothers and
stand like stone wall: II any man
believes that rot, how will he under
take to explain the amazing fact that
Senator Wolcott of Colorado. himself a
full blown expansionist. in open SEN
ate characterized the much exploited
speech of the beloved Beveridge on
the Philippines as base and sordid!''
Within the memory Of men now living
such language spoken by one senator
of another would have meant meet
ing about sunrise at Bladensburg
sBase aud sordid' it is: but. base and
sordid'' though 1t be. Senator Bev-
eridge inadvertently blurted out the
real motive of the imperialists- gold!