The Washington times., 1903-08-27
TURN THE RASCALS OUT"
PROVED A BOOMERANG
How GrOsvenOr Met Champ
Clark's Campaign Cry.
R. R. M'MAHON TELLS STORY
incidentally the Former Deputy Second
Comptroller Discusses 'Imbecile
0fheeholders."

| Richard r. Mcmahon. of Harper's
Ferry, w. Va. former Deputy Second
Comptroller of the Treasury. on his
way to Hot Springs, Va, to attend
the meeting of the American Bar
| Association, TO which he was elect
ed delegate to represent the Bar Asso-
citation of his State, said last night:
"A good many of the Democratic
politicians of the more vociferous kind
have been and are stin clamoring abou,
turning the rascals out. referring especi-
ally to the scandals and graft which
The Times did so much to unearth in the
Postoffice Department The other day
Representatives Champ Clark of Mis-
souri, and Grosvenor of Ohio had a sort
Of Chautauqua debate out in Illinois.
Champ dragged the Republican party
into the hall. laid it out on the table
in front Of him. and thumped beat, and
dissected ii until it looked to him like
camel back locomotive. Raising his
hands alOft. the Missouri fire horse ex-
claimed that if he wrote the next Demo
cratic platform he would use just four
short words: Turn the rascals out,
which provoked great applause.
Scored for Republicans.
When Grosvenor got up to reply he
said something like this: when nv
friend takes that four-worded Demo-
cratic platform into his own State OF
Missouri and proclaims it in a voice of
thunder, how many of his brethren
Il
The audience nearly took the roof of
the building. and it is said that Champ
blushed
AS fact. neither political party has
a patent upon official virtue any more
than 1t has a specific against Official
vice. In 1884 the Democratic stump
orators cried: When we get at the books
We will show something; then we will
turn the rascals outH The war cry was
Economy and Reform. Now what was
the result?
After Samuel J. Randall read the estf-
mates of appropriations-the first sent
IN under the Cleveland Administration
he denounced them as the most out
rageous. extravagant. and inexcusable
that had ever been submitted to Con
gress. l heard him say 10 Secretary
Daniel Manning that in the face of the
campaign howls about the books ana the
rascals. the promises and pledges of
economy and reform. every single soli-
tary one of your subordinates except tn.
man at the head OF the Second Comptrol-
ler's Office has asked for more than his
Republican predecessor had; it's an out
q an 4
Notwithstanding the magnificent ex-
ample OF untiring industry and devotion
TO public duty set by Mr.. Cleveland. who
was great President. some of his sub |
ordinates did not profit by it.
The Wrong Qualifications.
The great radical wrong done the
public service is in putting into impor- |
tant places too many men who are moth /
ing but official imbeciles. Some of the /
best men in the world are in the public 4
service, but there has been, and is. too
much imbecility. Men are the same the
world over I would like to see the day
when fitness, character, integrity, and
capacity, and not backing controlled
appointments-of all things. judicial ap-
Beyond any doubt Roosevelt will be
and unless there be some ex-
traordinary change in public sentiment
or some revolutionary public policy, he
will be elected No use questioning or
speculating. he has an extraordinary
hold on the people.
"Mr. Cleveland. if nominated. would.
in my judgment. come near carrying
New York. over there they tell me he
would carry it. with Connecticut and
New Jersey Strange as it may seem. 7
was told that both at the Manhattan and
the Union League Clubs But Bryan
would defeat his election.
Summing up all know from observa-
ton, correspondence. and Intercourse
with those who keep a close eye on the
political field. l believe that Judge
George Gray is the one man above all
others whose nomination would make
Roosevelt's election at all doubtful He
Is universally admired and respected
and deservedly So"