Year: 1874

TO THE PRESIDENT.


A PLAIN STATEMENT FROM MASSACHUSETTS,
| WHICH HIS EXCELLENCY AS PLAINLY
! DoDGED.


! The Boston Advertiser of last Monday con-
tains this significant article as its leading
editorial:


10 His Excellency Ulysses S. Grant, pres
ident of the United States of America:


SIR: For almost twenty years the COM
monwealth of Massachusetts has been de-
voted to the interests of the republican par
~, both before and since its rise to power.
Nowhere within the United States have Won.
sir, found such steady and loyal support as
from its citizens. They have not been fsult-
finding and impatient. They have seen your
administration adopt policy of federal in
reference with local affairs which
they have disapproved; they have
seen the civil service rules disregard
ed and solemn promises forgotten: thew
have seen you dismiss from your service
men IN whom they trusted, and listen to
the counsel of those whom they despised.
and still they have remained true to Won
oeneVlpg that IN the end you would see the
Ilght and truth, and would justify the conf
dence they placed in you when they chose
you Tor their president. And now. Sir. we.
the citizens of Massachusetts. would adj
dress TO you solemn remonstrance. We
do not wish to deal here with small local
issues; we do not wish to stand on oortv
lines or To stoop to discuss paltrv personaI
Jealonsies, but we wish to speak in the name
OF al that is upright and honorable. NOT
only IN Massachusetts, but in the union,
Sir; You are


BEsET By EVIL ADVISERS:


you are deceived by their representations
and either through a misapprehensiou of
circumstances or a want of knowl-
edge of the sentiments. of this nation.
you are led to lend your aid to their
schemes. Mr.. Butler rs the man
IN whose Vaccinations we have now most
concern, and him we will take as an ex-
ample. His aim is to climb into power by
means OF corrupt use OF the civil service
over which you have control. His creatures
are given office with the direct almost
avowed, object of defrauding the people of
their rights to hold free elections. Bribery.
! corruption, intimidation and lies are the
methods employed to attain this end. and
how successfully it is attained the history
OF the past few years can leave in you, sir,
unhaDpily, too little doubt. The same sad
story is true of almost every other state.
Win you allow the name of the party. for
whose policy you are responsible, thus to
! become by-word of shame? We. sir have
7
reproach upon ourselves for sitting calmly
by and seeing others suffer: and that re-
IFrOach is deserved, for it is the duty of every
citizen TO resist fraud at all times and in all
places, regardless of cons equences. We
have erred from having too strong a faith.
but we will SO err no longer. The issue is
too broad and deep to be lightly handled, 1t
IS the great struggle between purity and self
respect and


DEGRADING CORRUPTION:


in this struggle there is no room TOR COM
promise or half measures; it is impossible to
bargain between good and evil. We are
speaking soberly and most seriously, and it
is not well to disregard our words. What
we desire. SIR, and what we must have, is re-
form. The employment made of the admin
istrative service of this country is rotten
in root and branch; corruption has eaten to
its very core; unprincipled men seek to use
the machinery of party for their own ad-
vancement, utterly neglectful of the wants
OF the people, and those wants are neither
few ner small. On this evil we must tram
pie, or it will destroy u.s. PARTY
questions can not enter here. on
this issue, at least, all honorable men who
love their country are united-all repub-
| licans, all democrats. "The great party
which you lead was designed for higher
aims than to pander to the ambition of un-
scrupulOus politicians. Properly led, IL has
still before iJ long career of usefulness in
the RI formation of those abuses which are
now this country 5 shame, aud il the con-
| duct OF those measures of publ.c policy
which lie year after year neglected and for
gotten: led as il now is it has only A future
OF bitter disaster and disgrace TO you, to us,
and To the nation. The moment now seems
at hand when a decision can no longer be
postponed; and we hope, sir, and trust-nay
| more. d0mand-tlat n1infsrorc
and congress will choose that path which
craftsmanship, which integrity, and which
courage dictate; and be assured sir, that in
so doing you will have the united and hearty
support of all that is manly and upright in
the American people,"