Page:Speeches, correspondence and political papers of Carl Schurz, Volume 4.djvu/390

356 once. He may be an honest and a clever man, but he has still less of national standing than Mr. Manning. The only reputation he has, is that he is Senator Payne's son-in-law, the brother-in-law of the Standard Oil Company, worth several millions, and that he last fall contributed $25,000 to Mr. Cleveland's campaign fund. These are his only distinctions. Aside from these he is only known as a politician on a small scale.

These two gentlemen appear in Mr. Cleveland's Cabinet as the men he brought with him; as his confidential friends and advisers, and as the leading spirits of the “reform Administration.” Not only the opposition will represent it so, but so it will seem to a large majority of the people who elected Mr. Cleveland.

They will ask: What merit is there in Mr. Whitney that would entitle him to be a member of the Government? What motive can have prompted his appointment? Is it to pay for his campaign contribution? Is the Standard Oil Company behind him? Is it not known to the President, that one of the most scandalous and alarming signs of the times consists in the invasion of the Senate by millionaires who have no distinction but their money? Is it the business of a “reform Administration” to invite the millionaire who has no other distinction than his money, also into the Cabinet? These questions will be asked. What answer can we give to the patriotic men who followed our lead? Shall we speak of the President's good intentions? Facts are stronger arguments than the intentions observed by them. There can be no doubt about it, if these things are done, the moral credit of the Administration, with our people at least, will be gone. It will require years to recover it, if it can ever be recovered. An Administration with such leading spirits will not be trusted. And thus the great opportunity for the “coöperation of the best elements,” which we have