Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 July 1891 — THE ATTACKS ON WANAMAKER. [ARTICLE]

THE ATTACKS ON WANAMAKER.

There is good reason to believe that Postmaster General Wanamaker must be tired of public service and disgusted with the whole matter of politics. He entered the Cabinet with sound and patriotic motives, and it is undeniable that he has, turned out to be an exceptionally cable and useful officer. The salary is -nothing to him, iF-ia ?wril -known, he being a man of ample means; he is serving the country in an unselfish and faithful way, as expecting no reward but a reasonable appreciation of his efforts to promote the efficiency of one of the most important departments of the Government. Nevertheless, from the first, the Democrats have persistently and particularly made war upon because he happened to b* active in religious affairs, which is an unpardonable offense in the eyes of his detractors. To discredit such a man would be a great gratification to the party which is nothing If not pagan. It is inconvenient, certainly, to be a Christian in politios, but it is not impossible, as has been frequently demonstrated, Mr. Wanamaker is not a saint, but his moral oharacter is above reproach, and he believes in the value of religious institutions. That is sufficient to make him a special mark for Democratic scorn and defamation. The latest manifestation of this spirit of hostility is to be found in the attempt to connect Mr. Wanamaker in a disreputable way with the failure of the Keyestone Bank of ■Philadelphia. It has been industriously charged that he was in league, tacitly if not practically, with the scoundrels jyho wrecked that concern. The mere fact that his firm was one of its customers has been harped upon in the most malicious and slanderous .fashion with the purpose only; of smirching his good name for po-? litical effect. His answer to these unscrupulous assaults has been made and it is a complete and conclusive vindication to ever}' fair-minded man. He voluntarily went before the investigating committee of the Philadelphia City Council and made a full, frank, definite statement of his relations with the insolvent bank. He showed that lie was never a director in it, never owned a share of its stock, and .never received any unUsual accommodations from it. Ilis books and papers were submitted Tor thorough inspection, the deposit account of his firm included. He told? all about hiaafawMtotimiw, his Wray as well as his profits, concealing nothing and asking not even the favors to which the law entitled him. In short he refuted one after another the cowardly and vindictive assertions of his enemies and proved himself to be an honest uni worthy citizen in every respect The Democracy will not cease to calumniate him, of course, but they will fi_d ble to damage the reputatiou of a man who thus candidly and triumphantly meets the charges that are made against him. The fact that he is a zealous member of the church and a superintendent of a Sundayschool will continue to annoy his accusers; but the American people will: not be persuaded to view that as fault in a public official or justification for censure and derision. 3

A dealer in book?,, musical merchandise and notions has sent the Journal the circular of one of the leading houses in Chicago, in which attention is the prices of albums,as follows: This year our asortment is larger thau ever, and, what is better, our prices, on the whole, are lower than last year, notwiths'anding the large iucrease of duty on albums imposed by the McKinley bill. He calls attention to the fact that during the pendency of the McKinley bill importers deluged dealers with citculars urging them them to write, to their Congress men and protest in vigorous terms against its passage on account of the enormous increase in duties on albums and similar goods. He proceeds to say that he is frequently receiving circulars from importers and dealers in musical merchandise, announcing that no increase of prices has been made ou account of the McKinley law. That is, the increased duty is paid by the foreign manu facturers, or the goods are made iu this country and can be sold at lower pride*