neglect of business in the Navy Department, which has for a long time been the current talk of the service and cannot fail finally to break out in the newspapers, aside from the ostentatious—to use a mild term—display of wealth by the Secretary [Wm. C. Whitney], especially unfortunate at a time when more than ever the highest official circles should set an example in preserving the old republican simplicity of social life in Washington against the invasion of vulgar millionairedom; and especially offensive and imprudent while the contrasts between the extremes of wealth and poverty are more than ever the subject of public attention. Such is the speech of the Postmaster-General as reported, approving the partisan cry that the decapitating processs does not go fast enough, together with the fact that the number of unfortunate changes in country post-offices, which to the rural mind represent the character of the Administration, has been particularly great. Such are many things which have so far been excused when they could not be explained or justified, and which injured you comparatively little while the presumption was in your favor; but which will be calculated to harm you seriously as soon as the presumption becomes doubtful or turns against you.
As the case stands to-day I should say that, if the election were to take place to-morrow, and if you were the candidate on one and Blaine on the other side, you would receive the whole Independent vote, and perhaps
ment. If this claim were sustained, the value of the Pan-Electric stock would be very great. Mr. Garland permitted the Solicitor-General to institute proceedings impugning the validity of the Bell patent. The Republicans charged Mr. Garland with an attempt to enrich himself by using the resources of his Department for personal ends; though the decision of the case rested, of course, with the Court and not with Mr. Garland or his Solicitor-General. A Congressional committee afterwards exonerated these gentlemen.—Peck, Twenty Years of the Republic, p. 55, n. See also E. Benj. Andrews, 2 Hist. of the Last Quarter-Century, 108, 109.
