John Harrison Wilson, The life of Charles Henry Dana

[493] effort in supporting men who were destined from the start to defeat. While he did not value McKinley highly as an original thinker, or as a statesman of the first rank, he acknowledged his good sense, and felt sure that, surrounded as he would be by a large group of the ablest men in his party, he would give the country a safe and conservative administration in substantial accord with the platform on which it had been chosen. Firm in this conviction, the Sun at once became an active advocate of the Republican candidates. As it had always been, it was independent and in no sense a time-serving partisan, but for this reason its influence was perhaps greater than ever before. McKinley received a larger plurality of votes than had ever been given to any candidate for president except General Grant.

As before stated, Dana had won a substantial victory in his efforts to purify the administration of the government as carried on by the Republicans, and to give it a vigorous and American tone as carried on by the Democrats. Jobbery and scandal had entirely disappeared from the management of the great departments at Washington. Landaulets and family coaches were no longer bought by members of the cabinet and paid for with public money. The building lots of government officials were no longer graded at the cost of the city. Post-traderships had ceased to pay tribute for the benefit of those in power. Speculation in Star Route contracts and fraudulent claims against the government, as well as in naval materials and discarded arms, had come to an end. Safe-burglary conspiracies and bonded-warehouse frauds had been suppressed. The Black Friday combination and the Whiskey Ring had been broken up. The revenues were honestly collected and accounted for. Log-rolling legislation had been reduced to a minimum. Municipal government in Washington and New York had been greatly improved, while the management of both State and national affairs