The Writings of Carl Schurz/From President Cleveland, March 31st, 1893

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[Washington,] March 31, 1893.

There were two principal candidates for the office of district attorney for Indiana; both were endorsed by good people. Judge Gresham knew both of them and his advice and such other information as I could gain led me to appoint Mr. Burke as rather the better qualified of the two.

It seems that he was not one of my early and earnest supporters for the Presidential nomination—a fact I knew nothing about and one which I did not think ought to influence me very much in making the nomination. Thompson, the Cleveland man, and newspapers began to howl in true Indiana fashion and I suppose gave the cue for attack. Of course the talk of conciliating Senator Voorhees or any one else is sheer newspaper twaddle which ought not for a moment to deceive any one.

Thus far I am entirely satisfied with the selection. I enclose his letter of thanks which I read for the first time this morning just after reading yours. In determining his application there was presented to me a protest from certain labor people based upon his refusal to aid, when in the legislature, certain schemes of theirs which were hardly in the line of conservative and wise legislation. I may perhaps be at fault in not regarding such conduct as an objection to his selection.

I am sorry thus early in my work to be put at the mercy of Indiana political wrangles.