"THE PACIFIC CLUB, SAN FRANCISCO, _June 9, 1885_.
"DEAR SIR,--The Chinese question has again disturbed the
people, or some of them, upon this coast; but this time it came to
us in a new form, as the printed matter enclosed will explain.
"At one time the President intended to appoint a Californian
Minister to China (he offered it to Mr. S. M. Wilson of this city),
but changed his mind later; hence the present disturbance.
"In this so-called interview I mention the names of all the members
of the cabinet save one, and that one I do not admire. A very witty
friend of mine, the late John B. Fetton, once said, in regard to
very old case cited by opposite counsel, that it was like ox-tail
soup--it came from too far back. And so it appears to be with Mr.
Secretary, judging by his late performance in Kansas; he comes
from too far back. You will, I hope, pardon me for addressing you
in this apparently flippant manner; but, though new to you as a
correspondent, I am a very old friend of yours, and served on
the national committee (Democratic) from 1872 until 1879, when I
resigned in consequence of having to go to the Sandwich Islands.
Therefore, I served through the campaign of 1876, when this State
was lost to us, and the Presidency to you, by a stupendous fraud
committed in this city.
"Mrs. McCoppin is a New-Yorker, was a Van Ness, and a niece of the
late Mrs. Roosevelt, 836 Broadway.
"Before leaving Washington, I wrote Mr. Manning, who, I suppose,
will pay no heed to me, pointing to the fact that our Southern
friends in California are pressing forward, to the exclusion of all
other classes, for _all_ the Federal patronage upon this coast. In
this city we have 51,000 registered voters, 2400 of whom are from
the South; and yet the 2400 want _all_ the offices, and I suppose
they will get them.
"The Gwin clique alone have more than enough to fill every place.
Very respectfully yours,
"FRANK MCCOPPIN."