"GREYSTONE, YONKERS, NEW YORK, _Oct. 21, '85_.
"To His Excellency, GROVER CLEVELAND.
"MY DEAR SIR,--Mr. D. A. McKnight, the law clerk in the
Patent Office, is the author of a book of great ability entitled
_The Electoral System of the United States_.
"Without adopting all of his views, his independence, integrity, and
conscientiousness are shown by the fact that his masterly analysis
of the doings of the electoral commission, in which he exposes the
inconsistencies of their decisions, and condemns them as illegal and
unconstitutional, was published in a volume printed in 1878, with a
preface dated March 10, 1877. At that time Mr. McKnight was holding
his present office under the administration of Mr. Hayes.
"I understand that his resignation has recently been requested, in
order to give the appointment to some other person.
"Mr. McKnight is confessedly an excellent officer, serving the
government with fidelity and skill; and is personally free from
every objection.
"Under these circumstances, I take the liberty of appealing to you
for an intimation in favor of the retention of Mr. McKnight, or his
promotion to a higher grade in the service.
"The Democratic party of the United States have beheld, with
indignation, the chief agents in the frauds, perjuries, and
forgeries by which a pretext of documentary evidence was furnished
on which to base a false count, rewarded by their appointment in
numerous cases to most important civil trusts.
"It would scarcely be anticipated that a Democratic administration
should have so little sympathy with, or respect for the popular
feeling on this subject as to discard a meritorious officer having
the peculiar claim to its recognition which the facts I have
narrated show Mr. McKnight to possess.
"I have no personal interest in the matter, but consider it my duty
to represent the cause of public justice, to the end that the crime
against the people consummated in 1876, and again meditated in 1884,
shall never be repeated.
"I trust that you will excuse me for calling your attention to what
might otherwise escape your observation.
"Very truly yours."