HENRY CHARLES LEA. xxxiii 



services to the United States Government began early in the troubled 

 days of the Civil War, when with a few friends he joined the 

 Union League, and with his pen aroused Union sentiment to thought- 

 ful action in that great crisis. \Mien troops were to be raised he 

 was the most active member of a commission of citizens who admin- 

 istered honestly and efficiently the large sums expended in bounties 

 and in organizing the volunteers. At the end of long years of 

 sharp and often bitter contests with the Federal authorities, Mr. 

 Lea earned the hearty praise of General James B. Fry, the provost- 

 marshal-general, for his honest and capable management of local 

 recruiting in the interest of the United States, the state and the 

 city. His pamphlets and verses formed frequent contributions to 

 the cause, and the L'nion League may well be proud of the effective 

 help given in this way at a trying time. 



Equally characteristic of the man was his action in resigning 

 from the League some years later on account of its refusal to throw 

 its influence on behalf of municipal reform, when Mr. Lea and his 

 associates were waging their war against corruption in local poli- 

 tics and administration. He led the attack on the Public Buildings 

 Commission, and originated the Citizens' jMunicipal Reform Asso- 

 ciation to reform the government of the city and secure a better 

 class of representatives in the legislature. It carried on the contest 

 largely with the help of Mr. Lea's vigorous pen. Flis newspaper 

 articles and pamphlets brought home to the people the need of 

 sweeping changes. Much of what he thus advocated was secured 

 in the new Constitution, and the convention that drafted that instru- 

 ment drew largely from Mr. Lea's powerful arguments. It was 

 chiefly owing to his well-directed attacks that the Gas Trust fell at 

 last, thus relieving the city of a heavy burthen of corruption. Again, 

 as a member of the Committee of One Hundred, ]\Ir. Lea gave 

 direction to its eft'orts to secure good city government. What he 

 did in municipal affairs he sought to do in state and national mat- 

 ters. He was a strong and active advocate of civil service reform, 

 and urged the introduction of the merit system of admission to civil 

 service appointments by open examination. 



One of his old and earnest associates says that " !Mr. Lea was 

 the pioneer in the cause of honest government, and to him above 



