New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-10-16

We have no wish 10 carry an election on NINA
terial issues Our main objections 70 the elevation
Of Gen. Cass have respect 70 bis public acts and
pledges 30 pursue line Of policy which we be
ieve preiudcisl TO the Nations interest and we
think he in heart agrees with We know that
in various ways prior 10 his going into training
for the Presidency he expressed most decided
conviction of the wisdom OF the Protective Policy
and the sound policy Of increasing our Duties on
Imports. We know that. after he cast longing
eve on the Presidency, he wheeled about voted
b. break down the Tariff OF a. and has ever since
acted with the anti Protective party We are as
sured that be expressed determined hostility 10
the Annex alton Of Texas, only short time before
he came out fer Annexation, thereby almost
securing the Baltimore nomination IN 1915.
We know that in as he made loud professions
of devotion 70 the principle OF the Wimot Proviso'
and doplored the denial Of opportunity to vote Tor
IL next session, he said the principle was right,
but the Provso was uutimely, IN the wrong bill,
&c and the next still, he came out hat-ioOted
against the measure as inexpedient and unconstl-
tutional These are but specimens OF his whiting,
trimming twaddng oifice-seeking course. The
man Tho honestly opposes our views We respect,
bat he who is openly against US when we have
reason TO know that his real sentiments accord
with ours. we heartily detest. He is more dan
gerous than a sincere adversary for the latter
NAV be convinced and converted, while the former
cannot be- Far sooner would we coniide the Fed
eral Government 20 John C. Calhoun or Dixon II
Lewis than to Lewis Cass The man who is in
earnest will respect and may defer to the earnest
convictions Of others but how shall he who does
not regard his own convictions be expected to heed
those of anybody else
Gen. Cass's extra charges are not the basis oil
our hostility to his election, yet they render our
aversion 10 him more intense. Consider and Judge
whether this is not az 1t should be;
Gen. Cass was first appointed to Office in 1900
and has been in the pay Of the Federal Govern
ment nearly ever since That he has been well
paid is no Just ground Of objection 10 him, so far as
he was paid the usual and regular salary pertain
ing TO his station But that man well paid as
ho was should go before Congress, years after
the service had been rendered aud paid for, with
a demand for extra allow anoes on his old back
long settled accounts, this appears to us despcaoy
sordd and utterly inconsistent with the character
which BELTS President.
Look at the facts Gen. Cass was made Gov.
ernor Of Michigan and Superintendent OF Indian
Affairs. in 1913, at a salary Of $1,000 per annum.
That is a far better salary, considering the rude
infancy and scanty population of Michigan in those
days han the "a 900 year paid to the Governor of
New York. And at all events, 1t was the legal
salary If he did nj think 1t sufficient he might
have resigned at any time.
But Gen Cass held on, like the careful man he
is. until he got much better Office at Washington
aud now he comes down upon Congress with an
enormous bill OF sundries. First he claimed and
received 81 500 per annum extra for ms supern-
tendence OF Indian Affairs amounting TO s26,7l5.
three iourths Of his original salary over again
next he has a claim for rations his own at -
per day for eight or nine years then he charges
IS per day for his time spent in making various In
dian Treaties, with travelling and Incidental ex-
penses iourneying TO aud from the various Treaty
grounds then IS per day while attending at
Washington to settle his accounts, with forty
cents per mile for travelling allowance, with
liberal item for expenses. land IN this way he
charges for two journeys from Detroit 10 Washing
ton and attendance there. once sl,i4s, and again
81 $50 J aud then he charges for experimenting
certain Indian Agencies in other Territories from
1929 to 1881 no less than sl4S75 or 81 500 per
annum, although he had charged snd received
: a. 500 per annum extra IS Superintendent OF In
dian Affairs in Michigan Tor those very years.
Thus he actually extorted from the Government
fkroc salaries for the same time-one OF $4,000 IS
Governor OF Michigan and Superintendent; OF Indian
Affairs the second OF $500 for experimenting
Indian affairs IN Michigan the third tor constrac
tivelyl experimenting certain Indian affairs ont
Of that territory and In addition 10 all this he
charg cd the Government IS per day for good
part OF this very time actually engaged in ma
King Indisn treaties or as in Washington settling
his accounts, with forty cents per mile for travel
that never cost him SIX cents. His legal, honest
salary for the Ia years he was Governor OF Mich
iean was S35.45S. TO which $1,000 added for ex-
Penses Of travelling, holding Indian Treaties, ae
would have made the compensation generous
one. Instead Of this his doable-snd twisted char
ges, mainly carried through isciie Congress at
time when he, Gen. Jsckson's Secretary OF
War had immense influence and power, amount
to sol ,7o3, or nearly twice over his Original sal
AIRY. II these charges are fair and honest tno
matter what feed iobby-sgent or complacent boon
companion may have called them SOL then the
Treasury may be swamped at any time by the
presentation o. demands upon Tor long-forgo,ten
services. But they are not fair, and every candid
maa who sees them must resze it. Ii they had
been they woald have beea urged and settled
long before Gen. Cass became Secretary Of War.
There is now and then an absurd fanatic in
the country who cherishes the pleasing fancy OF
esec,ng, az some time or another, radical reform
In the Administration OF our Federal Government.
whereby its expense shsl be seriously dlmin-
ished, and large sum saved for application to
works Of practical and permanent usefulness. We
press home upon these the questiOn--ls IL likely
that any such reform you desire will be effected
under the Presidency Of Lewis Cass
~ ALEN. II. WALLIS OF Hudson Co. has been