The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1867-02-01
Senator sherman on Removals
from Office i'm Ohio.

! In the course of debate IN tht
Senate on the bin to regulate th,
tenure of office, on Friday. Mr.
Sherman, in replying to Senator
Cowan, spoke as follows of the way
!, in which the official AK had been
welded in Ohio during the last cam
paign:
"I certainly did not now wish to
do any Injustice to the President of
the United States or To those who
\ control the appointment of civil of.
iicers. am somewhat surprised mt
the statement OF the Senator from
Pennsylvania, that but four hundred
aud sixty changes had been made. -
II that be so can only state that
1.-The rule which seems to have been
observed elsewhere has not been OBJ
served in Ohio NY impression is
THAT every leading office holder in
1.-THE State of Ohio received polite
Jnotice that If he did not attend the
Philadclpia Convention, he should
promptly communicate that fact to a
self constituted committee in this
iciiy, composed of men very high in
lhi9irposition. Circulars of that kind
were sent over the United States |
hm informed They certainly were
sent to the office holders in the State
OF Ohio. They we're called upon to
contribute money TO support a new
party in antagonism to The party that
brought the President into power,
and to which they were attached
Ii | am not mistaken, the name of at
least one member of this body was
used in that circular, and some OF
name of Cabinet officer and were
distributed all over the country l
know very well that those who did
mot reply satisfactorily to this pecu
liar mode of investigation were soon
alter remoyed from oiiice.
"rhc Senator says that but small
portion out OF the great number OF
officers have been removed. can
only speak for my own State. Near
ly every prominent office holder in
The State OF Ouio was removed, and
IN nearly every case Tor political
reasons. The attorneys and marshals
oI both the Northern aud Southern
Districts were removed, although in
one case the attorney resigned in
anticipation Of removal. A majority
OF tho collectors and assessors OF in
ternal revenue were removed, and |
tkuow7ln-some cases they were not re.
moved either because theywere gull
W OF using uncivn language in re-
gard to Tie President, or because.
Lney were guilty OF misconduct, In
the Northern District the removals
were made OF men who had just been
teoniirned by the Senate who were
cntirely unexceptloaable to.the whole
people among whom they lived who
nati faithfully discharged tile duties
oI their offices. In some cases the
had ouly held their office
lor one year. They were removed
tor political reasons, and partisans
of The new party were appointed in
their. place. There can beino doubt
oi this / know also that in many
OF the Congressional Districts sell
constituted committees were organ
'1zed to supervise the distribution OF
the federal patronage in portions of
the State, and that appointments and
removals were made upon those po-
friticai Recommendations that Dem.
ocratic candidates FOR Congress run
ming against the organization thai
eleeted9the President, controlied all
che patronage within theirdistricts
and that postmasters were appolnted
and removed upon their recommen
dation.
1.-The Senator from Pennsylvania
saws that but four hundred and sixty
were made out OF about
twenty SIX hundred Presidential ap-
pointments, if understand him cor
rectly. Then. sir, Ohio has been
very unfortunate, because l can
scarcely recall single prominent
officer IN that state who was not re-
moved 1t is true that many OF the
postmasters were allowed to remain,
but not all of them. In one case /
know Of, and about which | have re-
ceived so many remonstranees, a
Democratic editor, who had been q
violent Copperhead during the war;,
and who did all he could to encour
age the rebels. although living safely
in the State of Ohio. and who weekly
was publishing articles Intended to
ineite insurrection and controversy
in tthe State, was appointed to a
postofiice of great Importance in that
State.
| Under these circumstances l think
we had right to complain In re.
gard to the delay in sending these
appointments to the Senate, l have
been overwhelmed, as most Senators
have been, with remonstrances and
papers in relation to them. | say
that these nominations ought to have
been communicated to the Senate
within ten days after we met, or at
least within reasonable time. Up
to this hour scarcely a nomination
made in the State of Ohio during the
recess has been communicated to
this body" ..n.-ft. .' ls1tis
| r... u. .LlHl..H .r #a
| .sIHnf- -T..TLITTI DI-LyL
4. The plaster cast of Harriet Hos
mer's design for freedmen's monu'
ment to Abraham Lincoln. at the