Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1869-05-05
The Interior and Pest once Departments.

A correspondent of the Cincinnati
Gazette writes as follows in reference
to Secretary Cox, of the Interior De-
partment, ind Of Postmaster General
Cresswell. From this description. these
men would seem to BE- the right men in
the right place"
THE INrErIoR DEPARTMENT
Our Ohio Secretary had heavy load
laid upon him. The country has ascer-
tanned of ate what the operations of the
Indian Bureau involve. The New Sec
rotary WAS well aware of the difficult
ties which beset him springing from this
source. He has acted in the matter with
deliberation, but ut the same time with
decision He has impressed himself up
on the polite. ans OF Washington as n
man meaning business, and meaning to
so transact it that the first thing in view
shall be lie efficiency of the service and
honesty In the performance of all its du
ties The crowds of professional Office
seekers have prob bly, Jared as badly
with him AS with any one in Washing
ton. They have come to learn already
that his words concerning public affairs
mean just what the language conveys
no more and no less " hat is known
as the Indian ring already finds itself
blocked in some of its choicest opera
tions. Its valued agen's and superin-
tendents have, III most cases, been set
| aside There is time, too, for ali the
rest.
Some of the appropriations made at
the last session, covering, as has been
discovered most questionable contracts
| have been withheld till full investigation
can be made.
a plan had been conspmated by which
ou going oiicills were to MAKE all the
spring purchases under the late BILL be-
fore General Parker took charge of his
Bureau. This, too was stopped, even
after the parties to it had reached New
York, and had thing to do except to
put inspection marks upon goods already
boxed and baled, amounting to about
two hundred thousand dollars
Such things show how Secretary Cox
is moving steadily and successfully upon
! the enemys works.
THE PosToFFICE DEPARTMENT.
The most rapid worker in the Cabinet
is Score tary Creswcll He hears case,
and the moment he believes he has both
sides of it, he acts. Once acted upon
he considers it disposed OF, and the rea-
sons for reopenIng it must be weighty
ones. No one can stand in his office
an hour and watch the disposition made
of the eases which Senators, Represen>
tatives aud citizens place before him,
without being convinced that he possess
es great executive ability Strangers re-
mark it Immediately His friends were
satisfied he would display it, and of
course they are well pleased with the
situation.
Attic ugh fresh from the floor of Con-
gress, he II es the same weight to the
cases presented by his former associ-
ates as to those brought before him by
others, and no more-at least this is the
| complaint of several Senators. Nothin g
could give more promise of his success.
An instance Of his dealing with Con
gressmen was afforded by the dismissal
Of clerks made in his department. Most
of those discharged were women No
| sooner were the notices laid upon the
various desks than the rush to secure re
| instatcment began. The next day Mr.
| Creswelfs room was full of Senators and
| Representatives, insisting that this and
| that one should be restored. To every
one who approached him he said: =
| cannot do this thing You contradict
yourselves by asking it y gu talk day
after day in Congress OF economy in the
| departments, and of their crowded state;
then cut down your appropriations. and
then, the moment conform my depart~
III mt to your laws, you come one after
the other and insist on my putting back
this one and that one, till, ii | consented,
| the force would be fu ly restored to the
standard you legislate against" And
with this wholesome and pointed way Of
putting the ease he has dismissed every
Congressman wao asked him to reinstate
clerks. This shows the mettle Of the
man.