The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-02-17
THE PRESIDENT ELECT.

Tenurc-of-o f-oHfce Act-The senate and
! General Grant.
The Washington correspondent Of the Baltl-
more Sun writes under date Of the 14th inst. {:
The reply.of General Grant to tho Congress
sional Committee yesterday is the topic of con-
versation among all classes Of politicians. His
remarks seem to meet with appreciation Hom
oil save. perhaps, the aspirants for Office. The
speech OF yesterday gives evidence that Gene
raj Grant does not intend to be governed in
the selection Of his Cabinet by the dictatlon OF
the manipulators Of political interests, but will
exercise his own Judgment without taking to
his confidence either the men who desire O
place in the Cabinet, or the friends Of those
who expect much by Way OF Official patronage
WHEN their favorltes get into power. General
Grant says in the selection Of officers he will
| be governed alone by tho necessities of the
service for the present; therefore, there is O
lull in the business of the place-hunters and
seekers of official pap, their occupation is gone
| at all events, until after the 4th Of March, if,
indeed, their business is not indefinitely post
poned. The few reporters (but three or four)
| who were fortunate enough to be present aG
the interview between General Grant and the
| committee, differ somewhat as to the phrase
| olOgy Of the remarks mado on the OCCASION,
but all agree as to the purport CT what was
said, Which was somewhat Ia the Olversa ton
al style. The features Of that which came from
General Grant were briefly that he would de-
mand economy, retrenchment, faithful dis
charge Of official trust, collection of the reve-
nue, payment Of the public debt; that to ac-
compish this he will not hesitate to turn out
any officer, high or low, and appoint his sue
cesSor, and that he will not announce tue names
OF the members Of his Cabinet until he takes
the presidential chair.
Democrats, as we'll as Republicans, with the
exceptions named above, say to this, "Amen.'
Meantime it is observed that there is more
| quiet i'll Washington than was ever known be-
fore at o corresponding period. There are
fewer strangers present than heretofore upon
| the eve OF an inauguration.
| 1t Is argued by some that that part of Gem
| eral Grants remarks relative to the removal
| and appointment OF officers will probably de-
bill to repeal or modify the Tenure Of office
act. The Senate has had u taste Of power un-
der that law never heretofore enjoyed by that
body, which it will be 10th to surrender, and it
| is not now believed that the Senate will agree
to repeal of the act, and possibly not even to
| a modification Of It, until General Grant dis
| covers his mode OF getting rid OF and appoint
| ing officials.
A Visit to General Grnnt-yVhnt He
Thinks of the FranlkinS Privilege and
tho Tenure-of-oHce Law.
Washington letter dated February 12 to
| the Newark Courier says:
General Grant receives visitors daily, from
10 to IL o'clock, at army headquartcrs-a plain
three story brick building, with o high pllared
PIAZZA, located on the corner of West Seven.
| tecnth and M-sreets. In company with o.
couple OF LADIES' and two or three gentlemen of
distinction we had pleasant interview of
half all hour or so with him this morning. He
received the party with cordiaity, but with
no unnecessary display, and at once entered
into conversation upon the current topics OF
the day. The cor versaton turning upon the
tendency TO extravaganza in the govern
mcnt, he declared, with the utmost en-
phasis. the conviction that Congress should
| seek, by all means in its power to stop
| the leaks which are from time to time dis
covered commencing with the complete abo-
Ia
regarded as an utter abomination. Why not,
he inquired do away entirely with the privi-
lege, and require members OF Congress to pay
| their own postage-allowlng them therefor in
the settlement OF their accounts 2 This is the
rule. he added, as to tho generals of the ar
mics, and 1t is the right one for all cases.
Members OF Congress have frequently pro-
posed to give me the tranking privilege, but
have uniformly declined the quartermaster
allows me for my actual expense of postage,
and don't want the government to do any
| more than this" 10 suggestion that there
seemed to be propriety in permitting mem
| bers Of Congress to transmit to their constitu-
ents documents of public interest and value,
General Grant replied that, according to his
observation, the great majority Of those who
| receive the documents care little or nothing
for them, though some probably feel fattcred
| by their receipt, and in his Judgment the peo-
PIE would be quite willing to iorego their share
| for the sake of getting rid Of tho abuse to
which it has given rise. 1t leads to an enor-
nous expense. is unnecessary, and should be
| torn up by the roots.
| In reference to another matter-the extrava-
gance Of Congress in the printing of docu-
ments-General Grant expresses himself with
equal emphasis One of the visitors expressing
q wish that the subsidizng OF the Congress
slonal Globe might be stopped, and law pass
ed requiring every member to pay for the pri IT
ing of his own speeches, the General said that
this, while desirable. would abate only small
part Of the evil Tons OF documents are print
ed every year which are Of no conceivable in
| terest to any one, and have no value outside of
very limited sphere. Why should money be
the land would think of touching for mo-
ment? The whole thing is wrong and ought
| to be stopped.
There can be no doubt at all that General
Grant desires the repeal OF the Tenure Office
law. He feels that so long as 1t remains upon
the statute book, he will be unnecessarily ham
pored. and restricted In purging the various
branches OF the government service Of corrupt
and dishonest officials who, having got into
power by appointment OF Mr. Johnson or the
compacency of the Senate, are now ablo to
command influential supporters in the latter
body. 1t is a we'll known fact that even the
clerks Of the department have been able, by
menaces and otherwise, to drive members OF
Congress into the support Of their scheme for
on advance of their pay; and il this could be
done by persons OF inconsiderable influence,
what might not be done by the wealthy rings
| in whlskey. in Indian affairs, &C., toward
preventing the removal Of corrupt men and
the appointment Of honest officials in their
! stead? General Grant said that, so far as he
knew, every thief In the government employ,
and every ring" which is engaged in debauch-
ing leglslaton wanted the law to stand as it
is. Referring to the objection made by some
that to repeal the law now would amount to O
confession that it was passed solely to embar-
| rass MIR. Johnson, General Grant remarked
that this was. undoubtedly, the object Con-
gress had in view--the preservation cf the pu-
rity of the public service against the inroads
J of rascality and incompetency, aud he saw
nothing in that fact of which any man need to
| be ashamed.
/ General Grant ana Political Parties
Things to be Remembered.
| The New York Times, in the course Of an
editorial, makes the following admissions