The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1869-03-11
The Chicago Tribune publishes the
following rich article:


following rich article:
Editors of leading Republican papers
are probably pestered more for signatures
and letters than any other class of citizens,
and to refuse is to give offence. Some
| men, whose influence is in demand,
make it rule to sign all petitions and
| others to sign none. The first belong to
the affable and the latter to the cynical
set. One Of the former, an influential
citizen, said to US yesterday, as he laid
down his Pen after signing for some
office: There, that makes sixteen pc
titions for the same office | have signed
since the first of the month" How is
General Grant to know which Of them
you really think ought to have the Officer
we asked. He will not have time to
look at names on petitions; and if he
happens to see my name on several ap-
plications for the same Office, he will let
the name on one paper offset that on an
other, which leaves him entirely unbias-
ed and perfectly free to choose for him
self the one he believes best qualified and
most honest.
General Grant knows how names and
recommendation are procured by Office
hunters, and will let strings of signatures
to petitions have precious little influence
with him in determining the choice of his
subordinates In illustration of this mat
ter, read the following, taken from the
proceedings of the Illinois Senate, on
| Saturday
Senator Fort stated to-day that he
had signed over two hundred commenda-
tions or applications for official positions
under the incoming administration. He
hoped all of them would be successful
Senotor Fuller hoped not. If General
Grant knew how these signatures are OBJ
tanned he would not attach much impor-
lance TO them. A recommendation is
proposed and given to one of the pages,
who passes around among the members,
and 1t is signed by all, without being read.
As an instance, L may say that petition
recommending some one for the place of
District Attorney in one of the Terrific
ries was prepared the other day, i'll the
body of which was inserted a declaration
that the first official act of the officer
should be to proceed to Mclean County,
III, and hang M Smith 1.-THE member
from Mclean. This petition was circu-
lated and signed without perusal, and
being presented to Mr. Smith himself at
various times, was signed by him four or
ire times orer. 1t was then read to the
| House as privileged communication, and
created sn intense amount of fun. This
is how these recommendations are gotten
up here, and | have no doubt recon-
mendation for Jeff. Davis to have seat
in the Cabinet could be circulated here,
| and the signatute of every member of
the Legislature obtained, without the
contents of the paper being discovered. :"
The point of the joke on portly Smith
is that he Is an incorrigible wag himself,
and has got off more " sells " on his broth
er members than any man in the House.
1t was Smith who drew the bill, and had
it passed one Saturday when all the Cook
County members had gone home, to cede
Cook County to the State of Indiana,
and which act was telegraphed all over
the country by the Associated Press, al d
caused profound asoonishmentm the East
and South, and extravagant joy in all
Hoosierdom. We believe it was one of
the Cook County members whe interpo-
lated the condition in the petition to
hang Smith, of Mclean" and which
request the latter signed half dozen
times, not knowing that he was petition
ing to place himself beyond the reach of
Gubernatorial clemency or benefit of
clergy. Moral: Legislators ought to be
more careful as to what petitions they are
signing, and the result would be that few
er unit men would get Office, and clever
fellows would not be hanged without fault.