The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1870-11-25
GRANT AND SECRETARY cox.

GRANT AND SECRETARY cox.
The Oregonian, true to its Radical
instincts, and with wanton disregard
of that Journalistic independence
which it so valiantly boasted only few
months since, assumes the contempti-
BILE task of defending Grant against q
piece of shameful villainy which many
other Radical papers of independent"
proclivities have denounced in unmeas-
ured terms.
President Grant, in order to carry
the recent elections in favor of the
Radicals, and thus secure an endorse
ment of his infamous "policy," order
ed an exorbitant assessment to be lew
ed.upon the clerks and underlings in
the. e.yarious Governmental departments
at Washington ard elsewhere, to be
used for election purposes in the sever
al States in which the campaign was
then in progress; and he threatened
with instant removal those who re-
fused to "come down" with such
amount as was deemed necessary to
successfully prosecute their nefarious
object. Acting under the direction of
the heads of Departments, the clerks
all ''pungled' with the exception of
of those in the Department of the In
terror, of whom MIR. Cox, of Ohio, was
Secretary. This gentleman, acting
with an independence which did him
great credit, informed the employees
under him that refusal to pay such
assessment would not be considered a
cause for their removal SO long as he
had control of that Department.
knowing that, as consequence of his
manly assertion of reserved rights, :"
his official head would drop in the
Executive waste-basket, Secretary Cox
sent in his resignation and retired
from position which his attempt to
preserve from ignominious corruption
rendered entirely untenable. After
his resignation and to yindicate himself
from the aspersions which were cast
upon him by the unscupulous minions
of the President, Mr.. Cox published a
letter explaining the cause of his
action and casting O withering re-
buke upon the corruption of Presi-
dent who would stoop to such base
uses to gain that with which any other
President would have scorned to in
terfere.
The Missouri Democrat, one of the
oldest and most powerful Republican
newspaper in the Union, thus alludes
to the Grant-Cox imbroglio:
The letters of General Cox. now published,
show that in the practice of the smaller devices OF
politicians the President has been no less ready
The Secretiry Of the Interior, who came into the
cabinet as the esPecizi friend and Representative
of civil service reform is forced 10 leave the cab
met because the President insists contrary to
General Cox's desires. upon letting political com
mittees levy tribute upon the poor clerks in the
Interior department.
This is the end of all the promises SO repeated
~ and openly made by Gen. Grant before and
Immediately after his inauguration. So PAR
RRon REFOENIxG THE CIVIL SERVICE HE Is rHg
FIRST PRESIDENT VINO GIVES LEAyE, OPENLY, TO
POLITICAL COMMITTEES 70 go info TIE department.
and Terry btdekRait npoa tie clerks. He 10 fke the
fr't P1endeas rho has nH6t4shia5iy sacrificed a
aensber Of hfs cabinet to the dsxunds of secret and
s-esponstote party committees. The system of po-
hticai baekuail to which he has given official rec
ognition was hitherto, even under Andrew John.
son, carried on secretly. Can any one ionge,
aouot tne imD mediate and urgent need Of Te-
form of the civil service?
AS the Oregonian editor is at pres
ent holding lucrative position under
the "great gift enterprise" at Washing.
ton. it is hardly expected that he
would ieopardize his bread and but.
ter by denouncing his patrons shame
full practice, but his motives for de.
tending him are more readily under
stood and have less weight than they
would perhaps otherwise have, coming
from a pretended independent
source. The fact is, the Oregonian il
about as Independent where Grant i
concerned as the editor of the Bullet,
Is independent where Holladay is con
cerned. 1t is case of bread-and- but
ter with both of them, and the,
dare not raise a finger in opposi
ton to any course which their mas
ters may deign to persue.
But, to revert to the present sub
ject under consideration, how shame
fully does this act on the part of Gran
contrast with the practice of the pure
and better days of the Republic. I
March, 1S41, when Gen. Harriso
was President and Mr.. Webster Sec
retary of State, the latter wrote LEI
ter to Hon. Thomas Ewing, Secretar
of the Treasury, directing him as fol
lows:
Instruct all ofkeers azd agents in your depar
ment of the public service, that partisan interfe
ence IN popular elections ichefher of state officers
officers Of the government. and for whcmsOeyer 4
against whomsoeyer ii may be exercised or tt
payment Of any contribution or assessment ,
salaries, or official compensation for party or eet
tion purposes will be regarded by the Presider
as ca1se of removal
A TRAIroR.-Because Brick Pome