The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-10-17
RESIGNATION oFsEoRETARY cox.

RESIGNATION OFSBCRETARY COX.
ALTHOUGH no official announcement of the
fact has been made, the fact that all the
Washington correspondents of the newspa
pers state positively that the resignation of
Secretary Cox, of the Interior Department, has
been accepted leaves no doubt that the Presi-
dent has committed an act that is disgraceful
in itself, that will ALLEVIATE more than ever the
best men in the country from his administra-
tion, and that will be a permanent injury to
the Republican party. Mr.. Cox, to use plain
language about it, has been literally kicked
politicians who would disgrace any
political party, and who have done
more to injure the Republican
organization than all the attacks of its open
enemies. The offense of the Secretary of the
Interior was that he made an honest and per-
sstent effort to commence a reform of our
civil service. He very properly and wisely
confined himself to his own department, and,
SO far as lay in his power, exerted himself to
bring his clerical force up to the highest state
of efficiency, to free it as much as possible
from the demoralizing influences of party
politics, and to prevent the interference of
mere political wire-pullers in matters for
which he alone was responsible. In the task
which he undertook to perform Mr. Cox was
entitled to the cordial support of President
Grant, who, more than any man who
has occupied the executive chair since
the days of General Jackson, was in
position at the time of his Inauguration to
commence those reforms in the civil service
for which all the best men in the country
were calling. The President, it is true, did
make the shadow of an effort, but he speedily
allowed himself to be cheokmated by Con-
gress and gave up the fight. There was
much that he could have done, however, in
spite of Congress and in spite of all the
political "rings' in the country, and such
total surrender of his personal independence
as is involved in the dismissal of Secretary
Cox is calculated to disgust every right think
ing man in the country. We say the dismiss
sal of Secretary Cox, for that is what the re-
sgnation of that gentleman amounts to, and
his exit from Office will be hailed by the enc
mics of reform as an indication that no
serious attempt to regenerate the civil SER
vice may be expected SO long as the present
administration remains in power.
Some months ago, when the letter of Secre-
tary Cox to the Republican Congressional
Committee, refusing to allow a compulsory
assessment to be made upon the clerks of his
Office for party purposes, was published, we
said that he would be maligned without mercy
and be made to suffer for his independence if
there was any power in the hands of the
political wire pullers who composed the CON-
mittee to wreak vengeance upon him. We
did not, however, anticipate the result that
has actually taken place, for we gave the
President credit for an independence of spirit
and an honest desire to serve the public that
it seems he does not possess. President
Grant was elected quite as much upon the
belief that he was not a partisan, and that he
would strive to correct the evils
that mere political partisanship has
entailed upon the Government of the coun-
try, as upon his political record, and the dis
appointment among his most enthusiastic
supporters has been most profound at his
dogged obstinacy in matters of no moment
and his yielding almost without a struggle
where frmness was imperatively necessary.
In this quarrel between Secretary Cox and
the Congressional Republican Committee the
duty of the President was plain, and he
ought to have supported Mr.. Cox at all
hazards, and that he did not do so is as dis
reputable to him personally as it is dis
couraging to those who supported him in the
hope that, while upholding the principles of
the Republican party, he would prove himself
SO far superior to party influences as to refuse
to yield to them when they were clearly an
tagonistic to the interests of the country.
THE RIOT ON THURSDAY LAST.
The fair fame of Philadelphia as city of
law and order, not to speak of her character
as a city of brotherly love, will be materially
damaged by the disgraceful riot at the meet
ing of the Return Judges on Thursday last
The object of the rioters, who on that occa-
sion forced their way into the room where the
votes of the people were about to be counted
up, is supposed to have been violent de-
struction of the returns and such an inter
ruption of the proceedings con-
nected with their official examination
as would virtually have nullifed, for
the time being, the decision of the citizens Of
the whole municipality on the preceding
Tuesday. There was method in their mad
ness, and although they cannot be tried or
punished fer mere Intentions, scarcely q
doubt can be entertained that, instead OF
acting under mere temporary ebull ition OF
passion, they aimed at nothing short of the
practical destruction of the official evidences
Of the oYsrWhslmin2 triamph Of the Re-