The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1870-10-22
For the Palladium :
Resignation OF Secretary Cox. {


Cox, of the Department of the Interior.
The friends of the administration, and
the advocates and supporters of . sternly
honest and economical management Of
Governmental affairs. will all regret the
retirement Of the Hon. Secretary. The
previous high and enviable reputation Of
Gov. Cox,-his honorable record Is
soldier, his executive ability displayed
while Governor of Ohio, his standing Is
lawyer, and bis admirable character Is .
private citizen,-united with his straight
forward, capable and efficient adminis>
tration OF the Interior Department, Justly
entities him to- the confidence which the
people place in him.
As will be remembered, that in the
beginning of the present political cam
paign, the Congressional Committee as
sessed tax on the clerks in the Gov
eminent employ at Washington, for
purposes of the canvass, and that, in the
case of the Pennsylvania delegation, this
assessment was accompanied by a threat
Of removal in case of refusal to comply.
The tax is generally from one to three
per cent. OF the clerks salary. And it
will further be remembered that Secre>
tsry Cox strongly opposed the plan of
extorting money from the clerks under
threat. and his clerks were informed that
they were at liberty to contribute what
they felt they were able to stand, and
under no fear of consequences. The af>
fair having brought up at this point, the
Pennsylvania delegation with Cameron
at their head. commenced intriguing for
the removal Of Mr.. Cox, and the appoint
ment Of Pennsylvania in his place
they being already dissatisfied because
their State had no Cabinet officer, Now.
without assuming this intriguing to haye
been the only cause, yet we think it
more than likely that it was one of the
main causes, which induced Gov Cox to
resign and thereby causing the country
to lose one Of its most faithful nd effi>
cient servants.
Let US now re vert to and examine
these two things-this forced assessment.
and this complaint Of the Pennsylvanians
that thew had no Cabinet Minister.
1st. Since the administration of Gen.
jackson. the motto that To the victor
belong the spOils has governed the ap-
poiItment OF men to office, and each
succeeding administration has assumed
and exercised the right to remove the
cid appointees. and to substitute in their
places only men of its own Pc itical prin-
ciples. 1t eventually became customary
to assess these persons SO appointed-at
least the Government clerks-a certain
per cent. of their annual salary, to de-
fray the expenses of the party during
campaigns. In commenting further on
this subject we shall first lay it down as
the true principle that appointments
should te made alone upon the merits of
the individual, and that the appointee
should receive a just compensation for
his worR. Reasoning from this princi.
PIE no Congressional Committee, whether
Republican or Democratic, (and both
parties have done so,) nor any State
Delegation, has any right to say what
this or that clerk shall pay to the CAM
paign funds. nor have they any right to
say that they shall pay anything if they
choose not to. The money that a per.
son honestly earns is his own, and, il he
IS out of debt, no one has any authority
to say how he shall spend it. The clerks
IN the Government employ, like others,
have their political opinions, and will
contribute towards campaign
expenses as much as their judgment app
proves and their pockets permit. The
President might with as much justice be
assessed three per cent. of his salary.
The sooner these things are fairly settled
the better.
End. or late years it has been the cry
Of some petty politicians that Governs
ment appointments should be filled from
the different States. according to the pro>
portion Of population. Although to |
some, this may at first appear reasonable,
besides allowing such States as New
YorR and Pennsylvania to gobble up the |
lions share Of the Government patron
age, the practical application of the doc
trine would prove it such q monstrous
lbsurdity that it would soon become the
'tject of general derision, and would
quickly be extinguished. It would re-
luire very delicate instrument, indeed,
o adjust satisfactorily the Cabinet Secre>
aries. or the members of the Supr enc
Court.
Cameron and the Pennsvlvania dele> |
.ation are very much grieved because
heir State has no Cabinet Minister. We |
hink the country is not likely to suffer
m that account. It so happer ed that
tut Of the first nine Presidential terms,
Virginians secured EIGHT. Does any |
'ody suppose that the country was any
he worse off from that fact Anun.
lsnal number Of our best Generals. du- !,
irg the war were from Ohio-and the |
ountry profited by their services, too
hen politicians set up such complaints
S the one we have just considered, the
eople may know that, nine times in ten,
ersonal advancement or money is at the
ottom of the matter. No State should
e sighted, and no State should have
q nnnnnlY in the dist rihutio Of tho Coz