The Lincoln County herald., 1870-11-17
Why Secretary Cox Resigned.

Since the resignation of Secretary Cox
there has been considerable inquiring into
reasons Of his retiring from Office. Some
time since il was stated that Secretary
Cox refused to allow tho leaders Of tho
Radical party to make assessments against
his clerks for the purpose Of carrying on
tho campaign. President Grant has been
SO much exercised about the reports afoat
that he has come out in an article Of
defense. We clip the following remarks
from the Missouri Republican.
In our examination Of the Presidents 8
defense yesterday, we stated that 1t
avoided the main question entirely; that
tho real point at issue between the ad-
ninistration and the people 10 the Cox
matter was, whether or not the Secretary
of the interior was compelled to resign
his seat because he refused to allow his
clerks to be plundcred for political pur.
poses and that the document emanating
from the White House studiously ignored
this branch of the subject altogether.
That Secretary Cox was virtually dis.
missed for tho very cause which the
defence declined to discuss, is now made
apparent by a leading editorial in the
only journal which. so far as we are aware,
has attempted to justify the act. 1t is
scarcely necessary to say that this journal
belongs to John w. Forncy. The i'm
portant portion of the article alluded to
reads as follows:
"ShAll we acknowledge the dogma that
the moment o citizen gets into Office he
may decline to meet an obligation volun
tariIy assumed before he got into it?
Do these men cease to care for the party
that gives them place the moment the
arty takes care of them? The unpaid
citizens outside of we'll paid Offices eagerly
contribute to the support of Gen Grants
administration, while well paid officials
inside are encouraged to refuse to support
it.
Nearly half q million Of Union vet
crans who now support the Republican
party in their different localities would
be affron.ed if they were not called upon
to pay their small tribute to the organi.
zation Of which they are so proud, Shall
the men in Washington and elsewhere
with their comparatively enormous com
pensation, be excused from the same obli-
cations through the interference of casu.
alists like Jacob d. Cox?
"There is a mawkish and miserable
susceptibility on this subject which only
needs to be discussed in the light Of
common sense to make it as ridiculous as
it deserves"
Mr.. Forncy, being an editor, has had
the sense to see what the President and
his advisers did not that dodging in a
case Of this kind, however skilfully man
aged, would not answer the purpose, and
that the administration must either con
fess itself wrong, or boldly indorsc its
own policy, and maintain the same By
some sort Of argument So the organ OF
the government darcs to do two things
which not only gives us all the light we
need in the present instance, but will
enable the country to understand clearly
aud uu,nis stakably ~hu, p.i"-'p'eo a'o ~
gu de our civil service hereafter. ForneY
declares in substance that Secretary Cox
was punished for the position he assumed
in the assessment business; that the
punishment was right and just, and thai
federal Office holders must, either will
ingly or unwilingly, contribute to the
support of the party which gives then
their appointments. This frank avowa
does not require further comment from
US. We simply ask every honest citizen
no matter what his political preferences
may be, to carefully read and ponder th
extract printed above, aud form his owl
conclusions. If the result Of the lat
elections be taken as an indication of tn
temper Of the people, we are inclined t
believe that there is deal Of "mawkisl
and miserable susceptibility on this sub
ject' abroad in the land, which ha
assumed tangible shape, and will max
itself even more apparent in the futur
than at present. And we thank Forne
for what he has done to help on the goo
! cause.
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