St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1870-11-18

place could 40, u reform, purify, anu |
elevate the whole business of civil office |
amo"g u<, SO that all concerned may IN
ders;and that its function is not 10 re T,
ward the shameless labors of unscrupu-
Ious pariisans, but TO perform inteili-
gently, effectively, and honestly, the real
business Of the country. Particularly
did he feel that the public good required
the continuance i'll office of faithful and
experienced mcn-whatever way the
political Ere,ze Of the day might
blow
Al This the Secretary soon found TO
be-in his own way of phraaing it
peculiarly d,stasiciul TO many intiuen-
tial gentlemen" He found that tba
doctrine years ago originated 10y the So
called Democrats, that 10 the victors Il:
the polls belong the SPOIL of office, was
expected to dominate every other con-
liberation. He found that members OF
Congress assumed, as OF right, the power
to dictate appointments and removals
from ,iiice, a. they might think would
best substrvc their interest, among their
constituents and that they expected
him to turn out Il capable officer tor the
purpose Of making vacancy. and in
stall in it an incapable one, if, in tier
Judgment, such course ought 10 be
pursued To use his own words: Il
have myself had pressed upon me as
candidates for important places III my
| depart neEt, young men who could nel-
tier write nor spell, and who would hc
received in 10 wcll-ordercd commercial
house in hi9her grade than porter or
errand- boy, and serious otfen,e has s"me-
times been taken, that simple request
was rot sufficient to put such an aPpil-
cant into the place
lie was not long in coming TO the
conclusion that it would only he by the
hardest, il ar all, that he could remain
in hi- place On these principles, and adj
minister his department as to his con-
science and common sense IL ought 10 toe
admins. cred, and that it must ncccs-arl
" prove impossible for him to do 80.
should the President under the pressure
perpetually and per-istcntly brought to
bear upon him, retreat from the position
| by him taken III the beginning. Ii WIS
no secret that the Stcretary'> views
brought him into direct collision with
the plans and purposes OF those wire
pulling managers, who get their hyim@
by doing the dirty work OF the party;
who always spring to the gaining side.
and who care nothing Tor either the
honor or the safety Of the country, -
| long a. their own bread and butter (wiih
due coliairral>) can be secured. Aul
as it became n"cdul for lin t. refuse t.
corporate with some of their n,ihods OF
action. he soon saw tiiat i Storm wa
n:ihcrim. Lrtolc which Il would hc diff
cult 10 stand. Eariy III the last sum
mcr The chairman ut tie Republican
committee in Washington, ap, lied to
General Cox for list OF clerks in hi
department. in order that they might lee
assessed Il percentage OF their salaries.
that the money nigh. he used tor party
purposes. lie furnished the ii-t, IL
the express understanding that AL sab
s,Iiption- On their pant should hc purely
voluntary, and that their givrg CT not
gi> iug should IA no way effect !lrir posi-
,iun- III tie service. 1t Wa utt lon-
I bei,.. iIe chairman OF tn, Rrpubic..I
! r,mml.t,,> ut O,ip aud P,nn--Nau a
made similar apr lcatIon fer !-t,, Mhlrh
the Sc, rrtary declined TO furnish. II,
grounded Iii, refusal mrinlv upon III.
ta;.t- that the salaries vt the c."Ih~ az Ia
small 10 boar such reduction lua' H.,
movement drcyt|y iu'crtrrc- va" laai
reform IN tie cI>Ii >,rNice which i in
ireY-.i>,,y doma.del; and INA. such E,
party lax, with all It's unrilrnt-, l. lis
gruce., - rhi"g winch respect for the
muIul sense q the commune, has tllhcr-
10 kept from Appearing in ANY deiin',c OF
public iorn.,' and (which Is in i;~r.t ''onr
OF liz most unhappy eviienc-s o. poli'i-
cal naturalization.
From the date ui Mr.. CuN'- letters 10
those committees Chat TO Ohio haNin-
been wrlltrn on tuc lUih oi August, au.
that tul'cmn>y Ivan u on the Ia OF Srpioni-
hcr) those committees, with the jungr,>-
siclial committee, and the 'F"ll;lcl IN
generally, resolved upon driving h1m Out
OF his department, liIa: his place might
be ii led 10y -ou.c creature In.r" cOmpA-
ant to their purposes. D"-ro.s to al
ford President Grant lhc dis'ncI "pprr-
tunity OF endorsing or icPndlaiIn4 tie
r puiicy OF reform, ecUn"my, efficiency :.no
jnsticc, TO wiicu he was unal'rrably
committed, the ; crctary On liit 81 o: o.
tober rendered lii, resignation. In ms let,
Ter he said: Ny views Of the uoc's-
: ily of reform III the civil serNl'c h"N,
brought me more pr luss into coln.iul
with the plans Of cur active political
managers, and my sense OF duty h"'
! obliged me 10 oppose some .! tier meth.
DDS Of action. have 10 doubt, what
ever, that iuilic >,nt,G Gnt will, sooner
or later, fully sustain these efforts II
| what regard as needed reforms but
ought not to overlook the fact Hm Io,
, the present they mrOire opposition, 'cAlch
il may not be Jor tile interest VI tbs acinlmls.
udtioH Il pyOrote."
Never was there finer opportunity
than that thus offered to the President
to redeem the one great pledge wiz!
which he started cut at the beginning ot
his incumbency never more gioriou,
occasion for showing himself that ir.eno
of reform, aud honesty, and economy,
: which he had promised to be. Had Ii,
+ sustained Secretary Cox, refused TO ac
cept his resignation, and INSISTED Oh hi,
remaining in the Interior, and thrown
: the whole weight of the administration
: in favor Of that publication o: the ciyI
service which had been thus molly begun
lie might have proved himself to be really
the great man ard the fearless iricud o