The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1870-11-08
DAILY REGISTER.
A Republican Papers Opinion OF
Grant.

Grant.
From the n. Y. Evening Post of the ID,
The letters of Secretary Cox, which
we print elsewhere in full, will be read
with painful interest by all true friends
of General Grant. They contain, in
1.-THE announcement ofthe Presidents
unconditional surrender to the "men IN.
side of politics"
The new President promised nothing
so often as that he would not appoint or
remove for merely political reasons.
Merit was to be the test; if man was
faithful he might even be a Democrat,
and keep his place; if he was unfit; he
might be never so Jealous Republican,
and yet lie should not get place.
This was the most distinct pledge
General Grant gave, in regard to the
conduct Of his administration, it was
almost the only pledge 1t meant a
reform of the civil service; it was ac-
cepted by the country as promise that
the abuse in the civil departments of the
government, which ha6 grown to be a
monstrous and fertile source Of corrup-
ton, and a serious cause Of weakness to
the Executive should be reformed.
Unfortunately, the President joinedin
one condemnation all men who had been
engaged in politics; he rejected the ad-
vice Of the statesmen as much as Of the
merest political hacks Of the party
which elected him; and, so far as he
could, selected for Office his own init
mates. So far as these were good men,
he did wisely; but the mere fact of
friendship or relationship to the Presi-
dent was perhaps as poor test Of fit
ness for public place as any. Having
isolated himself, however, in the begin
ming from the statesmen of the Republi-
can party, men who needed to be sought
and had no favors to ask, he was the
more ready to fall into the hands ofthe
hack politicians, among whom it was
before long whispered, with no little
amusement, that General Grant would,
after all, make first-rate politician"
If he meant to go into politics" as
the phrase is, he had at his hand a very
shrewd master Of the ignoble art in Mr..
Boutwell, who, unless he is greatly be-
lied, knows more about making up a
State" and about the mysteries of dis
pensing office with view to party effect,
than any other man in the Republican
party.
Whoever was the Presidents tutor,
he has been it seems, a willing, though
not, in our judgment, an apt scholar.
He has learned the rules, and he has
FASTENED to apply them. Not even
Buchanan's interference Kansas was
more gross and unblushing than Presi-
dent Grants attempt to coerce the Mis-
souri, Republicans to do his will and
not their own. No President except
Andrew johnson has ever SO openly
tried, by wholesale removals from office
and the appointment Of his favorites, to
impose his policy" upon the party
The letters of General Cox, now pub
lished, show that in the practice Of the
smaller devices of politicians the Presi-
dent has been no less ready. The Sec
retary of the Interior, who came into
the Cabinet as the especial friend and
representative of civil service reform, is
forced to leave the Cabinet because the
President insists, contrary to General
Cox's desire, upon letting political COM
mjttees levy tribute upon the poor
clerks in the Interior Department.
This is the end of all the promises so
repeatedly and openly made by Gen
eral Grant before and Immediately after
his Inauguration. So far from reform
ing the civil service, he is the first
President who gives leave, openly, to
political committees to go into the de-
partments and levy blackmail on the
clerks. lie is the first President who
has unblushingly sacrificed member OF
his Cabinet to the demands Of secret
and irresponsible party committees.
The system of political blackmail to
which he has given official recognition
was hitherto, even under Andrew
johnson, carried on secretly. Can any
one longer doubt the immediate and ur-
gent need of reform Of the civil
service?