Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-04-12
Personal Politics.

Ways that are dark abound in politics, and
the ways of New York politicians are more OBJ
scure than most others; but the extreme pro-
fundity of darkness is reached by the cloud
which envelopes the causes and progress of the
quarrel between the two New York senators.
There Is doubtless some cause for the bitter per-
Sonal luminosity which exists and there is no
lack of definite statements about it and about
every step in its development; but the difficulty
Ia that no two of them agree in anything, except
In those apparent facts which all the world
ed in the removal last week OF Mr.. Grinnell, the
naval officer, and Mr. Palmer, the appraiser of
the New York custom house. These were both
Fenton men, and their successors are friends of
Mr.. Conkling. Mr.. Boutwell, was absent from
Washington when these changes were made,
and it was confidently asserted at first, that he
had not been consulted in regard to them, and
did not approve of them. 1t was said also that
Mr. Palmer was a most conscientious and eff
cient officer, with whose official conduct no
fault could possibly be found, and that his re-
rnoval was due altogether to his friendship with
Mr.. Fenton. Mr.. Grinnell, too, was q most es-
timable man and had been very badly treated,
but the most remarkable argument against his
removal was that said TO have been used by
some senators in the executive session, who said
1t was shame to deprive him of his place when
he had contributed SO much money for party
purposes, and had within few days given
Thousand dollars to carry the election in Con-
necticut. So far as we have seen this appeal re-
ceiyed no rebuke. 1t occurred to no one to sug-
gest that if the Offices in the custom house or
elsewhere were TO be offered for SALE it had bet.
ter be done openly and subject to a fair competi-
fion.
The changes were made and confirmed by the
senate, and for two or three days the state
ments in regard to their motive and the merits
Of the displaced officials remained uncontra-
dicted and apparently confessed. But now the
expected denials and counter statements
are beginning to appear. Mr.. Grinnell, it is
now said, when he was removed from the
collectorsbp, asked for the place Of naval officer
until he could reimburse himself for the money
he had spent for the party. He was kindly al
lowed this favor, and remained in office until
bis accounts showed that his generosity had
been fully requited. The removals were agreed
upon by Mr.. Boutwell, and the president before
the former left Washington, and the displacement
of Mr.. Palmer was caused by his appointing an
auft person for his assistant. Another reason,
given with equal confidence, is that Mr.. Palmer
had allowed the fraudulent appraisal of cargo
Of pepper, by which the United States lost some
thousands of dollars. Other reasons, good and
bad, will doubtless be assigned as long as the
interest in the matter can be kept up. The
popularity of the case is that all these asser-
lions are equally probable and equally unsup-
ported by tangible evidence. The only conclu-
sion possible is that this is another phase of the
Fenton and Conkling war.