Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1871-03-24
The U. S. Marshalship.

The U. S. Marshalship.
Your profession office-seeker has
one quality deemed melitous in
other and honester pursuits, but
which, as it is a necessity of his
trade, may not perhaps be imputed
to him as virtue. And yet, as he
usually has no other excellence, it
would seem hard not to accord him
the one worthy trait, however un-
worthily he may employ it. He is
industrious. He works in the dark
for the reason that his work is of
the kind which does not look well
in the sunlight, but he works, in
dettigably, assiduously, persever-
ingly. Ifhc attains success-which
means an office-he owes it to hard
labor in "ways that are dark and
tricks that are vain"
Peter Melendy has been appoint
ed and confirmed as U. S. Marshal
for Iowa. This announcement con-
veyed to nine-tenths of Iowa Repub-
licans the first intimation that Mr..
Melendy was an applicant for that
position. This circumstance was
not favorable for those who might
have wished to protest before the
fact, but it is creditable to Peters
strategy. Failing of an opportunity
of entering our dissent when it had
the remotest chance of being heard
or needed, we make it now, that
silence may not be construed to
mean consent. Mr.. Melendy re-
ceived the endorsement of a bare
majority of the Iowa delegation in
Congress, but there is nothing in
his record as an officer, or his stand
ing as Republican, which entitled
him to such endorsement, especially
against the protest of Mr.. Orr, the
member from his own district. At
the close of his former term in the
same Office, Mr.. Melendy refused to
pay over moneys in his hands be-
longing to the government. A suit
upon his bond finally compelled him
to relinquish the funds in his pos
session, and fastened upon him the
stigma of a defaulter. Now wheth-
err Mr.. Melendy, in this transaction,
was Intentionally dishonest or not
and we are willing to accept the
more charitable alternative-it GER
tainly does not add to his claims to
consideration, especially against
other Republicans with no stain up
on their record, and strong as it is,
We doubt if the Republican party of
Iowa can afford to give it's endorse
ment to even the semblance of Off
cial malfeasance.
But we notice that peculiar prom
inence is given to the fact that Mr..
Melcndy refused to Johnsonize and
was elected from office in consc-
quencc. But what he denied to
johnson he gave freely to one of
the most ignoble Of Johnson's tools
his endorsement. Perhaps some
of our readers have heard Of one E.
c. David, once postmaster of Du-
buque, during the palmy days Of
Johnson the most devoted of his
adherents, and the organizer of
Johnsonism in the Sd District. Da-
vid is VIGOROUSLY devoid of every
particle of political honor, honesty,
or principle; a man who in his vo-
cation Of political acrobat, is con.
tinually lowering on the confines of
parties, and throwing flip-flaps from
one organization to another as the
exigency Of ofiice-seeking requires.
Well, this man having sucked the
johnson egg dry, slid, with the ia
cility Of his tribe, into the Repnbli-
can organization, and straightfor-
ward began to cast about for an
endorsement of his Republicanism,
in order that he might still retain
his fat berth in the Dubuque post
office. lie found his man in Mr..
who, in his capacity as
chairman of the Republican State
Committee, vouched for Dayid's
important and valuable services to
the Republican cause" This in
dorsement may have been due to
Mr.. Melendy's weakness David is
a very insinuating person), or from
any other cause than his admiration
for David, but whatever its motive
it does give especial weight to Mr..
Melendy's character as a Republi-
can Of principle.
Singular that as soon as the revo-
luton begins to go backward in
New Hampshire and at Washing
ton the South Carolina ku-klux out
RACES instanter cease. Can it be
that Mr.. G. has ordered his men
there not to stir up any more blood
Shed just now?
The above is from the Dubuque
Hearla. 1t is only necessary to add
the following from the same col
umn and the same pen:
A delegation has arrived in Wash
ington from South Carolina, to in
form the president that all the state