The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1872-06-08

ment the pettiness of his salary by the eppoiut.
ing power. Let John Adams, who did not hest.
tate to bestow Office upon few relations of un.
questioned merit, judge this pretension. quote
his words:
Every public man should be honestly paid for
his services. But he should be restrained from
every perquisite not known to the laws, and he
should make no claim upon the gratitude of the
public, nor ever confer an office within his pa.
tronage TO a son, brother, friend, upon pre-.
tence that he is not paid for his services by the
profits of his Office Letter to John JEDI, Auq,
81. 1885; Works, Vol. TX, 2. 535.
Another apology. vouchsafed even on this
floor, Is, that if the President cannot appoint his
relations, they alone of all citizens are excluded
from Office, which, it is said, should not be. But
is it not for the public good that they should be
excluded? Such was the wise judgment OF
Jefferson, and such is the testimony from an.
other quarter. That eminent prelate. Bishop
Butler, who has given to English literature enc
of its mastery productions, known as Buffers
Analogy" after his elevation to the see of Dur.
ham, with its remarkable patronage. was 80 self.
denying with regard to his family that nephew
said to him, "Methinks, my lord. it is q misfor.
tune to be related to YOU Golden words OF
honor for the English bishopi But acne such
Assuming that in case of positive merit desig.
mating citizen for particular post the Presi.
dent might appoint relation, it would be only
where the merit was SO shining that his absence
would be noticed AT least it must be such as
to make the citizsn candidate without regard
to family. But no such merit Is attributed to
the benefciaries of our President, some Of whom
have done little but bring scandal upon the pub.
lie service. At least one is tainted with fraud,
kl.- A. H. ar0nN as -
lie abroad, has been guilty OF indiscretions in.
consistent with his trust. Appointed originally
in open defiance of Republican principles, they
have been retained in Office after their unftness
became painfully conspicuous. By the testi-
mony before a Congressional Committee, one of
these, a brother.in.law, was implicated in brib.
cry and corruption. 1t is said that at last, after
considerable delay, the President has consented
to his removal.
GIFTTAKING OFFICIALLY COMPENSATED.
From one typical abuse l pass to another.
From dropsicsl nepotsm swollen to elephant.
ssis, which nobody can defend, pass to gift
taking, which with QUE President has assumed
an unprecedented form. Sometimes public men,
even in our country, have taken gifts, but it is
not known that any President before repaid the
patron with office. For public man to take
gifts is reprehensible; for President to select
Cabinet councillors and other officers among
those from whom he has taken gifts is an anon.
ally in republican annals Observe, sir, that
speak of it gently, unwilling to exhibit the in.
dignation which such a Presidential pretension
is calculated to arouse. The country will Judge
it, and blot it out as an example.
The case of our President is exceptional No.
toriously he has taken gifts while in the public
service. some, at least, after he had been elected
President, until "the Galena tanner of few
hundred dollars year. to borrow the words of
my colleague, (Mr. Wilson, one of his support.
ers, is rich in houses, lands and stock, above
his salary, being probably the richest President
since George Washington. VIGOROUSLY he has
appointed to his Cabinet several among these
Greeks bearing gifts" without seeming to see
the indecsrum, if not the indecency of the trans
action. AT least two if not three of these Greeks,
having no known position in the Republican
party, or influence in the country, have been Sc.
lected as his counsellors in national affairs, and
heads of great departments of Governments
Again do repeat the words of our Scriptures,
"a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise" Again,
do l repeat the words of Washington, "If l &C.
copied this should not henceforward be consid.
cred DEPENDENT"
Nor does the of the first Secretary of State
differ in character from the other three. The
President, feeling under personal obligation to
Mr.. Washburne for important support, gave him
a complimentary nomination, with the under.
standing that after confirmation he should forth.
with resign. cannot forget the indignant com.
ment Of the late Mr. Fessenden as we passed out
of the Senate Chamber Immediately after the
confirmation "Who," said he, lever heard be.
fore of man nominated Secretary of State mere.
ly as compliment" But this Is only another
case of tho public service subordnated to person.
al considerations.
APPROPRIATIONS THE OEEICrS