The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-11-18
General Grant Has a win Of His Own

General Grant Has q VIII Of His Own.
The ePhifadciphia post-ofice IL the object
Of party scramble, and General GRANT
as our readers have been Informed, has de-
ternined that 1t shall be brought under the
regulations Of the civil-serrice reform Wn'eh
he has approved. Senator CAMERON ana DIS
colleagues claim that II is an office OF such
lucrative and important nature that IT SHOULD
no held MS the reward Of the partisan sup
po,tcrs of General GRANT, and that he ought
20 except ito leave it out Of the offices
which are to be subjected to CIVIL
service reform. General GRANT differs
altogether from these spoi!smen, anc
fsmlr declares that the Office must be
disposed Of according to the regulations ne
has approved. Under those regulations Mr.
FargAAN, chief officer next to the postmaster
of the Philadelphia Office, would De advanced
and made postmaster. While acknowledging
the merits OF FAlRMAN, CAMERON & Go. adj
hero to their ground that the office should he
held as a reward for partisanry to promote
tho strength and preserve the organization
OF the Republican party and on this ground
they demand 1t for one Mr.. TRUMAN. They
were persistent; General GRANT firm. They
lefs with a flea in their ear, General GRANT
master of the situation, and no. caring, pos
sihly, a d-n for theln-quietly smoking bis
egar-detes1nine to have bis own way!
This Hare-up is quite interesting. and shows
that General GRANT has Will OF bis own,
and that he docs not mean to concede every.
thing TO the corrupt politicians. 1t shows
that Whist he has been doing in the way OF
ciyi! reform was not merely for show, but
hat he was In earnest. The fact Is dampeE
TO the spoilsmen, and Will very much affect
their future conduct
Csvil-service reform, we have often shown,
cannot be permanently effected until the Con
stitutlon is amended. That instrument gives
the President the power over the offices, and
it cannot be taken from him. A President
may inauguratea civil reform, and may faith
fully carry it out, but he cannot bind bis sue
cessor; and that successor. aspiring to re-
election, will be sure to make the offices the
reward for partisan services, and thus destroy
the true grounds for appointing men to office
md keeping them in the public service-vig.,
capacity, honesty, faithfulness-
But we are grati6ed at this proof of Gene
raj GRANTS sincere disposition to maintain
his plan of civil-service reform. The whole
country will be pleased TO soc that he does
not mean to surrender himself wholly to
party. There Is something due TO the coun'
try and to mankind higher and boiler than
that which Is due to party.
The Washington Star gives m account OF
The interview between tho Pennsylvania
oornorants and the President, which we may
consider, from the relations of tba: paper to
the Administration, entirely reliable. II
thus reoites the answer Of the President To
their speeches:
president Grant had been standing at The
end of his tablc while Mayor Stokeley al.
dressed him, with one hind leanin. on the
table and the other behind his back, listen
ing quietly. As soon rs the Mayor ceased,
he raised his head, and, looking around upon
the members of the delegation, said that he
did not very well see how he could set aside
the rules and regulations Of tho civil-Serrice
commission. Lie had made up his mind to
enforce them upon all occasions. In the
present case two candidates were presented.
One of them, Mr.. Fairlnan, had been an cm-
pioyG of the post-otlice at Philadelphia for
some time, and, as far Us he knew, was en-
tilcly competent to I'LL the position Of post
master. II he was disposed to set aside the
civil-service regulations aud go outside be
might appoint Mr.. Truman, the other candi-
date, but he could no: conscientiousiy do
this.
"The delegation left with the impression
That Mr.. Fairlnan will be appointed"
This pursuing the President by delegations
into the rece!ses Of the White House, and
presenting claims for office to him with the
eooinesS and positiyeness with which dry
goods man or mechanic ould urge the pay.
nent for goods furnished or labor performed,
Is entirely characteristic Of these corrupt
times. Thirty years since, had Il committee
of gentlemen thus waited upon President
and nade such demand for IN office they
would have been very clearly given to under.
stand that the President recognized nc
claims presented in TINT manner, and the in
tsrview would hive been brief. They would
have departed impressed with the idea thai
they had attempted thing much In advance
of the times. Wereioice TINT General GRANT
at this late day, when the proprieties o.
Official life are SO loose, should put de-
Cldsd check upon the spoilsmen, and make
such an effort to bring back the rules Of offi
ctal appointments to more just and healthy
condition.
--Se----zsaGrskzzzzzEH
James River and Kanawha Canal.
The telegraph has for n few days pas
Sr,a1 crht inflammation of shrn,-,l nj