Wilmington daily gazette., 1874-06-03
The Treasury and the Secretary:

From tho New 1ork World ol yesterday
Six months ago. on Tuesday, the u OF Decen-
her, 1873, the President sent in 10 the Senate
three hon,natipns:-Aitorney General Williams
ior Chief Justice Of the Supreme Conr'' l'sI "a
min ii. Bristow for Attorney General, aud A. Il.
Shepherd for Governor of The District oi Co.-
umbia Mr. Shepherd was confirmed, bat The
Attorney General did not get his promotion, and
so Mr.. Bris,ow did moi become Attorney Iiener-
al II seems, however, that the President would
like TO have Mr.. Bristow in the Cabinet, for he
nominated him yesterday for Secretary OF the
Treasury. at the same time sending In the name
of Mr.. Richardson for the vacant lndgeship IN
the Cosrt Of Claims.
ANY one who can ee in this proposed arrange
mcnt u satisfactory solution of the question OF
the Treasury Department must DO more good
natnred than particular. Indeed. more than
American amiabilily il needed TO contemplate
Mr. Richardson leaving the Treasury aud en-
terinc any other Office of dignity and emolument
in the gift uf the President and Senate. ln his
position al the head Of that important depaH-
men; he has behaved like mere clcrk-ir TACT.
hardly like real clerk, but more like an ofhce
boy charged with the duty of answering Callers
while his master is out for half an hour. Entering
Ir oman Office Of great importance without any
evidenoebat he had ideas of his own, he perse-
yerd iu the track beaten by his predecessor or until
"a
his talents was then appreciated. Unmoved by
the financial suffering o the community last Sep
tember, he became panic stinck when business
began TO recover. ahd proceeded to Keep lis de-
| partment in funds bv drafts upon that atroCious
resource his so-called reserve Of S44, 1000
legal tender notes. thus injecting fever into the
p.ostra,ion of patient just freed from convul-
sions To Richardson's Ignorance and want Of
resources aud decision we owe it that the legal
| fender currency is now S2G 0O0, 600 above It's
lawful limit, and that indrstry langushed while
gambling throve all winter. 10 send such a
man to judgeship is TO canoniza incomplete nee.
But 10 send such an incapable, fresh from the
disgrace of the Sanborn Investigation. 10 preside
over a court OF claims shows an obtuseness OF
perception which the American people ought
| not 10 forgive, even though they be prepared for
it, The man under whose official sanction has
been carried ON a system OF public and private
robbery, denounced by honest men OF all varie-
ties OF public opinion, does not go with repu-
tation clean enough 10 admit him 10 the bench
in any Imaginable court of claims. Lncky to
have escaped impeachment, the patron OF Sau.
born and jayne the official chief of Sawyer and
Banfield, would do well to initiate The last named
by resiguing his post. In the retirement he may
be forgotten; il is the beet that Can happen tC
him. But as a nominee for this Court Of Claim'
judgesbip, or for any considerable Office at hom'
or abroad, he is entitled TO rejection at the hand
of the Senate of the United States. Long agC
We learned that the nominations Of Mr.. Gran
are made at his own goCi pleasure; let us trus
that The Senate is still manly enough TO retail
control over its own voice 10 confirm or 10 re
, iect.
The case is different with Nj Rrisiow. W
are not aware that he has any special knowled
of finance or special aptitude for business thougl
his general repute is well enough in those res
poets. Ia his case the Senate will doubtless bi
satisfied with the assurance Of integrity and fan
capacity, since it is a question Of choosing
successor to the most signal failure in our Cab
? met history. Moreover, the Presidents choic
= of men seems limited, and the few. names suite
ior the place which have been mentioned hav
been those of men who had other afi,irs 10 at
tend to. 80 that, while We cannot say much {
Mr.. Brisinw's nalI NAL reputation or kno'
d fitness for the posi-, We ma" perhaps regard hlr
as the best man wi Inc President can persuat
' TO accept this part".i'at clerkship.