Litchfield enquirer., 1874-11-12

I @&NoAAAo&A1VAOh1 oAu eO VlAC A0AAuAO OA WIT gress last winter to deal successfully with the all important question of finance:
 The mismanagement at the Treasury, l the Sanborn frauds, and the general se- ries of blunders in nearly all the public departments, were in the meantime caus- ing incalculable mischief The first two nominations for Chief Justice were shock ing blunders. and disgusted the whole people. The Administration was making enemies and losing friends every day. The party was handed over to the PLATES and BUTLERs. And just when the disap- pointment and irritation of the people be- came most marked, the paper at Wash lngton, which has come to be known as a mere speaking tube of the White House. was set to work crying out for Gen. GRANT for "third term" What could any sane man anticipate from such astounding fol- ly except the overwhelming defeats of yesterday?
 The Hartford Courant, while giving the president credit for good intentions and for semi-meritorious kind of pluck in sticking to unworthy personal friends, speaks out very plainly as follows:
 Had MT. Williams never been nominat- ed for Chief Justice, it would have been worth several hundred thousand votes to the republican party. The same would have been true had Mr. Williams been re- moved year ago from the important of flee which he is still allowed to retain. Had the President dropped MT. Shepard, the Washington Boss" and his fellow members of the district ring, when their corrupt practices were disclosed, it would have added many thousands to the repub- lican vote and done much to reestablish General Grant in the hearts of the people. There would have been half mil lion more votes for the republican candi- dates last Tuesday had the people believ- ed that the use of executive patronage had always been made with an eye first of all to the intrest of the nation and not in many instances to reward personal rela- tons or friends.
 The Tribune celebrates the result as an annihilation of "Grantism," but cautions its Democratic friends against reckoning on it as positive declaration in their fa- vor. The Springfield Republican dis courses much in the same vein as follows:
 Of course, the democratic newspapers will quite generally refuse to see in it any thing but 8 glorious democratic victo- ry," and will insist upon seeing in if A convincing proof that the people are ach- ing to restore the party of Andrew Jack son to the control of the government But the simple truth is, that the people have made use of the democratic organi- zation to club their slothful and wicked servants, because it was the only weapon that they could lay hands upon at the mo- ment. A case of Hobson's choice, in a word
 For our own part, while we have criti- cised the administration very freely, and while We have protested against its action regarding such fragrant cases of misgov- ernment as have made the very name of Republican a by-word and a reproach throughout the entire South, and while we have spoken out agalnst Butlerism and official Republican rings like those of Philadelphia and the New York Custom House, we cannot feel that it is right to visit the whole blame on the President Under the existing system of appoint ments the nominating power is practical ly vested in Congress. The matter of Senatorial confirmation is made to depend upon the favor of the Republican Sena- tor from the locality of the appointee. If that Senator demands confirmation, it is the custom of his party friends in the Senate to confirm. If he demands re- jection like courtesy leads to re- jection. The president, therefore, should hardly be held fully resposible for ap- pointmsnts he cannot be fairly said to control. The president who re- forms our civil service must reform Congress first. President Grant has evi- dently desired civil service reform, but he has not quite dared to undertake a se- rious conflict with Congress. It is also unquestionable that he has promoted per sonal friends to places for which they were unfit. It is possible also that he has had Third Term aspirations; if so he pro- bably entertains them no longer But for the Credit Mobilier, the salary grab, in | fiation. and the continuance of anarchy at the South, he cannot be fairly held responsible. Indeed his veto of the f. nance bill was one the best and pluckiest things any president has ever done. Un- doubtedly he has had a weakness for But lerism. Did not tine United States Senate, which confirmed Simmons, sin likewise :? Certainly, under the bad advice of his At torney General, he meddled most unfor- tunately in Louisiana politics Can Con- gress, which failed to right the wrong, complain?
 We do not believe. in fact, that presi- dent Grant should be made the scape-goat of the party. Republicanism has itself to blame for it's defeat. No mere change of standard bearer will bring us victory. A better selection of leaders. real reforma- ton of the party, and awise future policy, are the indispensable requisites for future success.
 After days of doubt and numerous ssfin- al" footings it seems to be settled that MT. William Walter Phelps is beaten for Congress by four votes in the Fifth Dist rlct of New Jersey. It is pity, for he is man of brains and independence. In England he would surely be brought in from some other District. but, in this country, our best men are sacrificed to the claims of locality, and the thing would be impracticabie even If it were legal. The canon against Ritaalism has caused discontinuance of ritualistic practices in St. Johns church, Washington. D. c. says New York Times reporter. Early I fruit