New-York tribune., 1874-07-06

merciless exposures of the party preten-
sions to economy were found In MS
speeches on the Appropriation bilis; anu
there can be no doubt that as Chairman OIL
tho Ways and Means Committee no mas
stopped great deal Of waste, swlndling' anu
corruption. Il seems at the first blush dIs-
creditable to the country that man Oh c'i'-
ents and personal integrity, after accomplish
ing 80 much. should have so few polticai
friends
The trouble with Mr. Dawes has always
been lack of political courage. lie mas ue-
tered his warnings out of season, ana maze
his remonstrances when they could DO no
GOOD. Whatever show of independence nc
might put forth in dull times, 1t was Saie W
assume that whenever the party had business
ON hand he would let it take Its own
way. About election day Mr.. Dawes
generally shut his eyes very tight IN
deed. He would put up with anytmng
rather than embarrass a regular candidate
of his party. He would scOurge an extraVa-
can't reckless. and insincere Administration
with thongs of wire during the oh-ses'ioh'
and then 20 into the canvass with all cno
blind ardor of Woodf0rd and the Drass ol
Harlan to persuade the pOpulace that IL was
the best, bravest, purest, most patriOuc Au-
ministration the sun ever shone upon' hc
could grow angry over column Oh hguio'
(when il was safe); but he seemed to nave
little appreciation of the prOstltutions OF
office, the abuses of the civil service, tnc
thieyish devices of low partlsansmp' ana 'nc
Custom House patterns of jObbery and ras-
cality which lie at the bottom of the natiohal
extravapance. In word Mr.. Dawes was not
a reformer, only an accountant; and we had
no great reason to feel surprised when, during
the last memorable struggle between the goou
and evil principles in federal politics, he took
bis stand ON the side of Butler and Simmons.
If Mr. Dawes has fallen short OF that hgher
standard which is every day more and more
distinctly demanded in public life, he mas at
the same time angcred the strict partisans
among whom he has chosen to cast his tor-
tunes They want no men in their ranks VINO
will criticise and demonstrate, and the SUD
stantial fidelity of Mr.. Dawes on all CRITICAL
occasions does not make amends for MS occa-
sioual lapses into plain speaking. There Is
neriodIcal in Washington called The Republic,
edited by the Secretary OF the National ne
nrbl;conn Committee and supported by t1e
have from its pages what we may assume W
be an official announcement of the opiniC-'
entertained of Mr.. Dawes at headquarters. We
need not quote it all; but the member from
the XIth District of Massachusetts, is denounced
in unqualified terms because he failed to save
the moiety system, because he acted :" as
though he were the leader of Democratic
House instead of Republican" and because
he combined with "New-York bankers, bro
"kers, and Wholesale importers" to destroy
Messrs. Richardson and Sawyer, and transfer
90 the Treasury Department in spirit if not in
body to New-York City, so that they could
"with certainty speculate upon the future
financial course of the Government" This
is fair notice to Mr. Dawes that conscience
and independence are not allowed in camp
even in small doses. The Administration
seems to have no further use for his services.