New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-02-26
TINT DREADFUL SIMMONS BUSINESS.

Simmons continues to be the theme. IN all
the newspapers he is given great space, and
in none, save Mr.. Buffers organ, me UaVetsef,
ia there any kindness shown him. me W0r-
cester Spy says " the attempt to put poiltlcai
"lnave and trickster into the most RESPONSE
"ble National office in NewEngland' Is the
result of a plot between Gen. Butler, Mr..
HOOPER, and Secretary Richardson, the details
of which it undertakes to state. Mr.. Dawes
according to this statement, knew OF IL rom
the beginning, but while he refused to a'd II
actively, did mo-. cnink It necessary TO put His
colleague. on their guard. The Worcester
paper = thinks that "the President would
shave Withdrawn the nomination II ID
chad not been for the skill with which Butler
"and his allies have availed themselves OF ms
"hostility to Mr. Sumner" This seems not
to be entirely complimentary to the President,
but if it is true, there can be no harm IN say
inc it. The Boston AdrertSer. having adj
dressed various official personages by name,
calling upon them to meet the crisis and do
something about it, the other day addressed i9
IN earnest half c5ii11in to "IIis Excellency
Ulysses S. Grant, President of the United
Estates OF America" in which it says the
citizens of Massachusetts, have been devoted
to the interests of the Republican party for
twenty years and shave not been fault
finding and inpatient" but it goes on
TO add with great deal OF ylgor
and no less of truth" They have seen your
" Administration adopt policy of Federal
interference with local affairs which they
"have disapproved; they have seen the Civil
"Service rules disregarded and solemn prom
"ises forgotten; they have .seen, you dismis,
&" from your service men In whom they trusted,
sand listen to the counsel of those whom they
"dcspised, and istill they have remained true
TO you, believing that in the end you would
d" see the right and the truth, and would justify
/" the confidence they placed in you when
"they chose you for their President" In
view of this The advertiser, or to quote
precisely, eve, the citizens OF Massachusetts"
address to the President this solemn remon
STRANGE" In so doing they profess 4" not to
I" deal with small local issues, stand on paltry
lines or stOop to discuss paltry personal
"jealOusies but to speak in the name OF all
that is upright and honorable, not only in
Massachusetts,, but in the Union" They
then proceed To tell him that he is beset by
evil advisers, chief of whom is Mr.. Butler,
who aims to climb into power by corrupt
use of the Civil Service. I" His creatures" they
saw. care given Office with the direct, almost
"avowed object of DISTINGUISHING the people
of their right to hold free elections" and
they add "the same sad story is true Of almost
every other State"
There are no signatures to this solemn re-
monstrance in the name of the citizens OF
Massachusetts,, but we presume it expresses
the sentiments of a great number of them.
The arraignment of the Administration is en-
tirely true. SO, also. is the confession "We,
Sir, have held our peace too long" The
CONSPICUOUS faults and weaknesses of President
Grants administration are the same-nO more
and no less-than they were year and a half
ago. The gentlemen who to-day arraign him
at the bar of public opinion knew him as well
then as now. What has he done since then to
call out such solemn circumstances and per-
sOna appeals and wringing of hands? Nomi-
mated Simmons for Collector of Customs.
Doubtless bad fellow and ward politician
and a friend of Butler. But do not all these
gentlemen know that worse men
than Simmons have been habltualy appointed
to important Offices under this Admins
tration in other States Why make a
row about this 7 1t is only commend
ing to their own lips the chalice which
they with so much composure saw admins
tered to their neighbors. This seems great
disturbance over a small matter. For whether
Massachusetts, responsibility has become ac-
customed to it or not, the rest of the country
has, No President ever made such contemptl-
BILE appointments, and notwithstanding the
complaint of personal abuse in
his inaugural address, no President has ever
been treated with such gingerly consideration.
Meantime the spectators of this little comedy
are wondering how much it all means and
whether it is anything more than tremendous
to scare off Simmons. We remem-
Der that in 1870 Mr.. Henry L. Dawes at
tackled the Administration of President
Grant with great earnestness, to the delight
of the opposition and the dismaY of his
party associates. He showed by figures and
facts that the Administration was reck-
lessly extravagant and mischievously waste
full. By the time his statistics had gained
general circulation and effected as much
as any other single cause in alternating
from the party those who afterward were
known as Liberal Republicans, Mr.. Dawes
was informing his constituents from the
stump that the administration of President
Grant was the most economical the country
had ever had. Massachusetts Republicans are,
if we may be allowed the expression, a trihe
Last Summer they carried on over
the danger of Buffers nomination for Gov
ernor very much as they do now about Sim
mons. They made it appear that if Butler
was nominated there would be tremend
Gus goings on, and very likely the Republican
Marty would no sniff all In niacas Rut Mr.