New-York tribune., 1874-04-25
A CASE or "STEEL PEN DISEASE"

The rumors which have been tOlloWlng each
other in rapid succession for several weeks
past, that our Great Minister of Finance was
about to resign, or be removed, or appointed
to some judicial position, or promoted to
consulate somewhere, have settled down at
last to what seems well founded and clearly
defined fact that he is going to Norfolk and
Richmond on few days vacation for the
benefit Of his health The country will ex-
perience feeling of relief upon learning
that the painful rumors which separated
him from the superntendence of the
national finances and the care of the ere
"seryer are without foundation. Secretary
Richardson stays at the head of the Treasury.
His absence will be only temporary, and MIR.
Sanborn will go on collecting the revenue as
usual till his return, when the order for Mr..
SanbOrn's half Of the collections can be signed,
and that gentleman can receive his reward.
1t is believed that Mr.. Sanborn has enough to
live on during the few days of the Secretary's
contemplated absence $50 the public may dis
miss any solicitude on his account.
1t is said that Mr.. Richardson's health has
been impaired by constant attention to official
business, (which has been unusually large for
"several months" When it is added that "he
"has been advised to take few days rest"
we do not understand that any reference is had
to the advice which has been pouring into
Washington for nearly year past advising not
only the Secretary himself but everybody else
connected with the Administration, that he
ought to take a much longer rest from his
Official labOrs. The impression obtains that
vacation of considerable length-say for the
remainder of President Grants term-would
promote not only his own health but that of
the country. The only objection to it would
be the danger that his intellectual powers
might rust out from lack of use. For Mr..
Richardson, as intimated in the dispatch
which announces his purpose of taking
vacation, has for several months led very
active life. 1t appears from the testimony of
himself and others, elected during the San
born investigation, that he has applied his
whole mind TO the signing Of contracts
and other documents with an en-
ergy and vigor that have rarely been
equaled. To take his mind off en-
tirely from signing contracts, and leave his
talent in this direction to rust unburnished
and not shine in use, would be liable to react
upon him intellectually as well as upon San
born financially. Even in the few days rest
he proposes to allow himself he should "let
"himself down easy,' so to speak, and not
stop too suddenly. 1t would be only an act
of prudence to take along with him to Nor
folk and Richmond few contracts to sign in
blank just to occupy his mind.
1t seems to us that the fact that Mr.. Rich
ardson's health is so broken down by his ar
duous labors in signing his name that he has
b 10, IN hn ouf-
ficent answer to the unreasonable demands of
those base-minded persons who insist that he
should read the documents to which he ap-
pends his signature before signing them. One
man cannot do Everything. 1t was no small
thing to invent the plan of specie resumption
in sums of five dollars or less. 1t was hardly
to be expected that the statesman who did that
as the boy got up his wheelbarrow-"a all
"out of his own head and had wood enough
cleft to make another "-shOuld fool away
time reading the documents he signs. And
yet there are men of brutal instincts and
mean dispositions who are disposed to hold
the Great Minister of Finance responsible
because he happened to sign some contracts
made by some of the Department clerks in
the ordinary routine of business with Mr..
John ID. SanbOrn for collecting the rev.
enue Of the Government to halvesn
Perhaps when these persons find that
the Great Minister'S health has broken down
from his arduous labors in simply signing his
name, they will experience feeling of re-
morse at the injustice and unreasonableness
of their demands. Mr.. Richardson goes to
Norfolk broken down, we suspect, with the
"stecl pen disease simply from too much
signing, What would he have had if ba had