New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-10-30

TIE USES or SECRETARY CH1NDLER.
A correspondent, who has probably forgot
ten the general rejoicing over the defeat OF
Mr.. Chandler a. candidate for reelection to
the Senate, and the unanimity with which Re-
puhlicaus referred to his enforced retirement
az an evidence of the success of the party in
reforming itself from the inside, writes TO in
ouire what we know discrcditablc to the new
Secretary of The Interior, and why his ap-
Monument is not about as good as the average.
The question shows very imperfect concep-
ton of the responsibilities OF the ap-
pointing power, and it would be a
sufficient answer to ask in return. what evil
dence Nh. Chandler ever gave during his long
public career that he possessed any of the
qualities required of Cabinet officer except
the negative virtue that he does hot steal.
We certainly shall not accept the disagrecable
task of setting down in black and white his
defects of mind, temper, and habits, which
ought to be pretty well known by this time to
every one who has watched the course of
events in Washington. 1t is enough to say
that for the head of a great business
department like that of the Interior
the President was Louad to choose a
man of eminent ability, of great capacity for
work, independent of all political and other
rings, nice in his sense of duty to the public,
dignilied and pure in his political life, as well
as honest in mere matters OF dollars and cents.
Everybody who has studied practical politics =
knows that Mr.. Chandler is not such a man.
It is beginning to he apparent, however,
why the choice fell upon Chandler, and what
Gen. Grant means TO do with him. The Nation
reminds us that 1t was Mr.. Chandler who
illustrated the beauties of civil service reform
by forcing Secretary Cox to resign rather than
prostitute his Office. "Chander went down to
"the Department, and in the halls publicly,
" in his usual coarse language, denounced Sec
"rctary Cox for his civil service interference
with the political use of the Department or It's
"cerks, and threatened. to use bis own phrase,
THAT he would have COX's heal la a basket in
asa month II was this performance which
"made Mr. Cox feel that no must at once
"ascertain whether the President would sup
"port him in his attempts to purify the service
against such politicians az this man. Our
"rcadcrs know the result" Mr.. Chandler then
is the representative opponent of the civil ser
vice reform banthng which the Republican
party has been pretending TO cherish, aud
when the ITtSlutnt recently SIT upon WIFI
such cruel violence. So well is ms theory of
the uses Of the appointing power understood
in Washington that a general shaking ug' of
the vast patronage of his department is looked
for as matter of course, and the only ques-
ton respecting it seems to be whether he is to
be allowed to manage the machine exclusively
for his personal benefit, or required to apply
it to the interests Of Gen. Grant or of the
person whom Gen. Grant may select as his
own Leir and successor. And we must say
that the President could not have chosen II
man who has more intimate knowledge of
the tricks, schemes, and bargains of that sort
of "politics," and more profound contempt
for the obsolete doctrine that honesty and
efficiency, not political activity, should de-
L" termine the tenure of Office"