The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-12-20
Ghe 99ai1g Arens ,
h1dependent in Eoerything.
Monday. December 20. 1875,
Secretary Bristow.


was a comparatively unknown man to the
country at large. To-day the eyes of the
nation are upon him, and his every act is
scrutinized with that anxious care which
is the natural consequence OF deep and
widespread public interest in one who has
suddenly been raised to position of great
responsibility and is showing himself
worthy thereof. Had he been content to
slip easily through the round of official
duties assigned to the head of the treasury
department, he would have been saved a
world Of trouble and annoyance. and sunk
into the same oblivion which has envelOped
his predecessors. But by the merest acct
dent. the president, in looking about for a
successor to nobody, Richardson, found
a decided somebody in BristOw. We say
''by the merest accident" for there is not
the slightest reason to suppose that it the
president had suspected the stuff which is
10 the new secretary he would have ever
given him a seat in the cabinet He is not
the style of man which the president likes
to have at his elbow. There is none of
the come easy, 60 easy in his compost
tion none of that lazy inetficiency and
amiablc do-nothingness which, with few
exceptions, have been the most marked
characteristics Of our cabinet ministers for
the past seven years. He seems to have
felt from the outset that there was some
thing else for him to do besides playing
dummy" at The council table, winking at
overgrOwn abuses, secondIng all preslden-
tial motions and drawing his salary. lie
seems to have appreciated the fact that as
n servant of the people it was his impera-
tive duty to look after the peoples inter
est and see that in the branch of govern
ment committed to his charge these inter
e5ts we're properly protected. He seems
TO have realized the full force of the old.
fashioned and almost obsolete truth that,
though the president had appointed him
and could remove him, he was mainly re-
sponsble for his conduct while in office to
the power which makes aud unmakes pres
idents. and that if he gained the approba-
ton Of this power, he could afford to risk
the displeasure of him to whom he owed
his place. We do not mean to intimate
tina. Secretary Bristow deliberately set to
work to run counter to the president $
will but we do believe that he determ-
ined to be, as far as possible, independ-
ent of executive dictation, aud to do
his duty, and his whole duty, without
fear or favor. And, thus far, he has
done it faithfully and we'll. lie has earned
the lasting gratitude of a nation which,
struggling in the poisonous coils of innum-
cradle rings, had hitherto found no
champion brave and honest enough to
strike blow at the many headed monster.
When reform was to all human appear
ance dead and buried, he had the skill and
the courage to bring it forth from the
grave, breathe into its nostrils the breath
OF life, and send it out to perform a task
which, although as yet only begun, has
already produced fruits that gladden. the
heart Of every patriotic citizen. If ever
the time comes when we can look back
upon the era Of fraud and corruption a,
the horrid visions Of vanished dream, We
shall date the beginning Of national re
demption aud regeneration from Mr.. BriS
tow s attack upon the whiSkey thieves
He has started the ball which, We firmly
believe, is destined, in spite of all oppOsi
ton from any and every quarter, to rol
on and on until it brushes out the legior
of rascals of high and low degree who hav,
built their rotten greatness on their coun
try's ruin.
Circumstances have undoubtedly aideC
the secretary in the Inauguration and sue
cessiul pushing of his noble work, but tn,
most favorable circumstances would hav,
been of no avail had there not been EN-
Ihatically the right man in the RICH
place None but such man would hav
dared to march straight into the whiske,
breach, when he knew it was flanked b.
the heaviest artillery which money coul
buy or fear invent, and would be fiercol
defended by an army of scOuudrels mad
desperate by the prospect OF richly dc
served and long DELAYED punishment
Enemies of reform, and some envi0u
politicians of the baser sort, have bee
quick'to attribute to Secretary Bristo'
motives of personal ambition and desir
to raise himself at the expense of others
but when public servant does as he ha
done and is doing, the people care yer
little about the private principle whic
lies at the bottom of his action, As Ion
as the action is healthy, vigorous and c
iective, the springs which move the actt
are of very small consequences to tho,
who reap the benefits of his efforts. Bri
tow has been to Grants adminiStratiC
what the failed woodeL-horse was to TrO
Taken in as a harmless. ornamental objeC
from which nothing very good or very b;
could issue, he suddenly transformed hii
self into the agency of mighty force tn
has seized the citadel, routed the encm
and hoisted flag to tell those withol
the walls that the victory is won and Il
long and perilous siege drawing towa
triumph at last. Let him have the creC
and the honor which are his due, for
has performed Il service which promises
be the dawn and salvation to the countr
st. Louis Republican.
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