New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-04-15
TOO UNANIMOUS"

TOO UNANINOU&r
Occasionally an incident comes to us thai
makes us wonder if the political millennium Is
not nearer to us than we have been in the
habit of thinking. The other day, for instance,
the Posmaster-General received visit from
recently docapitated postmaster from the
South, who had walked like Saint Denis with
his head under bis arm all the way from Geol gia,
to find ont why this was thus. The Minister OF
the Posts lost 10 time in informing him why
Because you are too unanimous, so to speak
"YOu write too much, talk too much, slOsh
"around too much generally for the
"eood of the service The ex-POstmaster
retired to consider seriously about many
things. We can understand something of
his bewi,derment ut being told that his crime
consisted in what he doubtless regarded as his
chief virtue. He probably owed lis post-ofiicc
to his talent for "sloshing around" for neglect
ing whatever business he had, and talking
"toO much about politics, in the sawdust OF
bar-r0ons, or on the shady curb of sidewalks,
with loosened waistcOat, on sultiy afternoons.
He had never imagined he was expected to
bring down his volube chin and fiery spirit
to the work of sorting letters and making up
way bills. lie had always thought the bust
ness of a postmaster was to leave all his work
to his "deppity,' and to pervade his district
witk lOud-soundinS and multitndinOiis slack
law. TO find the Administration, to which his
lOquacity was devoted, setting down upon him
for it, was chaos come again.
IL is not astonishing to find Gov. Jewell
doing and saying sensible things in an Of-hand
way. But the pleasant thing, and the novelty,
is to see him INDUCING in that way in the
Cabinet, without fear or rcprOach. just across
Est, from the General Post-Oflice, is the In
terror Department. which Mr.. Cox once occupied
with purposes as honest and pure as those of
the Postmaster-General. But ~ soon as he
began to try to put them in practice, his place
was made untenable. Mr.. Fish is an ire
proachable gentleman, but he signs every week
the commissions Of men whom he knows to be
unfit representatives OF the country abroad. sim
ply because his sense of duty c0mpels him to
remain in the Cabinet, and he does not care to
take issue with the President in regard
to these questions. Mr.. Jewell sets all his col
leagues an admirable example in managing his
department on principles of common morality
and business, and in not numbering his soul
Overmuch with thinking what impression his
dent committee men. Every one knows his
political convictions and affiliations. lie does
not need to make assurance of his orthodoxy
by protecting the knaves who call themselves
Republicans, and he seems to think, very
Justly, that he could do the President no more
friendly service than by cleansing his depart
ment from any suspicion of partisan jobbery.
The one great and beneficent result of the
constant and perhaps wearisOme halnmering of
the independent newspapers against political
corruption is this: That it has made it fash,
iOnable to be honest, and has einancipated the
more sagaciOus men everywhere from the
s,avish fear of their own party. Tho large
majority of every political organization desire
only honest government and the public good,
and if they can once be brought to consider
these objects "a paramount To mere partisan
success great gain is made. In times of
high party spirit, it hurts a public man worse
to be considered Enthusiastically in the caucus
sense than to DO proved dishonest. We think
the contrary il true ut this moment.
The more intelligent politicians are
beginning to see that the confidence
of the mass OF decent people is worth more to
them than that of their Central Committee.
In Connecticut the other day Mr. Greene and
Mr.. Ingersoll were both worthy gentlemen.
But we doubt il the former gained vote by his
stanch adherence to the Administration, and the
latter certainly gained thousands by the preva-
leni impression that he was honest and upright.
We do not expect the golden age to come in
this year or the next But there is unqucstion-
ably some hope for reform in the fact that mere
partisanshp is losing some of its efficiency, and
character is growing more valuable in public