The Portland daily press., 1876-05-25
The New Saeretarv

1t was to be expected that the appoint
ment of Mr.. Cameron as Secretary of War
would excite good deal of criticism, of the
kind and from the sources which fulfil the
expectation. Gen. Grant has habit OF do
ing MS own work in his own way.-Albdny
Journal
As for Mr.. j. Donald Cameron of Pennsyl-
Vania, he is gentleman who has been chief
ly known, hitherto, as political vire-puller.
In that capacity he may have displayed
enough executive talent TO mark him out as a
! desirable person to sit In the cabinet as Sec
retary OF War. Pennsylvania politics can
hardly be said TO furnish very elevated
school for administrative ability, but Mr.
Cameron may turn out 10 be a better man
than might be inferred from his associations,
IN. Y. Times.
The appointment of Mr.. Cameron was rec
commended by its fitness and by the complaint
that has been for some time made by Penn
sylvania, that she had not been properly re-
garded by the appointing power. We do not
see any evidence that presidential consdera-
tons entered into appointments which are
good enough to stand on their own merits.
Nor do we believe that the. President will at
tempt, by the public patronage or otherwise.
the nomination of his successor -Propidenc
Journal.
The selection of j. Donald Cameron, how
ever, is quite of another character. He has
no national reputation, nor has he, that we
are aware of, any local reputation which had
pointed him out as suitable for cabinet Office.
He is simply known as "the son of his IA
ther," and his father is well known as the
leading, perhaps we should say controlling,
politician OF pennsylvania. 1t is barely pos
| slble that the secret of the appointment is
| the Presidents good nature and readiness to
oolige friend, which his appointments have
more than once disclosed.-Boston Journal.
When tie Camerons took possession of the
| Pennsylvania Republican Convention a few
weeks ago, and went through the absurd per-
formance of pledging it to Hartranft, all the
world read the announcement that Simon
offered the Commonwealth for sale once
again as he had done many time before
We have no right to be surprised that Gen,
Grant should start up so quickly with bid;
but 1t is profound disappointment that the
Senate of the United States in headlong haste
should make itself party to such transac-
ton. Even the Senate which rejected Mr..
Dana might have had enough seli-respect to
| rebel against the nomination of Don Came
ROM. Y. Tribune.
As for the new Secretary of War, if report
| speaks truly, he will not be valuable acqui.
sition to the cabinet. 1t is perfectly well
| known that his father, the Senator, has often
urged upon the President to put don" in
| the cabinet, but heretofore the efforts have
| failed. On former occasions the suggestion
has been received with mild derision, and
once or twice the question has been feeby
asked, who he might be and what be had
done. Still nobody now seems to know any,
thing Of him except that he is the son of a
senator, which is in his favor or otherwise, as
one happens to think. 1t is painfully evident
that the genius who prompted the President
| to send in the nominations of Brstow, jew
| ell, Taft and Dana was not at his elbow yes
| terday.-B0Ston Aduertisr.
But the most significant of these appoint
ments is that of Mr.. ''Don' Cameron,
whose own influence and that OF his shrewd
and sagacious father will be actively exerted
in favor of the New York Senator. The
| tifty-eight delegates of the great State of
pennsylvania can now be as securely counted
on the Conkling as those of New York.
| Moreover, President Grant is not the kind of
man to mount his horse and swim as far as
| the middle Of the stream and then turn back
when 1t would be more dangerous than to
| cross. Having deliberately dene enough to
| incur the hostility of Conkling's rivals he Is
| not going to be foed by them if be can help
| it. He can control nearly all the Southern
| delegates, and after the first ballot or two
| they will all vote in body for Conklng.-
| N. Y. Hedrld.
1t is well understood. though some affect 10
doubt it, that the appointment of Don Cam
eron was the price paid for the senior Cam
eron's promise to turn over the Pennsylvania
delegation at Cincinnati to Mr.. Conklng
Probably Mr.. Cameron will keep his promise
if he can, but it is not likely that he can help
Conkling much though he should give him
| Pennsylvania fifty-eight votes. The in
trigue will of course give offense to the
i friends of all other candidates, and they will
| resent it by making the defeat of Senator
| Conkling an essential feature of all their
| combinations. The accession of the Penn
/ sylvania votes will move the convention 10
| contemptuous merriment rather than enthu-
siasm, and even Mr.. Conkling's ardent sup
| porters will be embarrassed by the conscious
ness that their candidate has to bear the odi-
um of this bargain Worcester Spy.
| The selection of Don Cameron for Secretary
| of War is one which will have to be Judged
by its results. The influence of his father in
public life has not been considered desira-
BILE one for purity in politics, and his admin
istrasion of the war department. was not
complete success. The son is less known and
should not be condemned for the sins of his
father. He is regarded as a man of much
| ability, and has been quite active as Repub-
lican worker in Pennsylvania. He was re-
| Gently elected to head the State delegation to
| the Cincinnati convention, which may be re-
| garded as evidence that he bas the confidence
| OF the Republicans of the State. Whether
the President in selecting him for bis war
Secretary has kept up TO the standard of his
recent appointments remains to be seen.-
Hartford COurant.
The Presidents aid, we imagine, will do
Mr.. Conkling more harm than good. The
fayorite of the pres ent Administration will
have little chance in the lace. If Mr.. Conk-
ling were content to rest his claims on his
own merits they would have slender foun-
dation, and he can hardly be said to iBjure
his chances by political intrigue. Without IL
ne would De nowhere, and whatever show he
may nave before the convention will be due
10 MS management and bargaining, bat he
VIII probably have to be content with the
doubtful honor of place among the defeated
asplrants. Intrigue and management based
on no merits to speak of, will hardly secure
the nomination, and if they could they would
only make defeat at the election more GER