The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-05-31
THE APPOINTMENT OF.CAMERoN.

Secretary OF War is severely comments
ed upon by western journals of both
parties, it being charged to be for the
purpose of securing the Pennsylvania
Republican delegation to the Cincinnati
convention to Conkling. The follow
ing editorial comments from the Chica-
go Tribune, Times and Inter- Ocean are
samples of opinion on each side of the
party line: Il
The New York snd Philadelphia press, the
Washington politicians, and the country
generally, accept the Cabinet changes "a in
dicative of the transfer Of the Pennsylvania
vote at the Cincinnati convention to MIR.
Conkling. This is especially based upon the
appointment of J: Don Cameron, son of old
Simon, to the Office of Secretary of War.
There is no pretense that Don Cameron has
any special fitness for the War Department.
Ever after MIR. Lincoln removed Simon
Cameron from the Cabinet, in 1862, he has
sought ''vindication" by the appointment
OF his h SON After many years Of struggle the
of all Cameronian politics, it has probably
been purchased by the sale of the fennsyf-
vania vote in convention to Conkling. The
appointment of Don Cameron as asuccessor to
Belknap will strike many people as curious
proceeding
~ ueleat MI. ConkilnS tnere must, there
fore, be more or less Combination between
the friends of Messrs. Blaine, Morton, and
Bristow. It is not likely that the friends of
either of these gentlemen can be transferred
to Conkling, and his defeat can be accom-
plished in the event that the friends of Bris-
tow and Blaine unite, which ought not to be
an impossibility, and which, under certain
Conkling cannot expect the vote Of either
Ohio or Indiana in convention, and certainly
not at the election in October, next fall; and
in view Of this ascertained fact, to nominate
him for the Presidency will be to give away
the election in advance. The friends Of
Messrs. Blaine, Bristow, and Morton owe too
much to the country and to the party to per-
NIT them, by persistent division, to suject
the party to such an unnecessary calamity,
even to carry out one of old Simon's con-
tracts.
THE TIMES.
If Mr.. Grants cabinet ttcoup d'etat" was
made to compass the nomination of his friend
Conkling at Cincinnati, it may prove to be
that which toreordained quite the contrary
result. 1t has certainly widened the breach
between the Blaine and Conkling factions
past all healing, and for that reason has made
Conklinga weaker nag for the presidential
race than he was before-which was weak
enough in all conscience. If Conkling should
now be the Cincinnati nominee, the whole
country would recognize him as Grants can
didate, and the profound disaffection toward
Grant of all the best men of the Republican
label would certainly not strengthen Conk-
ing's chances Of success. With Conkling
Juggling Grant on his back toward the white
house, a powerful and probably successful
combination could be made upon some such
nonpartisan candidate as Judge Davis-pro-
vided that the incorrigible Bourbons could
be suddenly endowed by the Almighty with
a little selt-abnegating modesty and fair
share of common sense.
THE INTER-oCEAN.
AS to the appointment of Don Cameron to
fill the vacancy, it can he asserted on high
authority that it was made by the President
alone, and that his sole design was to give
Pennsylvania place, which it has not yet
had during the present administration.
Whatever the relations between the Presi-
dent and Senator Cameron may have been OF
late, General Grant has always held a very
high opinion Of the Senator's son, and peo-
pie who know the President need no other
explanation OF his action than this. 1t is very
doubtful whether he took any counsel what
ever in the decisive step. In the first place,
Pierrepont declares he did not know the thing
was actually to be until it was accomplished
Judge Taft did not know it until he was con-
graduated by friend on his confirmation as
Attorney General, although he says the
President mentioned the matter to him about
a fortnight ago. The Postmaster General re-
dent about an hour after the nominations
were confirmed, and, in short, it appears that
not a member of the Cabinet, save the Secre-
tary of State, had any knowledge of what
had happened before it was known to every
body