The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1876-03-17
STATESMEN NEEDED AT
THE HELM.
(FrOm the Lawrence Journsi


The fall of Gen. Belknap sug-
gests some reflections in regard to
the appointment of cabinet officers.
Under the constitution these off,
GERS are appointed by the Presi-
dent. with the consent of the Sen
ate They are the heads of the
various great departments of the
government. They are not like
the mere personal staff of q COM
handing officer; they occupy a
higher and more responsible
position.
From the foundation of the gov
eminent it has been the settled
precedent that these officers
should be men oflarge experience
in public affairs, we'll known to the
country-in short, statesmen. We
have only to look at the long line
of illustrious names, which adorn
the annals of our cabinets to rec
ognize this tact. Washington had
in his cabinet, Alexander Hamil-
ton, Thomas Jefferson, Edmund
Randolph, Timothy Pickering and
Henry Knox. Coming down we
find the names of Madison, Mon
roe, John @. Adams, John C. Cal
houn, Henry Clay, Martin Van
Buren,, Edward Livingston, Lewis
Cass, Roger B. fancy, Daniel
Webster, Thos. Ewin, John G.
ESpencer, James Buchanan, Robert
j. Walker, VIM. L. Marcy, George
Bancroft, Reverdv johnson, John
). Crittenden. VIM. H. Seward,
Salmon p. Chase, Edwin N. Slant.
ON and Edward Bates. Indeed
the names Of our different cabinet
officers include almost the entire
roll of illustrious statesmen thai
the country has produced, and
show conclusively that the &C
cepted idea Of the Cabinet has
been that its members should bE
composed of the leading states.
men Of the country on the side
of the party in power. A little
reflection will shoW that this il
! the true idea and the only one up
on which the purity and efficiency
Of the government can be main,
/ tanned. The President is the Elk
ecutive, but he can only be so in I
broad and general sense. The Ia
Dor of successfully conducting
Ieither Of the Cabinet department.
j is auAcient for any man however
| gifted. Moreover, these Cabine
officers are supposed 60 share il
the general policy and conduct o
the administration. The countr,
has . right to demand that no on
man. however great, shall attemp
4 to run the government on "m,
, | policy" principle. Still more, tn
!. only guarantee o. purity in tn
public service that, under our sys
tenn, the country has in the char
acter Of these Cabinet officers
There may be, aud doubtless are
! multitudes OF good men among tn
! undistinguished, but the only ey
} idence the country has of . man
character and capacity is in tn
fact thSt they have sufiiced t
: make him distinguished anon
! his fellows. The strongest SAFE
: guard for the purity of action i
, these high offices is that ma
/ Who il ft TO be appointed to then
: who has already achieved suffis
i lent distinction - public ma
to make his appointment proper
, will generally have to much {
: stake TO permit him to peril his q
: by malfeasance in Office.
4 President Grant has, unfortl
!. nately, TO . great degree, set asid
{ this old and established prec
ldent Of appointing statesmen
Cabinet positions. He has appa
], emily beeR governed very large
a.lby personal preference, regardlei
= Of meme public standing. For i
3 stance, what possible qualifcatlc
e for the ONCE OF Secretary of u
= Navy Had Geo. II. Robeson9 T
g was . third or fourth rate iaWy