Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1876-07-07
TbtWeruront 9benit.
BRATTLEBoRo:
FRIDAY EVENING, JULY 7, 1876.
nenjaunin N. BristOw.

Mr.. Brlstow held the post Of Secretary Of
the Treasury but two years, having been
appointed in June, 1874. 1t would be
most unjust thing to him, but 1t would be
far more dscreditable and ipauspicious to
the honest people Of the country, If he
should be allowed to go out Of Office with
out general recognition Of his Invaluable
services. with regard 10 all the routine
duties pertaining TO the head of the treas
ury department, It is admitted that they
have been as well discharged by Mr.. Bris-
tow as by any predecessor. The general
work has been we'll kept up; the annual
reports have been Of high character, and
all has been done that was possible toward
sustaining the national credit under the
peculiar difficulties entailed by the panic,
aud toward reducing the interest charge OH
the national debt. But, not content mere
ly with this discharge of ordinary duties,
Mr.. Bristow, as soon as he got the hang of
his place-and he got it very quickly-set
about the work of thorough reform. He
found Offices that were sinecures, and he
discontinued them; he found idlers and
loafers, and too many men generally in
Office, and he dismissed them he found
dishonest officers, and he replaced them
with honest and competent men. He pun
ished counterfeiters, and did more to break
up smuggling than any other man in his
place has done for years. Gradually there
was disclosed to him gigantic conspiracy
TO defy the laws and delraud the Govern
ment, known as the "Whiskey Ring"
which was deemed all powerful al the West
and had honeycombed with corruption
oven the entire detective force of the Treas
ury department. Undismayed by this as
founding development, Secretary Bristow
determined TO attack this ring and attack
it he did, with vigor and skill which
brought the thieves TO punishment and
their penalties into The treasury. The con-
spiracy has been substantially broken
down, and every revenue thief and corrup-
ZIONIST in the land has been made to fear
the name of Bristow.
These brilliant operations, beside their
excellent administrative and economical
results, did more 10 set the Republican
party on its feet again than anything else
of public nature occurring within the
SdIhO potlOds ulCh saw tudb ACiot III Withiu
the party was possible, and they saw how
it could be brought about. They saw that
all that was needed was TO put men like
Bristow at the head of all departments of
the public service-and there were others
who we're cooperating with him effectually
and the tide of corruption would be sure
to be stemmed and the Government
brought up TO its highest efficiency for
good. With this conviction assertions
from the Republican ranks stopped, States
and districts which had gone Democratic
in 1875 returned Republican victories, and
the organization resumed the strength,
commanding and cheering, which it still
holds.
That the Republican gratitude did not
result in giving Mr.. Bristow the Cincinnati
nomination is fact which it is hardly
worth while now to reconsider. To max e
an excellent Secretary of the Treasury is
not the same as certifying that man is
sure 10 make complete President. The
Border State residence of Mr.. Bristow
ought not, perhaps, TO have weighed aginst
him at Cincinnati, but 1t did. Besides,
there were other excellent men in the field,
one of whom has been taken. All that,
however, is past, and Mr.. Bristow with
draws for the present to private life. But
he has made name which will not allow
him to stay there always. His modesty as
well as his merit, his unblemished charac-
ter as we'll as his recorded services will
keep him in the minds of his countrymen,
and make his return to public life reasona-
bly, sure and matter of national interest.
boston Journal.