The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-06-27
IN. Y. Trlbune,l
Letter from Gail Hamilton.
Reform Aspects of not Retaining Mr. Ty-
ner Ia his Old Place-Mr. Key-Mr'
Thompson's Appointment-Case of Mr.
Morrill, Collector washburn,s Reno
vai-The Custom House-Mr. Evarfs.

Mr. Morton. He was "strong Supporter of
the Morton policy in the South says the Ma
ton of July 13, 1876, and 'got his present of
fee for voting for the Force bill last year.. For
Reform Cabinet there was but one course
toward Mr.. Tyner-turn him out neck and
heels. On the contrary, the Reformers sud-
denly discovered that when he was promoted
to the Postmaster -Generalship in July, 1876,
he brought to the discharge of his duty, marked
ability" that ''his business ability and long
experience in postal matters would be of value
the Government" and that "hs consent to per-
form the duties of position with which he was
thoroughly familiar would give promise of
continued efficiency in the postal service"
SO 1t seems his promotion for purely political
and even very questionable reason was just as
good in its results as if he had been promoted
on Civil Service Reform principles; and that
the RefOrmers, burning for a radical change,
could find no better one than the one whom
that corrupt politician, Senator Morton, had
put in as reward for being his serviceable
tool.
After all this. there was, on Reform grounds
still but one course to take regarding Mr.. Ty-
ner; retain him in a position for VIII ch he had
so thoroughly proved bis fitness. Not So Mr..
Tyner was displaced and Mr.. Key, of whom
venture to say the country at large had never
heard in connection with the postal service,
was put in his place. And Mr.. Keys first an
nouncement of radical change in his depart
ment was the declaration that she had no In
tention of making any changes and that he
desired to run the machine about as his dis
recorded exposition of Civil Service Reform
principles is that if the Southern Democrats
''oppose the Administration, the President
will be compelled to use his official patronages
in such way as to give him strength in hi
own party; whereas, should Southern Demo
Gratis wisely extend to him support, he will
be able to deal his patronage to them literally.
His most brilliant feat in the Reform Admin
istration, which will not mix politics with
business and will have no appointment except
for fitness, was the appointment on the recon-
mendation of two Northern Democrats and
two Southern "carpet-baggers' for the purpose
of showing that he was not governed by any
prejudice against Northern Republicans of
man who had been dismissed the public ser
vice, and the subsequent discharge of the same
man on the representations of an anonymous
traveller Here I think the RefOrmers are
right, and that this is a radical change. 1
recOllect no other instance of a Cabinet Minis
ter within two months of his appointment
personally and directly pledging the Federal
patronage as pay for votes. Civil Service Re-
form did we'll to displace Mr.. Tyner, and put
Mr.. Key in his place, for do not believe that
Mr.. Tyner, with all the training of his Ring
master Morton, would ever have been equal to
the accomplishment of this feat. But when it
comes to the mere performance of the peoples
post-0fice business, l cannot agree with that
exuberant Reformer who declares in allusion to
Mr.. Tyner's reluctant acceptance of a subordin-
ate position, that "Civil ServiceReform is half
accomplished when Ole Bull condescends to
play second fiddle" think that Civil Service
Reform is standing on what it is pleased to call
its head when it asks Ole Bull to play second
fiddle, and puts in street organ man to lead
the orchestra.
Nor does the matter seem to be material lly
mended by Mr.. Keys late sudden outburst of
Spartan virtue upon the head OF some unlucky
hnxyn
of knowing what to say and what to understand
without saying. This sspeciallystupid agent blurts
out that ''the understanding when he was ap-
pointed was that he should aid his party friends
in orga nizing an Administration party in his
State" "Yon were not" sternly rejoins this
Brutus of Reform, You were not appointed
to organize and build up an Administration
party in yoursState; you were appointed to do
the work of the POSt.Office Department.
Now, in view of the special agents assertion
that he understood that he aoas to aid in build
ing up an Administration party, and 10 v ew of
his chiefs declaration that the patronage was
to be used to strengthen the Administration in
the South, the war-dance of incorruptibility
executed by Mr.. Key in his letter of june 10,
does not seem particularly imposing. l am
more frank than false. II cannot, dare not,
will not" says this Cabinet Casabianca,
give special privilege to any agent" The
gentleman doth protest too much, methinks.
with which the Postmaster-General sits in his
easy Chair at the Post Office, and marshals his
special agents to do battle with the fer0cious
foes of the Post.Office Department, is enough
to create a soul under the ribs of death. We
always supposed until Mr.. Key came, that the
peaceful affair; but one blast upon his bugle
horn-and down the glen ride armed men
whose blood shall stain the heather! "On
horseback and stage lines, and even on foot
think OF special agents acdtking to their bus-
ness!-"in rain, sunshine and storm"-proba-
bly, and properly for dog-day or January
thaw they may be allowed to turn in-but no,
we find as we read on that they are not going
to be allowed to drizzle out of it in that way.
"Night and day, IN all sorts of cedther," this
martinez will have his trained warriors scour-
ing the country for lost letters andj pilferiDg
postmasters!
But what inspiriting views of the postal ser
vice we should have missed had that special
agent happened not to write his offending let
ter just at this time!-just in time to give Mr..
Key an opportunity to parry and qualify his
imprudent promise and still more inprudent
threat that the patronage of the. Post-O Office
Department should be used to uphold or cast
down the Southern Democracy according as
that stiff -necked party should bend or refuse TO
bend to the yoke of the Administration; just
in time also for me to interpOlate into my
proof Mr.. Keys daring war,whoop of reform,
shouted out in public to the Special Agent, but
not quite loud enough to drown the sibilant
echoes of that unfortunate private whisper to
his brother which somehow found its way over
all the mountain sides.
Seems well satisfied with the appointment of
Mr. Thompson of Indiana to the office of
Secretary of the Navy, though nobody, it seems,
had even thought of him as a Cabinet officer.
But when Judge Patterson OF Terre Haute
asked President Hayes how he came to think
q I"
Cabinet, the President said: Nearly forty
years ago L heard him make a speech in
Columbus, Ohio. l stood square away, but
heard distinctly every word of his silvery
voice, and his wonderful eloquence impressed
me so that l have never forgotten il"
If there is any truth in this, it is probably SO
docked and distorted as to be a practical
falsehood; but none the less is it incumbent on
the Civil Service RefOrmer to point out that
radically changed rule which makes slvery
eloquence in an inland orator the required
fitness for Secretaryship of the Navy
Secretary RObeson has long been the awful
example of the Reformers. The Revelations
of Iniquity which we have been promised in
his Department have made our blood run cold
with delightful anticipatons. Secretary
Thompson" says the RefOrmer, whetting our
appette'is devoting his entire time (extending
his labors seven far into the night to most
thorough investigation of the business of the
Navy Department" Angels might weep at
the spectacle OF that blessed saint and martyr
sitting up till half-past II o'clock, "rasling"
with Mr.. Robeson's accounts, while an aureole
of millers and midges and mosquitoes and
Juue-bugs, which his solitary gas light has
attracted, beat their DEVILS tattoo around his
devoted head.
But like the cruel King, we "bear to look on
torture, buoyed up the firm faith that Secre-
tary Robson is going to catch it; and in the
next paragraph but one the same Reformer
tells Us that sit may be said that in spite of
reports to the contrary, which have been
freely circulated lately, he has as yet dis
covered no evidence of dishonesty in the
administration of his predecessor" Why
then, tthunders disappointed people, is he
sitting up O nights? Dishonesty is all there is
of it, We were promised feast of fat things
and if there is no.fraud, Secretary Thompson
might as we'll turn down the gas and 60 home!
But no. "He does find that system of con-
Quoting the business of the department different
from that which he will pursue and from that
which he believes the law authorizes was pre-
valent under the last Administration"
That is better than nothing, as the good old
lady said when she found that though her son
had given up the ct ernal punishment Of hell
fire he did believe in scorching purgatory.
But it is rather disappointing to find it all
whitfield down to a difference in the construc-
fion of law between Secretary Robson aud
Secretary Thompson. And as Secretary Robe
son was lawyer of high standing at the New
Jersey bar when he was called into the Grant
Cabinet, as he was for some years Attorney
General of his State and descended from line