The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1877-09-08
TElE De S10CRRH
Saturday Sept. S
Washington Letter.

Rumor assigns to Judge Hunt Of
Louisiana, Or Ex-Sccretary Bristow Of
kentucky, the vacant place on tho Su-
prcme Co:rt Beach, aud this sppOint-
lncnt, it is thought, will be made this
month. There ia som ctLing to be said
in fayo. Of Tie latter gentleman for
almost eng position, but few believe he
has ell the necessary qualifications for
the highly honorable aud responsible
position spoken Of. II appointed it
will not DO because he is tie equal in
knowledge of the la" Ofhalf hundred
other men. lie was nevc! a Judge.
He never had very high standing al
the bar. lie was not sisualIy efficient
in his subordinate Office in the Depart.
mcnt Of Justice. The most noted ease
be ever managed, outside Of bis office
position, vas tho mule case, and, while
it scOms certain he was not guilty Of
I'LL he was charged with in that case,
We all know he took large fec for Sc.
curing from the Government money
which, il be had been q Government
officer, he would not have allowed to be
pail-a fee, too, that nothing but The
fact that he had been Government Of.
Gcor, ard was therefore, intimately &C.
guaiutcl With Government officers, en-
ab!gd him 10 demand and secure.
There may be nothing very wrong in
this, though it is all tspc, but more
competent men than Bristov caa DO
found, sga;nst whom no suspicion rests.
The Supreme Bench has rot been sur
7nssiugly houorcd IN some of its later
appointments. Let not Mr. Hayes
farther insult it BIZ leaving a suspicion
on the public mind that bis Owl situa-
ton is such that he darcs not appoint
the best man 10 can find.
Secretary Sherman. by stroke Of
his peu, has stopped the payment Of
bouutics 10 soldiers and their heirs
There are seven or eight laws under
which these bOuntics have been paid,
aud the Fourtccath Amendment to the
Constitution, denies even to Congress
the power now exercised BY Sherman,
ofiEteFfcFins With payments under
them. |! is by this clearly illegal aud
unconstitutional act Of tho Secretary,
aud by others equally arbitrary, illegal
and unjust, that he is enabled to report
aattcring, but fictitious, reduction of
the ''pGLlic debt" from month to
month. Every dollar Of these beuutics
ard other legal but unrcpOrtcd debts of
the Government must be paid, bu! to
pay thcm-thc law says they shall!
be paid-which is when they arc pro.
sCntcl--tho Secretary could not sho "
monthly n reduction Of what he dclu-
siyely calls tho "Publio debt" but
which III fact is only that portion of the
public debt which hos been definitely
asGcrtaiRed by issuing bonds and green
backs In the single srnoll matter of
bouutics the Secretary withhOlds FROM
creditors Of the Government every day
some $40, 1000 which amount, if he
obeycl the law, would DO distributed
10 SMALL sums to poor people all ever
the country. Up other classes Of debts
thC amount iq yastly greater.
Mr.. Hayes aud lpcmtorc Of his cab.
met 60 to Ohio this week. They leave
here On the 9Th. aud anticipate a grand
reception throughout tho State. The
voters Of Ohio, who will soon pass up.
ON the merits Of tho Administration,
will doubtless express an opinion upon
the prOpriety Of these cleGtiopeeriug
t:iEs. which, without all tho unplcas.
ant Accomplishments Of Andy Johnson's
noted swinging around the circle, have
au unhappy resemblance to it in many
respects. Tho anxiety Of SIr. Hayes
as to the vote Of Ohio is said to 10 To-
tense.
Al! the Washington correspondents
who try to tell the truth aud to expose
shams, owe IN apology to Assistant
Secretary Mccormick Of the Treasury
Department. They have been laugh
ing at bis silly desire for newspaper
notoricty, aud denying that he meant
10 resign as he often said Ee did. Bns
they werc mistaken. Ito vii! rosigu
it DO can Get first class Foreign
Mission. CT il he can be made SCcrcta-
ry Of the Interior, Schurz taking the
Foreign Mission. This story CONES, ii
is needless to say, from Assistant Sec.
rotary Mccormick Of the Treasury Dc.
paEtment.
Wlnt StatO of things they have
found in South Carolina United