New-York tribune., 1877-05-05
81 CONSISTENT EEPUBLICdN."

The value of recommendations for office has
seldom been more conspicu0nsly illustrated
than in the case of the notorious George ii.
Butler, whose appointment ~ Special Agent
for the Post Office Department is The latest
scandal at the capital. If there was any one
man alive whose chances Of obtaining employ
mcnt under the United States Government
might have been thought desperate, that man
was George III. Butler. He was tried once be-
fore with place in the best civil service on
tbi, planet and the world will not soon forget
now he conducted himself in Office. Ills out
rageOus behavior as COnSuI-Grneral at Caro-
was an ailront 10 friendly FOREIGN govern
mcnt and "a shame to our own country, and
the manner of his leaving Egypt was, II
possible, more disgraCcful than his career
while he remained there. We have not kept
close record of his life since that time, but we
have m impression that we have heard of him
now and again in connection with various
Lrawls and bar,Ooms, and we are certain that
his scandaous habits have done nothing 10 re
pair the very dilapidated reputation with
which hc came home. Yet when Mr. Builder
wished for an appointment under the Admin
istration. he seems to have had no difficulty IN
getting the highest kind of testimonials. Sen
ator Dorsey recommended him as "a good
officer" and aided for the encouragement
Of "thc Hon. MIR. Key, Secretary Posl-Olice
" Dcpartmcnt,n "YOu will find him quick 10
" serve the duties you may impose on mnl and
honest in their fulfillmcnt" Representative
Sayler knew Mr.. Butler to be ga man of re-
"markable ability and energy and was sat
islird that he would discharge the duties of
the position for which no asked to the en-
" tire satisfaction of all concerned Senator
Spencer does not appear TO have written any
letters for Mr. Butler, but he urged the ap
pointmont strcnuously in person; and Gen.
Butler of course pushed his ncphcw's applica
ton with ell the means at his command
The most remarkable of the testimonials,
however, was furnished by our lively friend
MIR. 5. s. Cox. Mr.. Cox expresses the most
exalted appreciation of Buffers "gcnius" rs
a "paragr~ phi,t :" "he is a ready writer, a.
ready as the General with the orIli' aud if
his gif,s have never been discovered by IN
unapprcciatye world, Mr.. Cox may ncycrhe-
less sincerely believe thai his pr0trgG could
write paragraphs if he mad n mind to, and
that Lis duties rs Post Office route agent IN
the Black Hills will bring out whatcv"r genius
of a literary description he may have within
him. 81 trust my naming him in this way
continues Mr.. Cox, "wlll not in any way dis
"conccIt you, Mr.. President" Really, Mr..
Cox, that is hoping little too much.
But if it is dsconcerting to find NJ. Cox
naming tipsy yagabond who never did
good thing IN his life as a literary genius, We
cannot for a moment doubt his sincerity when
he expresses "an especial desire TO see Col.
" George ii. Butler recognized by the Admin
&" lstraiion;" nor is there any reason TO sUppOso
that he is joking when he comments that
person rs "a consistent Republican, of course
Mr. Cox is not u man to vail sarcasm under
recommendation, or TO attack a political ad-
versary under cover Of friendly letter. lie
must have been totally unconscious Of the
comica effect of what he was writing. Indeed
it has often been observed that men who
are ready with the oral are easily
disconnected when they express themselves
with the pen. and under such circumstances
are never funnier than when they try to be
sober. Of course it gratiiics Mr. Cox to sec
Butler "recognizcd by the AdminiStra-
"tion." 1t gratifes the whole Democratic
party-possibly with the exception of "the
" Hon. Nh Key, Secretary POst-Oiicc Depart
"ment" Mr.. Key Is understood to be the
man who did this thing, and Mr.. Key must
now realize that il was a very bad thing to
do. II is one of the most fragrant conceivable
violations of the Presidents principle of
making civil service appointments, and if it
is sustained by Mr.. Keys superior it gives all
the reform professions of tho Administration
the appearance of gross hypocrisy. But we
presume that the appointment will be revoked.
1HE PFRMANENT EKHIBITION.
Our Philadelphla ncighbors are strainipg