National Republican., 1877-07-03
TILE Ell. TON LITTER.

We publish elsewhere n letter written by
Mr. G. G. FULTON, editor Of the Baltimore
american, to President HAYES. The pro-
duction is 80 extraordinary in its character
aud displays such total disregard of the
propricties fit to he observed in communi-
eating with the President Of the United
States in regard to matter of such great
public importance that it is no wonder that
considerable doubt prevails ms to the authen-
ticity of the letter. u Is difficult to believe
that the editor of lcr''img journal could
he guilty of such folly
Let us examine this letter. Hc starts out
by u reference to an agreement which he
claims was entered into at the time WILL
KINs was appointed that he should only
hold the Office until the end of GRANTS
term. Now, If such agreement was made,
il proves Mr.. FULTON to have been party
to bargain and sale of the Baltimore col
lcctOrship for political considerations,
transaction which, while it would afford
abundant reasons for the removal of Will
KINs, would at the same time prove Mr..
FULTON to be person wholly unfit to he
consulted by the President in reference to
an appointment under a rule which re-
ouires that no other considerations shall
govern in the appointment Of officers except
"thc honesty fidelity and capacity OF the
appointecs." -,
In urging the appointment of his friend
THOMAS, Mr.. FULTON has not one word to
say about honesty, fidelity or capacity"
on the contrary, that he seeks the removal of
WILKINS for personal reasons growing out of
political quarrel. His letter discloscs all
the odious intIigues and counter intrlgues
of the machine politicians, so that any one
at all familiar with the subject knows at
once that the Baltimore cOllectOrship had
been used not ms an instrument to serve the
public but for the private and personal In
| icrests of Baltimore politicians.
Having thus shown himself to have been
| a party to bargain and sale Of the collcc-
torship for political and personal cOnsidcra-
ti0ns, aud fully identified with the worst
practices OF the old system of political
management, Mr.. FULTON closes his letter
by making proposition insulting to the
dignity and honesty of the President, as
well us subyerSion OF every principle of true
civil service reform. The proposition is un-
blushingly corrupt. He says TO the Presi-
dent, in plain terms, that il he will make
the appointments suggested by Mr..
THOMAS and himself he will perform GER
tain political services for the party in
MARYLAND and will, moreover, "elcctriiy the
whole State" whatever that may mean.
Now. we hold that the entire discTcdit O
this letter rests upon Mr. FULTON, and that
he is responsible for this bold proposition tt
disregard every principle Of civil service
reform in making the Baltimore appoint.
ments So far as the President is concerned
he had, of course, good reasons for appoint
ing Mr.. THOMAS, but those reasons are not
the ones contained in the FULTON letter
II is doubtful whether he even saw the
letter, since he can of course, but seldom
personally examine any OF the thousands o
letters addressed to him on official business
In every instance in which the appoint
mcnts of the President have been uniayor
ably criticised 1t has turned out that when
all the facts and circumstances became
known the wisdom of his action has been
fully established OF course the appoint
mcnt of Mr.. THOMAS may have been the
very best that could have been made, not
withsIanding the bad reasoDs which Mr. Full