Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-11-10
TIE COMING ADMINISTRATION.

Governor roster, OF OHlo, 10 i0PoiVeu %
saving that % General Garheld's nomination
:" at Chicago left him absolutely free from
nentaneling alliances" This we assume
to be true, since the circumstances OF that
nomination made it impossible that he
should have entered into any bargains. 1t
follows. however, that if General Garfield
is thus free to choose his own political
family, his responsibility must be undi-
vided. Heretofore it has frequently hap
pened that Presidents have escaped the
full responsibility for bad and unfit selec-
tions, by shifting the burden on to the
shoulders of the friends who managed their
canvass and procured their nomination.
In the present case the country will look
to General Garfield to vindicate the high
reputation he has already earned SO well,
by selecting an unimpeachable cabinet, and
by showing himself to be in sympathy with
the reform beliefs which the best minds of
his party are committed to. He must re.
member that when the Chicago Conven-
ton met Liberal Republican organization
had already been effected; that it was
fully prepared to put candidate in the
field if the nomination of Grant had been
forced on the Convention; and that it
only abandoned this purpose on the Sc
lection of General Garfield because he
was understood to be in sympathy
with the objects it had in view.
It seems necessary to recall these facts be-
cause Governor Foster is represented as
saying that he does not think General
Garfield will "make any speciality of Civil
Sc Service reform" and that Sc his Admin
i" istration will be somewhat stalwart." OF
course very much may depend upon the
meaning which Governor Foster ascribes to
the word stalwart," but it is evident
that if he uses it in the sense in which it
has been used by the opponents of Grant.
ism, he attributes intentions to the new
President which cannot but disappoint the
! independent element of the Republican
party. In regard to Civil Service re.
form 1t must be admitted that General
Garfield has thus far made no promises.
His letter of acceptance in fact appeared
to reveal by no means satisfactory men,
tai attitude towards that question, on his
part The example of President Hayes
shows that the very fullest preliminary
assurances on such matter may prove to
be quite worthless, and therefore perhaps
we ought not to entertain apprehensions
because General Garfield has been more
cautious and on.committal. There
can, however, be no doubt that
he will be expected to rise
above the political position commonly
understood by the epithet stalwart, and
that if he fails to do SO he will endanger
his hold upon the confidence of those ele-
ments which he, as an enlightened and
lberal-minded man, must desire to stand
well with. Governor Foster says 1.-The
South did not give him vote, and he
has no debts to pay in that quarter "
So far as we can perceive he has no
debts to pay in any quarter, save his
debt of duty to the whole American
people. They at least have right to ex-
pect that he will not derogate from his
previous reputation, and that he will con-
sequently choose his cabinet for acknowl-
edged fitness, and not for the purpose of
conciliating this or that clique or faction.
At present we are inclined to think that
his too stalwart friends are doing him
more harm than good by their free predic-
tions as to his course, and though we by
no means desire to regard these predictions
as possessing any special significance, we
could wish at least that they were balanced
| by others of more reassuring tendency.