The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1881-05-03
WINDOW AT WASHINGTON,
A Plain Story Of the Way im Which he
Cos Into the Cabinet


WASHINGTON, April 14.-It is in order
now to relate, and upon good Republican
authority how MIR. William Window, of Min |
nesota, pushed himself or was pushed by John |
Sherman upon the new Administration, |
without the slightest qualification or expert
ence Tor the post of duties Of Secretary of
the Treasury. His name was placed on the |
slate to supersede that Of Mr.. Allison, a |
high-toned gentleman, who, like Mr.. Blaine |
for the State Department, was originally
selected for the Treasury, when the Presi- |
dellt-eiert was in the mind of making "a
Garfield Cabinet" Mr.. Allison was qualified |
for the post as a business man of pract icaI |
experience and a leading republican inembe.
OF Mr. Bayard's Senate Committe of Finance |
His acceptance Oh the formal offer was well
understood.
When the president elect reached Wash
ineten and found that ConkIing had COM
PEELED Morton to refuse the ravy, and that he
would have to take Conkling postmaster
general, he was beset to counterbalance
James with a Sherman cabinet member from
the west, aud as Mr.. Allison, as an old aud
close friend OF Blaine, knew that he was not
acceptable to either Sherman or Couking
and appreciated the presidents embalrass-
ment, he declined at the eleventh hour the
appointment, anu Goyernor Kirkwood was
made secretary ofthe interior to represent
the heavy republican majority Of Iowa, and
then followed the unworthy selection of
Window for the treasury.
He was no sooner in office than it was
understood he meant to use all the resources
which congress had left him to pay off or
greatly reduce the maturing bonds. He was
waited upon by delegation from the
New York bank clearing house association,
who had been compelled by Sherman to hold
their own gold coin at a large and needless
expense (SlO.OOO Or Sl2 600 year for the use
of the vault of the Bank of America), with
proIler to lend him $50, 100000 gold at p per
cent. per annum until the meeting of con-
gress, if lie would issue clearing house Ger
titicates for the debtor balances Of the sub
treasury, redeemabie in United States notes
or any other lawful money, when wanted for
circulation, or in a remote contingency to ad-
Just the foreign exchanges.
This offer was held under advisement, as
an extra session Of congress by this time mad
been suggested. Then followed delegation
CT business men to tie president and secre-
tary Of the treasury TO protest against an eX
ira session OF congress If it we're possible to
be ayerled Ih, was about the middle OF
March. They found Oh arrival an extra ses~
sion almost a tUregOne conclusion. Blt the
president agreed to lock into the ways ard
means Of redc"ning the bonds Oh 1851, or so
ldt lthtlGl'i@ Tive HEt pei CtliIS' iiOl iUuDli!E
that he could pay The six per cents. as to ac-
quit himself 10 the country on the financial
eXigency.
The subject WAS discussed between Il mem
ber of this New ork delegation and the
president and Mr.. Wiudom. The balance
sheet of the United States treasurer, Mr. Gil
fllall, was examined. The feasibility of a 4
per cent. loan for StO5 100000, twenty-s;X or
thirty years to run, at ll6a or llsaa per cent.
net, supplying about $i2O, 100000 or $l25,-
| 900, 900 cash means, seemed to be admitted,
| and Mr.. Windom's anxiety TO avoid an extra
! session Was apparently as great as that OF the
New York delegation.
The question, however, was hung up an
other week hy the political pressure for an
early session, but finally the president took
lhe responsibility upon himself to decide that
| he should not call congress together.
| And now comes in the weakness, Or somo-
thing else worse. Of Mr.. Window, aud a more
outra leous line of conduct, compromising at
| once the puhlic credit and tic honor of the
| administration of which he is an ambitious
though incompetent member, was never
k1 i'll the secret history of cabinets.
In less tlan week he surrendered al his
proiessed contidnnce-could moi say that he
would notify the redemption Of the per
| cants-must first know where the money
| was to come fronI-Would ran over to New
! Rork and consult Sherman's old friends. lie
had S30000O, 900 Of coin in the treasury, but
! Sherman advised hlm not 10 use il ana not
| to think of temporary loan from the banks,
nor issue gold certificates on gold notes, hlch
| the country would soon need for circulation
| south and wes.
What ridiculous and iuconclussve scenes
| happened here are too recent to need recapt-
uiation. Window returned to Washington.
! He studied anOther week ''how not 10 do il,
and finally Issued ;he grossly Illegal order Of
last Monday, to the wild joy of Fort Sher-
man, on the corner of Wall street and Broad
way. and other 'disinterested" bankers.
| This is a plain. unvalnished history of SIX
weeks of duplicity in the treasury depart
| ment. 1t remains to be told whether Presi-
! dent Garfield can afford to continue such a
"uxnry' when he comes to dea! with the
| $500, 0OO per cents. as he will be COM
PEELED to DO in another fortnight.