The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1881-05-21
One Month Of Garfleld-And What Of
Tlat MONTH";

i INV NAVneA Va N"esA sAS-e. N sAA SAA0S "
That MONTH";
| General Garfield is entitled to faiI
trial. Such, we believe, was the pre-.
vailing and general sentiment of the
people of the United States when. on
the fourth of March, the new President
took the oath of Office and entered
upon its grave and onerous duties.
Such, certainly, was our own feeling;
and such is our feeling now. When a
candidate is fairly elected President
of the United States we think there
ought to be so far an abatement of par
tisan opposition to him that all men
will wish him well, will wish him q sue
cessful Administration, as, indeed, it
seems to us from patriotic motives they
are bound to desire.
One day has yet to elapse before Gen.
eral Garfield will have completed the
first month of his administration. By
his works he shall be judged. That Is
all his friends can demand; and that his
political opponents. deferring to the fair
spirit of the times, will unhesitatingly
concede.
What, then, have been his works,
thus far. by which his measure may be
taken?
He told the country in his inaugural
address that he thought the tenure in
subordinate offices should be rendered
more permanent by law. Now, he GER
tainly cannot have meant that fixity of
tenure in Office should be effected by
positive enactment, but that, until thus
made permanent, he would go on reck-
lessly removing public officers upon
mere whim or personal preference,
and without any reason whatever!
General Garfield would have felt pro-
voked and indignant if such construc-
ton had been put upon his language at
the time it was uttered.
Yet this is precisely what has been
done. Look at the removal of General
Merritt from the office of Collector of
this Port, and tell us whether it is not
so.
Then in the Post Office of this CITY.
where it was loudly boosted that the
principles and rules of Civil-Seryice re-
form in all their purity and simplicity
were called into practice. the removal
of their subordinates solely because
they do not please their superior has
been introduced by General Garfield's
Postmaster!
The doctrine publicly espoused bv
General Garfield at the time of his
nomination. that Senators and Repre-
sentatives were to be consulted in max
ing Federal appointments, has been
too VIGOROUSLY disregarded in signal
and most important instances to require
protracted discussion.
Finally we come to q most impor-
tant matter. Whatever else General
Garfield might do, and whatever he
might leave undone, on this one thing
his mind was made up and un-
alterably fixed; and that was
that the Treasury should not
go to Wall street. And so General
Garfield took an Innocent from the
Far West, nearer to the setting sun
than sin and depravity, or knowledge
OF finances-next in iniquity to the for
hidden fruit of the Tree of KNOWLEDGE
had ever reached.
The Innocent came to Washington,
took the oath of Office, and was lately in
this city, openly declaring he was in q
purely judicial frame of mind. MY
IDEAS" he said, Twill be largely gov
eined by those with whom l shall con-
fer"
That is to say, Mr.. Window is a mere
lgnoramus as to the duties of the high
office he has assumed, and he came
on here to throw himself incontinently
into the hands of Wall street and its
sharpers!
Clearly enough, in spite of all General
Garfielfs protestations, Wall street has
The Treasury!
Such, it appears to us, is a fair and
Just summing up of the first month of
General Garfields Administration.-M