Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-09-23

Cleaning the CaD1net.
Washington oapital.l
Said a c ll-known but i~mpecunious
adnhrer of Senator Conkling: THE
first man who will tender his resigna-
ton will be Tom James. Tom is
clever enough in his way, the prettiest
promise maker you ever saw; puts his
arms round you, pats you on the
back, tells you how pleased he will be
to servo you, and then goes back on
you every time. You feel, when he
is giving you the taffy, that you
wouldn't give ten cents premium to
insure you an appointment, and when
you find out that you are left and tax
him with it, he smiles you clean out of
the ROOM"
"But is he not Afthur's friend,
queried a bystander.
Arthur friendl Well, now, that's
rich. He used to belong to the old
guard, and the old guard petted, pam.
pered and spoiled him. From a Gus
tom House Inspector au 81 a day he
was promoted up to the postmaster
ship of New York, and then somebody
worked him into the Cabinet. When
the time came to stand by his old
friends he weakened on us in
a way we all despise. The Star-route
investigations gave him the Presiden-
tial disease, and he's got it worse than
Jim Blaine or little Bobby Lincoln.
Gibson and Billy Cook have ruined
Tom James, and he has traded off, like
Aladdin's lamp, old friends for new.
What makes you think he would
tender his resignation?"
why, because he can't bury the
Ratchet with Roscoe Conkling or Tom
Platt, and he knows it. Roscoe
always pays off in kind, and if you
bite his nose off with mustard he will
have at you with pepper. Everybody
knows that Tom James and his new
friends did all they could to aid the
Half Breeds and Feather Heads, and
between Arthur and Conkling and
the Half Breeds and Feather Heads
there is not much love lost"
And what about MacYeagh? VIII
he throw up the sponge2"
MACY eagh might as well hand in
his chips at an early day. Don Cam
eron can't save his brother in law, and
perhaps won't try to do so. More
over, Bill Chandler has a little settle
ment 10 make with MacVeagh, which
complexities affairs; for that matter, so
has George Gorham. But MACY eagh
is well off and can live without office.
Tom James is not a millionaire, and
would be likely to accept the Presi
dency Of some New York corporation,
which was limited at some time age,
provided the story was true"
What about Window, end how
will he be plaeed?"
"Windom, | think, grieves at hav-
ing resigned his seat in the Senate to
accept the Treasury portfolio. lie
funded the six per cent loan, or rather
it funded itself, since bondholders
were only three and a half per cent
in the present plethora of the money
market, This being done, there is no
more glory left, and that which he
has received will be soon forgotten.
He has not been able TO run his de-.
partment since the Presidents illness.
The pitching into certain Treasury
officials, and Congress is likely to 60
into Treasury investigations with a
vim at the coming session. Window
is a genial, quiet man, who don't like
fuses or Investigations. Jim Blaine
is accused Of laying over Window, so
far as Treasury matters are concerned,
and it looks as if their Presidential
aspirations were clashing."
But Window has always been re-
garded as a man Of courage and pretty
sharp in politics"
Yes, that's so; but you must re-
member he succeeded John Sherman,
and Brother John had been trigger
ing for the Presidential nomination at
Chicago. The Treasury Department
was in an unsettled condition vixen
Window took hold Of it. John Sher.
man had the reputation of being a
great financier, and no doubt laughed
in his sleeve to find Window filling
his shoes. He left his shadow there
when he went to the Senate. Some
say hat he is still in the Treasury by
proxy, and Window don't know it.
But Window has been plagued and
bothered ever since his appointment.
He has not been able to accomplish
much, owing to the Presidents mis-
fortune, and be finds he does not lie
on a bed of roses. He would only be
too glad to quit and be elected or APP
pointed to succeed himself in the
Senate. Window is a good man, with
some Presidential aspirations; but it
is a hard thing to get along as a mem
Der Of the Cabinet where all OF them
are pretty much afflicted with the
same maggot, and are little Presi-
DENTS"
Who are aspirants for the Presi-
dency among the Cabinet"
why didn't you ask who arc not?
Kirkwood and Hunt are the only ones
who are not. Kirkwood is too old,
and Hunt knows that the South can
not well present a Presidential candi-
date, at least for some years to come.
Bob Lincoln has got the Presidential
'heayes, and got 'em bad. He has
been hattered into the belief that his
name and lineage are the sole requi.
sites to secure the succession, and that
it will take like wildfre. He is a
pretty smart sort Of a young man,
works hard and all that sort Of thing;
but he is green as a gourd in politics,
narrow in action, and only dances just
as his father in law, Jim Harlan, of
Iowa, pipes. Why, he doesn't know
the first principles Of the game, and,
moreover, does not take after his
fathers side. He Is more like his
mothers family. John Logan will
possibly back Lincoln to remain in
the Cabinet; but il would be better if
Logan would take the War Office him
self. We would then have q man who
knew something about military mat
tiers; and John is a good one, | tell
youl Bob Lincoln didn't play much
of a hand in favor Of Conkling, and
he ate his peck Of dirt like a little
man in the Albany fight. He was for
ConkliDg if he won; il he lost, he was
for the other fellows. He bet on the
high comb cock whcn the high-comb
fellow W. on ton aud on the low