Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-04-05
THE NEW POSTMASTER GENERAL.

The president passed by the multitude
oe statesmen, great and small, whose names
were industriously connected with the
cabinet vacancy, and went to Indiana for
his postmaster general, in whom he found
the person of United States District Judge
Walter @. Gresham. AS a rule the political
appointments from that state have not de-
velopsd men who have become a credit
to the public service, and the large ma
iority of them have been smirched by
scandals of some sort.
The selection of Judge Gresham was
made because he belongs to the Grant
clan, and several Of our esteemed and able
Republican contemporaries assume to see
in the appointment an opportunity for
making a political impression upon the
results of the immediate future
in Indiana. This is ride
ulosity, though NO doubt the executive and
| his ohums had this notion, and caught at
the drowning mans straw. The President
took one judge off the bench and put him
| in his cabinet, and the unlucky wight has
! shown up as the heaviest part of mill
! stone, and enjoys the distinction of being
the best rspudiated politician the
people Of any stats ever pronounced
| upon. IF the executive can learn and
| profit by experience, it would seem that he
| would shun further selections from the
| judiciary.
The effect upon Indiana, politically, is
already, and farther on will prove to be
the reverse of what was intended and
hoped for. John G. News nose is out of
joint, and this already disappointed and
disgruntled politician will do moro mis-
chief than platoon OF postmaster generals
can repair, and besides that a
regiment of sach selections as this
| could not save the state. When
| ever Indiana has gone Republican
it has been because of unnatural appli-
ances and rotten methods, and the result
of 1880 cannos pc repeated while the
| present generation are on earth.
| It is Easy to ses that the President is
schsming to control the next nomination
of his party, and in the interest of the
stalwarts. Thus far the effect OF his policy
has been to widen the breach in thu ranks,
for if there is any one thing more
unsavory than another to the majority of
the old Republicans 1t is to witness the
favors shown to the stalwart class, and the
effort to revive the obnoxious rule OF
| Grantism.
Judge Gresham is in the prime OF life,
q good fellow among his neighbors, but
enjoys no distinction as a jurist. He
abandons life-office. which, owing to his
wealth, is not necessity to
him, and accepts an appointment
to position for which neither his habit OF
mind or training qualify him. If the
president had desired to impress the coun-
try that he wished to promote the useful
ness Of one OF the most important arms of
tbs public service, he could not very well
have made an appointment 50 little quail
fed TO produce such 2 result. His first
appointment was weak one. and he has
seriously blupdered again.
| The country has ceased to hope for any
good thing at the hands of ths present ex-
ecutive and his administration. These are
indeed the days of small things, and small
men cannot be expected to produce other
than small results. If the welfare of our
public service and the general prosperity
of the people is not seriously impaired be-
fore remedy can be reached by consti-
tutional methods, it will not be because
the men temporarily in power are pos
sessed of the capacity and patriotism to
perform the acts which their high trusts
impose. The people have been and are
being trided with beyond the limit of
| reasonable endurance.