The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-11-04
POLITICAL

POLITICAL MARTYRDOM.
Somebody was satirical enough to say
that COON was synonymous with cunning
or shrewdness, but it is to be feared that
the intelligent reader OF one Charles E,
Coon's letter to the Secretary of the Treas.
ury, telegraphed to the press yesterday
! morning, resigning his position OF Assistant
Secretary. will be seriously inclined to write
that Coon down as an ass. MI. Coon
it would seem. from the contents OF his re
markable state paper addressed to Mr..
Manning, is a martyr inundated IN the
! altar OF his Republican faith. Poor fellow
, 1t is to be hoped that his Republican com
misserants will have his political carcass
incinerated in the new ~crematory, just com
| pleted in New York, and have his ashes de-
posted in an urn. SO that they can annually
make a pilgrimage to worship at it's shrine
as do the followers of Mahomet to his tomt
as the Mecca of their faith. Who in thu
name of all that is good and beautiful, is
| this Mr.. Coon, that the Associated Press
should consider him ofso much Importance
| RS to tax the newspapers, and bore thell
| readers, with his letter of resignation, after
he was politely informed that his room was
! better thar his company?
A modest clerk would AVE unostenta.
| tiously gathered up his gripsack and pc
litely have vacated HIS desk, with the proud
satisfaction of knowing that he had faith
fully performed his duty. But not SO with
Mr.. Coon. No. He must strain his brain
to it's utmost tension in his efforts to con-
lure thoughts, and find words to express
| them, that he might be enabled to politically
| impugn the motives OF his superior, and ex-
| cite the sympathy and draw crocodile tears
of coincidence from the eyes OF the multi
tude of Republicans in the land. In this
Mr.. Coon will be sadly disappointed not only
because the members of that party ex-
hausted their tear bags when Mr.. Blaine,
their last candidate for the Presidency, was
ingloriously defeated, but in consequence OF
the fact tina the Republicans are sufficient
ly intelligent to know, and liberal enough
to admit, that what is ''sauce for the goose
is sauce for the gander;" because the change
OF the political complexion OF an admins
tration j~ustities the removal OF all political
officers, except such subordinates as may
be protected by the Civil Service law,
whether they are in harmony with the pol
icy oil the new President or not.
Mr.. Coon, it appears, was an Assistant
Secretary of the Treasury for eighteen
months, and had, prior to his promotion
to that office, been a clerk in the depart
ment nearly twenty years. This fact causes
his published letter to place him in a mora
ludicrous position than he otherwise would
occupy. He certainly ought to have
known that his office was excepted from
the civil service rule, which prevents subor-
dinates being removed upon mere political
grounds. His letter shows him to have
been aware of the fact, as he WAS not in &C
cord politically with the President and Mr..
Manning, the Secretary OF the Treasury,
that his tenure OF office was a very uncer-
tain one. for he says: early in March
last I frankly informed the President and
| yourself thai while l had been promoted to
| the office of Assistant Secretary, after a
| service OF nearly twenty years in the Treas
| ury without the intervention or sOlicita-
| ton of a single politician, l had always
| been and still was a Republican; that while
! l did not deem it consistent, with either
| the circumstances OF my appointment or
! the spirit OF the reform in the civil service,
| to which the Administration was pledged,
| to abandon my Office because Of political
prejudice, yet 1 was ready to do so in a mo-
ment if desired by you" II he has any
brains at all he must have been aware that
| the new Treasurer could not, without
seriously ~injuring the public business, re,
move the principal clerks in his department
Immediately upon assuming the RESPONSE.
BILE office to which he had been appointed.
Mr.. Manning permitted this much-injured
clerk to remain at his desk over seven
months, either because he regarded him Of
no consequence in politics, or, what is more
reasonable to suppose, he desired to take
time in securing the services OF a more com
petent man.
MI. Manning, having been advised by
Mr.. Coon that he was willing to abandon
his office at a moment if desired by him,
as soon as he found an acceptable Demo
GRAFT to occupy the latter's desk, so in
formed him and, instead of peremptorily
~discharging him, as he had a perfect right
to do. politely requested him to tender his
resignation. In order that Mr.. Coon
might not take any offense or consider it a
great hardship, or feel that he was a po'
litical martyr, the Secretary conveyed to
him his assurances of satisfaction with the
manner in which he had performed his
duties. What more could Mr.. Coon ask
He had rendered his resignation, because
something admonished him that, as "to the
victors belong the spoils," and he being a
lifelong Republican, if such a thing was
possible, he had no right to expect any
favors from a Democratic Administration.
Was he conceited enough to think that his
services were essential to aproper admins.
tration of the affairs of the Treasury De.
partment? Perhaps he was afraid that
his removal would destroy the intricate
system OF government and that the Federal
Union would crumble to pieces. Poor fel.
low! He is. according to his estimate ol
his own Importance, to be pitied; because
he will find, much to his sorrow, hat the
wheels OF the Government will move on
with the same regularity without, as with,
his very important and indispensable ser.
vices. He will now enjoy the satisfaction
OF knowing that he can with impunity de-
nounce Mr.. Cleveland and Mr.. Manning,
and, without secretly violating the Civil
Service law by paying political assessments,
contribute from his private purse literally
to assist in replenishing the exhausted
Golfers of his b%enefactors, that is, the cam
paign fund ofthe Republican party. There's
many more to follow"
The P~resbytery OF Montana, at it's last