New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-05-28
MANNING Us. BAYARD.

In the nature of things, Bayard and Manning
| agree like fire and water. As Mr.. Cleveland
WAS not physically blind and deaf ut the ume
| his Cabinet was in process OF formation, he
must have known that the two principal MEM
| bers of that body represented the opposing
| forces which have for twenty years strugeleu
| Tor control in the Democratic party. Nhen
| Mr.. Cleveland thought he was compelled 10
! offer Cabinet position to Mr.. Bayard largely
| he it remembered, because the hOlier-than-
| tbou DC ople looked upon Bayard as a SAINT nc
| was oucklv met with evidence that his New
| York and other Eastern friends, from MT
Tilden down, would not stand Bayard i'll the
| Treasury The protests of Randall and
German. Barnum and Payne, convinced him
that the Southern free trader and possible
candidate must be forced into the emptiest and
! least influential seat in the Cabinet II retained
in il at all. Then came the long search for
man who could be put into the Treasury
Department without giving mortal afiront to
Mr.. Bayard whose heart had been set on that
| place. Ii WAS finally determined to aifront the
respectabes and the Civil Service people,
instead, by selecting Mr. Manning rs personal
friend.
Thus Mr.. Mlnning went in ~ the represent
alive of the spOils- huntlng Democracy OF the
East, which never loads itself down with
burdensOme beliefs about anything, has no con-
victiOns, and is always ready To profess any
thing under the sun in order TO get office. Mr..
Bayard. ON the other hand, represented the old
fashioned Democracy of the Rebellion. Filled
to the muzzle with ancient blgotries ana
malignant prejudices which it mistakes for
opinions and convictions this party OF
Bourbons hates the tricky and shlfty Democ-
racy of the Eastern States, but wants to use It's
votes. nevertheless. Mr.. Bayard felt that he
was fit for Secretary OF the Treasury, whereas
he would probably have made worse mess OF
il in that than in the State Department HIS
confinement to place which has no control OF
patronage within this country, and no power In
matters of money or taxation, was rs gazing 10
Mr. b yard as it was to his friend Mr. Belmont
1t is not strange If he is minded To use what
little power he has with small regard for the
wishes of Eastern politicians. But being really
the narrow and ill-informed man his selections
have proved him, ignorant of men, their quail
ficatiOns and records, and anxious only to please
those who have been his personal supporters,
he has put it in the power of his foes to say that
he is the one blunder in the Cabinet anu DIS
grace to the Administration
Mr.. Manning Is thorough paced political
schemer, of the sharpcst New-fork variety.
Therefore he has sense enough to conduct MS
department. in important matters OF hnance,
according to the advice of practical men OF
business This gives him hold upon public
confidence, and meanwhile he proceeds To use
the patronage for party purposes as indecenty
as Mr. Bayard, and a great deal more shrewdly.
IL is in his department that Higgins Is a valued
and powerful assistant and Pillsbury repre-
sents his idea of reform in New England. Dis
graceful appointments have been made in his
department by the scores appointments III the
last degree hostile to the public interests and
to every notion of Civil Service reform. But
they have been shrewd and useful appoint
ments for the spoils-grabbing partisan. In
that respect, he has the best of Mr.. Bayard,
who has dsgraced his party and affronted all
reformers a. much as Mr.. Manning, but at the
same time has made utterly worthless selections
| for his party.
OF the two, it would be better to have Mr..
| Manning remain and rule. lie has some
| practical sense. lie does not represent merely
the bigotres and ignorances, the hatreds and
rhe putrid "reminiscences of his party. He
would help the country some; Mr.. Bayard not
any. Mr. Manning would do his best to
intrench his party strongly, but it is past his
power to make oil and water mix. To in
trench, for him. means Higgins and Pillsbury,
and that also means defeat.