The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-05-21
BAYARD'S APPOINTMENTS.
The Administration VIII Do Its Dut
Honestly and Fearlessly,

The Administration VIII Do It's Duty
Honestly and Fearlessly.
The reason that some hypercritical
editors in New York complain of APP
pointments in Secretary Bayard's De-
partment is largely due to the fact,
though they may falsely deny it as long
as they will, that the South has not been
wholly ignored There is one thing that
these fault-finders wholly disregard.
The North and West together gave
sixty-SiX electoral votes, whilst the South
alone gave one hundred and fifty-three,
or more than twice rs many IS the
North and West combined. Yet these
profesScd Democrats in New York Sc
cretly wish Southern men to stand aside
for fear that their presence in public
places may give offence to Republicans
and be made use of in coming cam
paigns to discredit the loyalty of the
Democratic Administration. Ii these
tricksters think that were such coward
" injustice done the Southern Demo-
Gratis, who are As patriotic to-day as
any Republican. it would be accepted
with smile by those who were so
grossly wronged. they are indeed de-
ceivlng themselves with false notions of
Southern character.
But let us see what really has been
done. Of the seven places in the Cab
met the eX-Confederate States have two;
of the four chief missions they have
one; of the four in the second rank 10
which appointments have been made
they have been awarded one: of four
CommissionershipSi in the departments
they have one. But they ask no more.
Under Republican rule they were al
most as wholly disregarded rs if they
had been situated IN New Zealand.
They are now represented in the chief
departments of the Government, Is they
should be if they are ever to be recog-
nized as once more in the Union, ready
to defend it alike against instruction
or invasion.
1t is charged that more changes have
been made in the Department of State
than in any other. This, it would
seem, should cast no discredit on the
eX-Confederate States, whose two chief
representatives are in the Departments
of the Interior and Justice. But the
truth is, that there have been more
designations in the State Department
than in any other, not because they
were required, but from the very ma
ture OF the places which are held; for
Ministers abroad are accustomed TO
tender their designations when a
change in an Administration takes
place, and their example is properly
followed by others holding Office TN
der the Department Of State. There
is more political machinery, however,
in other departments. particularly IN
the Treasury, and Office-hOlderS cling
with greater tepacity to their desks.
Perhaps, after all, foreign courts may
have refining influence that is I'M
known to the band of sp0ilsmen who
once gathered about the standard of
Raum.
What fault can be justly found in the
appointments OF Ministers to European
countries? The mission generally rec
ognized a. the first was given to one of
the ablest men in New England, Il man
who would no doubt have long ago filed
high place in craftsmanship but for the
fact that he lived in q strongly Repub-
lican State A professor in Yale Col
lege and at one time time President of
the American Bar Association, it can
not be claimed that he is mediocre or
unknown New York had alrea ly two
representatives in the Cabinet, but 1t
was plain that her metropolis wished
this mission also, and was disappointed
because it was not given to young
MOneybags, whose claims rested on the
philanthropy of his father. the some
what uncertain craftsmanship of his
brother-in-law, and his own nearly
forgotten career as one of the mod
ern burgOmasters of New AmSter-
dam. The mission to France was given
to a distinguished eX-COngreSsman and
Ex-Governor, whose early education was
received in that land, and the mission
TO Germany was given to another pub
lie man, also student in early life in
the country to which he is sent, who
has been long and widely known for
his ability and services, aud who is
recognized as the chief exponent of
long-needed reform in the departments
of the Government. In like manner
were the two gentlemen who were
chosen from the South, one from GeOr-
gia and the other from Virginia, to rep
resent Their country abroad fully up to
the standard by which those holding
these positions should always be meas
ured. Bat under the plea that one Of
them was disqualified and that the 9TH
er would be unacceptable at the court
to which he was accredited, these APP
pointments have been persistent!y
opposed by journals that profess
friendlinesS both to the Demo-
cratic Administration and to the
South. One Of these remarkable friends
only few days ago. in an article con-
demning these two appointments togeth-
er with another appointment OF less
importance, but also from the South,
while protesting with Unaffected ear
nestGess that it did not object to them
because they were Southern men, yet,
with shameless disrespect for the
common intelligence of its readers, in
sisted that in the stead of those appoint
ed, three Democratic Union soldiers
from the North should be chosen. Why
the change? If the Southern habitation
OF these gentlemen was not cause for
objection, why not appoint, then. other
Southerners? Why make point of
choosing them all from the North For
what other reason than to atone for
having appointed Southern men in the
first instance? None will be more amused
~