Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-08-21

President Cleveland got himself great cred
it by letter which he wrote not long before
no left on his vacation, sternly robuking
man who had confessed to him in letter
that he had signed petition for the appoint
mont Of an unworthy man to United States
iudgeship. The man whom the petition rec
commended was appointed, and then this cor.
respondent wrote the President telling him
that tho appointee was not qualified for the
place either morally or professionally, and
that he and many others had signed his petit
ton to get rid OF him and without the re-
hottest idea that the petition would ever be
seriously considered, and much less that the
appointment would be made. The Presi.
dents reply expressed "amazement and in
dignation," and told the writer of the letter
that the only mitigation for his 'perHdy" waa
found in the fact that he had confessed his
share in it. We recall these facts to intro
duce very pointed rebuke which the New
York Herald takes occasion to administer to
the President in the premises;
1--WE have waited ever since the publica-
ton of this queer correspondence TO see II
the President would order the recall of a
judges commission. But we hear OF moth.
ing of the kind. 1t seems TO us time TO say,
therefore, that Mr.. Cleveland has in this case
committed very gross and serious outrage
on the public. or what use are loud pro-
fessions of desire to improve the public
service when he keeps in 30 important place
as a judgeship man morally and profess
sionally unfit Your confession comes too
late to be of immediate use to the public ser
vice, Mr.. Cleveland cOolly writes. Is the
public to understand that Mr.. Cleveland is
too great man to rectify a mistaken That
when he has made an appointment, no mat
ter how improper II may turn out TO be, he
will not recall It, but insists that the public
shall suffer the evil consequences OF this act.
This case has that appearance and this the
DRY of it, disgraceful as 1t Is TO the President
and humiliating to his constitutional advisers
is fortified by some other cases. Mr.. Cleve-
land became aware that Mr. Kelley was not q
| proper person to appoint TO a foreign mis-
sion, but having appointed him, he, in def
ance of the general and loudly expressed
public opinion, adhered to him. He has of
late appointed Fenian TO be consul on the
| Canada border, a peculiarly unfit place for a
man of such connections though he may be
useful in some other place. Complaint has
been made in this case, but we hear not a
word about a recall of the commission Such
persistence in wrong doing is unworthy Of a
President who processes a strong desire 70
give the people better government and bet
ter officers. The people will be very slow to
blame Mr. Cleveland for making mistakes,
but he ought to know that they will not en-
dure with patience pig-headed persistence
in errors which affect the public service, and
therefore attack the comfort and the rights
| of the people,"
The Herald's article lays open a side Of the
case which those who were inclined to over
praise the President for his outspoken letter
evidently overlooked. Ever since the cor
respondence was published there has been al
active effort to discover the name of the un
worthy appointee. The New York Timel
eliminates" the matter down to L. j
Dawne, appointed to be district judge in
Alaska, while the Sun reduces him to on,
of five, the four beside Judge Dawne being
Judge Brinker and Judge Vincent of New
Mexico, Judge Mcdonnell of Dakota, anC
Judge Hayes OF Idaho. The Herald is a lit
tie hasty in its condemnation, for the rea
test of the Presidents sincerity will COM
when his appointments go TO the Senate TO
confirmation next winter. II his letter mean
what it says he must then either recall tn
unworthy judges appointment or he mus
ask the Senate to reject it. OF appointment
like those of the mal-odorous Kelley and tn
Canadian consul referred to nothing too Sc
we're can be said.