The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1886-07-07
Governor Thompson to- DO tas Assistants
Sscrstnsy OF tho Sxcasnvy,

49, iSSlNsAt Iris SSlectPNl NtONprnCr
Thompson, ct South Caroliua, As Assist.
aut Secretary OF the Treasury. ThiS Is
one OF the tucst iu>Hortan. uthCes Dndar
the Government.
There sre bus tHu Assistant Sscret>s-
ries OF the Treasury. They sre s,ual ia
rank, thOuEh tHr rCrvar jerce one is
styled the t'icSG Assistant srd the c5her
the Second Assistant. Yhe wcrk OF the
Treasury depsr:lreu5 is tts5ributed
under diNereu. hsayiS, such ullor ,s-
rartmeut teiuE kuuwu Is Division or
Bureau, tie whole OF the Divisions sul
bureaus being Uudsr tbs direction s,i
control OF the two Assistant Setresa.
r!es. Governor Thompson Is selscled
ms successor 70 Mr.. S;Wish. the SecOud
Assistant, and as such Will have cousrol
OF all appointments under the Treasury
department, aui will have charge be-
sides OF the Divisions OF Public Moneys:
Of Warrants, Estimates and Appro.
plIations; Stationery, Printing aud
Blanks: ltNans and Curreucv: Mail ani
Files; the Bureau of Printing and En-
craving. and the Office Of the Director OF
The Mint. Besides this tho Assistant
Secretary signs all letters and papers re-
'alng to the business Of his divisions
anu bureaus which do not, by law, re-
quire the signature of tho Secretary hiul-
self.
nder ordinary circumstances tho
functions OF Assistant Secretary of tho
Treasury approach in dignity aud value
to those Of Cabinet officer, and tho ap-
pointment is especially complimentary
at tho present time when, in consequence
ol The illness of Secretary Manning, the
Wo1E or the Treasury department must
be carried on entirely by tho Assistant
Secretaries.
President Cleveland, therefore, hon
ors signally tho South, and South Caro-
lima, 'n making the appointment now
announced. We think OF this first, per-
haps, because it has been tho custom Of
late to 60 to the Northern and Western
States for fiscal officers Of high rank.
1t can be seen, however, that, whore ca
pab1lity and fidelity arc assurod-as we'll
as knowledge of, and faith In, tho policy
OF the Administration--there is q free
dom from entnnglement and embarrass-
ment, in appointing worthy Southernor,
which cannot be ensured when the OFF,
Ger is taken from Northern or Western
State. There arc no factions In South
Carolina to please or displease. Goy-
e1nor Thompson is known to be worthy,
and his appointment will crafty the
whole State.
Ihe manner in which the selection
OF Governor Thompson came about is
most oreditable TO the President and to
him whom no has chosen. Some months
ago Governor Thompson was recon-
mended, without his knowledge, for q
Federal appointment of considerable
consequence, and 1t was suggested that
he should see tho President on the sub
Ject. The appointment was then offered
to Governor Thompson, who frankly
told the President he must decline, for
the reason that he could not, ut tho
time, take any action that would require
him to resign tho ofIlco of Governor,
with which tho people had honored
him. There, 1t seemed, was the
end of 1t. But the President had
formed high opinion Of Governor
Thompson's intelligence aud. sound
Judgment, and took occasion to ascertain
what were Governor Thompson's con-
Victions on the subject of tho civil sor.
vice and tho currency, and what was his
administrative experience. There was
no d,fflcuity in showing q satisfactory
record on these subjects, but no one
could divine what the President had in
mind. No one suggested or advised tho
appointment of Governor Thompson as
Assistant Secretary. and no hint Of tho
Pres1dents intention was given to any
one until 1t became necessary to request
Governor Thompson to 60 to Washing
ton, last Woek, to confer with tho Presi-
dent and say whether he could accept
the appointment or not. Governor
Thompson was chosen on his merits
alone, and his merits will justify tho
choice.
Governor Thompson has decided to
accept tho appointment, aud, upon his
confirmation, will resign tho office of
Governor. which ho has held with honor,
and with benefit to the State, for nearly
four years. It was felt by him that he
was not ut liberty to decline such an
appointment, unless there was some
emergency, some imminent danger, that
required him to retain his present office
until the end Of his term. There is no
larger emolumont in tho Office Of Assist.
ant Secretary Of the Treasury than in
the Office which was declined months
ago. But the compliment to the State
and to The nominee Is higher, because OF
the broad Importance Of the Office. In
the opinion Of the President, the Uattcd
States require the SerUiceS Of Governor
Thompson. and, in Tho absence Of tlan-
ger and complications at home, tho Gov.
ermoT feels that he has no right to refuse
TO enter upon the Geld Of notionuI atscfui.
ness which is open to him.
The State will loso much in losing
Governor Thompson, but tho country at
largo Will gain Wn cnnnrainlatn TIN