Omaha daily bee., 1886-08-13
. Hedlen,a Rntirefnnnf-

Hedden's Retirement.
The resignation of Collector Holden,
of New York, at the request of the prcsi.
dent, and the appointment to the posi-.
tion of Daniel Magone, an Ogdensburgh
politician who has been one of MIR.
Cleveland's most ardent and noisy sup.
porters, is circumstance of more than
local significance The New York Gus.
tom house is the most extensive business
establishment under the government
and for quite twenty years it has been
also perhaps the most important polit
ically For that reason the appointment
of Hcddcn 20 the position was thought
by all persons, except the New York
mugwumps, to be one of the most
serious mistakes of tho administration
first, because Hcddcn had been a failure
Us business man and had never shown
any executive ability; and secondly, be-
cause being man of no political eX-
pcrencc he was very sure to become
plastic instrument in the hands of some
politician of greater force and sagaclty.
But at the time of the appointment Mr..
Cleveland was fresh in his work of re-
form. He was affecting great distaste
for the regular politicians, and the mug
wump influence was in the ascend
ant. There were several prominent pol
iticians, among them the late IL ubcrtO.
Thompson, who would have liked the Of
flee, and for time the pressure upon Mr..
Cleveland from these sources was so
great as to seriously annoy and pcrpleX
him. Hcddcn was democrat without
any obnoxious factional affiliations, and
he was also in need of lift financially.
lie was taken as n compromise, to the
great disgust of four iifths of the democ-
racy of New York.
Hcddcn failed Just where it was eX-
pected he would. His administration
has been the very worst in the history OF
the New York custom house, and he had
become the factotum of n few politicians.
! The conduct of the service was left al
most wholly TO subordinates, between
whom there were continual friction and
controversy, while the custom house was
rapidly returning to its former condition
us Il formidable political machine, where
| civil service reform was regarded as
| reproach and as far as possible Ignored.
| There was quite sufficient in this state OF
affairs to justify the president in call
| ing for the resignation OF the col
lcctor, but it is piausibly suggested
that Mr.. Cleveland mad n much stronger
motive impelling him to this course. 1t
appears that since Governor Hill became
all acknowledged asplrant for the presi-
dency he has had no more outsroken
supporter of his ambition than MIR. He'd
| nj nx-l,, ,I,,t; Df; In if
not of outright pertidy, quite naturally
aroused the Indignation OF Mr.. Cleveland
On the ground of his unquestioned in.
efficiency and of his violation of the let
ter and spirit of the civil service law,
| Hedden was asked to resign. but the
real purpose is believed to have been to
| get rid of a friend of Hill who was IN q
| position to be of great service to tho as
| piring governor.
There ls undoubtedly warrant for this
| belief IN the appointment of Magone,
| winch is q clear case of rewarding politi-
| cal service, the new collector having
been and being still a devoted adhercnt
| of the president The fact that Mr.
| Cleveland went away from New York
| city to find man who could meet his
requirements rs the collector at that port
is not exceptional, President Gar
field having set the example in the case
of Judge Robertson, though under quite
different circumstances, but it is slgnili
cant as indicating that the president has
very little confidence in the loyalty of the
| leading New York politicians, and in
this he Is probably justified. The mat
ter is highly interesting as one move in
the quiet but very earnest game playing
between Cleveland and Hill for the con-
troll of the New York delegation in the
next national democratic convention.