The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-03-15

GEORGE WILLIAM CURTIS has been inter
viewed. He evinces disposition to 'shedge"
He says that president Cleveland has made
many mistakes in appointing people to Office"
but he is not responsible; the responsibility
rests with his advisers, who fare to be CEN
sured severely for deceiving him." But Mr..
Curtis says the President will be to blame eff
he permits himself to be deceived several
times by the same persons" Suppose this
plea of the baby act be admitted, so far as it
goes, what shall be said of the noteri GUS cases
in which the President himself has been per-
sonally advised of the bad character
of his nominees, and yet stubbornly declines
to withdraw their namesg About the only
nomination he has withdrawn has been that for
the promotion of Major Lewis Merrill, whose
health has been broken in the service Of his
country, but who had acquired the bitter dis
like Of the ex-confederates, whose plans for
murder and election frauds he interfered with.
The ex-rebels demanded the withdrawal of
Major Merrilps promotion and the War De-
partment and the White House promptly
obeyed. What will Mr. Curtis do with this
Respecting the Pan-electric matter, Mr.. Cur
tbs confesses that cit Is great scandal upon
the administration, especially coming so soon
after taking the reins of government" And
he adds:
.sDo I think Mr. Garland should be re-
movedi WE'LL it is very difficult matter.
The President may be excused from taking
any steps looking toward Mr.. Garlands re-
moval. The investigation will relieve the
President of the initiative in the matter. Mr..
Garland is his friend, and he doesn't desire to
bring disgrace upon him unless the facts,
upon inquiry, are sufficient to warrant sum-
mary action. The whole thing is much deplored.
The President can only wait now upon the re-
suit of the investigation"
Did anybody ever hear Mr.. Curtis make
this excuse for General Grant, against whom
the charge was made that he stood by his
friends when under fires The utter and con-
temptible hypocrisy of the chief of the mug
wumps was never more CONSEQUENTLY dis
played than in the treatment accorded to
President Grant-for whom it might we'll be
said that he had had no previous experience
in civil administration--and that given to
Mr. Cleveland, for whom it was claimed all
through the campaign that he had "a genius
for government"
Upon the pending controversy between the
President and the Senate Mr. Curtiss words
are marvel Of Inconsistency. He says: nan
"The President, like anybody else. has
private correspondence. He gets letters in
confidence, and he can't honestly show them,
but he has them put on the public files in his
department. He should be allowed to with
draw them. think that all letters and COM
munications received by the President per-
tanning to incumbents in office should be open
to public inspection"
In one sentence the statement is made that
the President has ga private correspondence"
that he has ''put on the public files" and in
the next the declaration is that sall letters
received by the President pertaining to in
cumbents in Office should be open to
public inspection" The letters which
Mr.. Curtis declares constitute 'private
correspondence" and which the Senate
asks to see, are letters relating to
incumbents in Office and yet they should be
open to the publicw A man who can wire in
and wire out in the manner in which Mr.
Curtis has done in this interview, is un-
worthy of confidence. He is not honest with
himself cannot expect the confidence of the
public.