Year: 1873

he took snare In the gift that the
citizens were contributing to General
Sherman, and his eagerness involved
himself in the scandal with Mayor
Bowen, he compromised his personal
dignity, and exhibited qualities unbe-
coming to his station.


It is not o great draft upon the pub
lie purse, nor q creation of dangers of
family influence, when a President
appoints dozen Of his own relatives to
Office but it is bad example, and
shows q low view of the Presidential
Office. But far worse than this was
the scandal of Presidents brother
in-law at the Capital, following the pro-
fession of agent for claims against the
Government, carrying his family influ-
ence into the subordinate executive depn
ments where such claims are judged
and actually--as he testified before
Congressional Committee appealing
cases from the Departments to the
President, aud appearing before him
to argue them. In effect, this was the
sale Of the Presidents influence against
the ends of justice by his brother-in-
law.


The summer absences of the Presi-
dent from the Capital are matters of
no great moment in the affairs of
Government, aud his frequent junket-
ing excursions could be excused, but
for his proclivity for peculiar kind of
of entertainers bring Him and the
Presidential Office into disrepute, and
expose him to be made the instrument
Of designs upon the Government
When the gold conspiracy to make q
private speculation at the cost of wide
spread ruin Of the innocent burst upon
the public on the memorable Black
Friday, the public mind was shocked
by the Intelligence that the President
had been caught in the tolls of the
conspirators, and had been made to do
their bidding BY writing letter to
Secretary Boutwell, advising him
against increasing his sales of gold
The effect was not mitigated by the
fact that conspirators had cntansled
the Presidents family in the plot. The
public partly excused him with the
charitable plea that he was deceived by
the sharpers Gould and Fisk but there
was general feeling that the Presi-
dent of the United States should not
have made companions OF men so no
rious as public robbers, nor received
hospitalities and other fayors from
them.


The American people do not fear
tha: the Presidents surrounding him>
self with military attendants means
design to subvert the government but
jealousy Of military surroundings and
manners belongs to free institutions
aud to the spirit oil free people, and
the disregard of this shows lack of
perception of popular sentiment, or
contempt for it.


1t is true that Congress is laggard
aud reluctant in the work of Civil
Service Reform; but the President
has not the trammels that bind
congressman. He can WELD a pre-
vailing influence in promoting the
needed legislation. He can put the
methods of reform into practice, by
retaining and promoting capacity,
fidelity, and experience, and by refusing
TO remove any capable and faithful
officer to make place for partisan
retainer, without waiting for legislation.
But while he asks of Congress legisla-
ton TO coerce him to reform the mode
of appointments to the civil service,
he presents to the country such
scandal as the New York Custom
House, with its disreputable official
service and its unofficial levies upon
the merchants, regulated by his twn
hand.


1t is true that when the President
caused our case to be presented to the
Geneva Tribunal with our consequent
tial injuries extended to thecost of the
war, he went no further than the