The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-07-13
THE FEDERAL OFFICES.
Tho Change in tho Custom House and Nays
Office and How the Clerks Feel-Tks "0uts''
and "Irs" Not in the Same Mood-A.
Few Heads That Are to be Cut Or

Few Heads That Are to be Cut Or
TITS Internally rough this constant changing the
ol'clas In this way. don't like 1t bit. pve gok
plenty OF influential friends but o fellow can't DO
running 10 them all the time for help. Why, do
you Anow i've teen here several years and every
time change comes about don't know exactly
where am. I've managed 10 ESCAPE so FAR but
tneh a ieiow don't know who's to come next IN cur
your mead on. say. again, its Internally rough u
ana as the Custom House clerk uttered ,bess raA
marks to HERALD reporter yesterday he hecan
anew 10 turn over the leaves Of his huge ledger and
run up column AFTER column OF figures which showe0
now much 'stulT' lad got through the tnsnec,orI.
nands the day before. II was noontime, ana MAN.
OF the clerks were standing about In the hallwavs
talking In low tones. as though each one had lost
some particular friend ana he was endeavorlng 70,
get up a subscription to bury him decenty. There
were great many sad faces In fact 1t was evidens
70 outsiders That the coming storm was fast casting
us SHADOWS before, ana that the old anguish of hearr
OF the "ins'' and "outs" Of the Custom House waa
again in full force.
THE SCARE AMONG THE CLERKS.
me eXeitemeht attendant upon the nomination OF.
MI murphy as Collector was, Of course very great
from the start among the clerks, but 1t pradna,,v
changed the day after he had been nominated IN a
feeling OF uncomfortable suspense espec,allv vhor
IL became limited about that the nomination wao ~
De Fought tooth and nail by what was cons,dered a
very powerful faction. There is one thing about a
chahge OF collectors In the custom House which tho
CLERKS never fail to appreciate when they have the
opportunity, and that y the appointment OF man
as collector who, every body knows from tine minuta
MS name Is mentioned is certain Of confirmation
ihe logic OF this Is plain. The nomination OF per.
son VINO Is certain Of confirmation gives the clerks
d. ieasI the smartest OF them. ample time to =
TRIM THEIR SAILS
to suit the wind, ana often happens that between
The time Of the nomination ana the day the new Col
iector makes his appearance some OF them have
trimmed SO well that they find themselves sailing
calmly along in the wake Of the new man, although
GAYS before their craft had been heading in dife.
rent direction But when man is nominated over
whom there Is certain to be fight then comes the
rup' ana the trimmers" are at Q loss how to act.
II they show their hand against the man and he.
should succeed despite oil opposition, their fate
Is sealed, and they know 1t right well.
On the other hand, If they strongly advo.
cate his claims, and because he does
not politically the Senate Is rejected ana his
nomination is withdrawn and a man of better and
probably Of somewhat different political complex
ion gets the prize the end their death is an esealy
speedy one. fortunately for q good many OF
the present clerks, Mr. Murphy when dominated.
was considered a doubtful man-that is opinion was
divided as to whether lie would be confirmed or not
The light turned out to he bitter one, and In the
excitement OF the hour many OF the clerks foolishy
PLUNGED INTO THE FRAY. to
when they might a well have kept IN the back
ground, and like Miciwber, waite1 quietly until
something turned Up which would have made
Gus one. There were many, very many
OF the present force, w!o, regardless Of Congress,
made no bones La standing up and talking loudly
for Murphy, although The chances might have been
in the end against him, Which would have left them
open TO the attacks OF the triumphant Fenonites.
On the other hand a large number OF the Fenton ad-
mirers, confident that tleir idol had power enough
TO- ya n MURPHY moved 1eave9 and earth 70 IN
collector busted himself In getting up evldence OF
political Kind against the new Collector, and went.
to Washington with documents" to work against
Mr.. Murphy, but got slight hint from Secretary
Boutwell, to go home and
ATTEND TO HIS BUSINESS,
which hint he took as.wel as he could and made
himself scarce Installer. There are number OF
and Mr. Murphy viii undoubtedly have them 'i nicely
nailed mp and shipped together free OF duty when he
takes Mr. Grnnelps seat in that big parlor Of tho
Mr. Murphy did not call at the Custom House
Yesterday forenoon as many expected he would do,
he might have been so Killed with Kindness by his
many friends that he would have been compelled
out OF selfrespect to KICK the bucket before he had
got taste Of the Custom House plums. the CORR.
doris were alive with those "riends'-thar
come his ends as WI" soon as th eeau SO nice
berth. rush was made for the stairs whenever q
good looking. heavily built man came along; every
one hoping that Mr. Murphy had come at last; but
although they did come very near but0nhoilng two,
strange individuals in Their enthusiastic friendship
they were destined to bitter disappointment each
time. The "Outs" the only friends aroinds-
Indeed 1t was hard to find a clerk in the building
man Of them knew that he would be confirmed, aud
they knew oil along, so they did, that Fenton would.
come out Of the small END OF The horn, for wasn't
Mr.. Murphy perfect specimen OF the high toned
gentleman, the good patriot, the
FRIEND OF POOR CLERKS
and all That sort OF thing. And for the matter or
the few words which one Of them had given utter
ance to during the fight IN the Senate the nomi-
nation, and which were not calculated TO elevate
Mr.. Murphy as a his political 10y atty as a,
politician in the esteem OF the "trooly loil," why
they were only uttered in Pickwicklan sense, We
know. 1t was an absurdity, so 1t was, for anybody
to think that they could have been uttered in down.
right earnest and Mr.. Murphy being sensible man.
House, will certainly look at the matter in that light
and no other. or course he will. why, my
HERALD reporter WHO dropped in among them
just to see how the "trlmmnen process was going
my character could have 50 magned Mr.. Murphy
as you say you were informed l did. It's wicked
attempt 10 get me out OF my situation, Sir, and tho
gentleman who gave you the lnformaton-well, l
won't use hard words-he didn't know anything
about 1t. Come to think, | 40 remember saying
voting for Governor Holman and associating with
Tweed and those other fellows; but, then 1t wasn't
proven in the Senate that he did either was tY was
deceived, that's all, and now ! believe that Mr.,
Murphy was assailed without good cause. really
DO, sir, and that without wishing any favor from
him-althougn certainly would like to retain my
present situation. SO please do not make any men-
ton OF my name In connection with that infornar
ton you got from that gen leman"
This exceedingly gracious individual let 1t be said
soto COce, was one Of The most active ASSISTANTS Mr.
Murphy had In the Custom House, and he Is one OF
the many whose situations viii be soon filed by
other persons fully qualified to I'LL them well.
cur reporter wendell lis way Into the rOtunda
during the afternoon and got into conversation with
Of the clerks. "Wlat do you think about the
changer" asked the reporter. 'Well, we're an
divided on that point you know: and We'll an ne'
separated on 1t in few days, think. Tie TACT Is
we clerks don't like to tax much, for our
BREAD ASD BUTTER
is ut stake. and we generally know when slde II IS
buitered on. These changes give US the blues regu
larly, and as long we keep our places we uout
cane WIN CQIaClQc 800 COuESe SO,