American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-02-03

The President has gone into the the the
atriCal business He is eX-oflicio a part
ncr of Mr.. William E. Spaulding, the pro-
prctOr of the National Theater in the city
of Washington. 1t was a financial neccs-
sity which induced the President to enter
into this new compact. The Presidential
demand for private boxes at the National
Theater is large, especially in view of the
fact that the Presidents family is so nu-
mcrous. He seldom attends a theatrical
performance or the opera unless he is ac-
COmpaned by two or three members of
his own family, Gen. Porter and wife,
Gen. BabcOck and family, if not one or
two of the Dents. Mr.. Spaulding, who is
always DESTROYS to be polite, found that
politeness to such family as Grants did
not pay at all times Gen BabCOck, who
is an inventive genius, hit upon plan of
operation, about eight months ago, by
which the "D. H. pass would cover the
Presidential family. First, it will be re-
membcred that Gen. Babcocll, after his
great SantO Domingo Expedition and Il
survey of the Cape Cod Canal, was detail.
ed by the regular army to be Commission
er of Public Buildings in the Dis
trct of Columbia, to succeed Gen. Mich
Ter. This is one of the most important
offices in the District of Columbia. One
popularity of it is that the Commissioner,
according to practice, stands very near to
the occupants of the Executive Mansion,
always consults the lady of the White
House with reference to all the arrange
ments surrounding it, whatever relates to
the building or the grounds, and, in fact,
to the comfort of the President and his
family. 1t would almost seem Il strange
thing if the President or his lady should
attend any public occasion, and the Com
missioner of Public Buildings was not
present Those who have visited the
White House on the occasion of levecs
may not know the fact that the gentle
man who does the honors to the lady of
the White House, who introduces each
guest TO her, is the Commissioner of Pub
lie Buildings. Whenever the Presidential
family desires to attend the theater, Gen.
BabCock sees to it that boxes are
provided. If the regular prices were
paid by the President, Gen. Bah
cock, and Col. Porter for themselves
and families every time they attended
the theatre, the bill would be quite large
each year Not being able, on account of
their extreme poverty, to pay this bill,
Gen. Bahcock conceived the idea of Civ
ing the proprietor of the theatre, Mr..
William E. Spaulding sinecure Office.
About eight months or more ago Gen.
Babcock induced Commissioner Plcasan-
ton to nominate Mr. Spaulding Assessor
of Internal Revenue for the District of
Columbia. Commissioner plcasanton
complied with the request, and sent the
nomination to Secretary Boutwell,. The
Secretary had been informed that Spaul-
ding was a seCessionist during the war,
and refused to confirm the nomination,
As the story goes, Gen. Babcocb then ap-
pealcd to Assessor Ketchum, of the Ninth
District of New York fernando Woods
District), torecommend Mr..
William f. Spaulding to be ap Assistant
Assessor under Inn. The nomination
was accordingly made to Commissioner
Pleasanton, who sent it to Secretary
Boutwell,, who confirmed IT, After Com
missioner PleasantOn was removed. il was
feared that his successor, Mr.. Douglass.
who did not like the manner of Spaul. .
ding's appointment, would remove him.
Gen. Babcock had accordingly TO "see
Douglass The latter has allowed the
proprietor of the National Theatre TO
continue to hold this position. Mr., Spaul.
ding, it is said, would have to get a guide
10 find the Assessors Office in the Ninth
District of New York. He was never
there. He certainly has never performed
any service in the District except the ar
duous one of drawing his salary monthly, 7
which he manages to do with commend
BILE promptness. In this way, President
Grant has connected himself with the
theatrical business in Washington. The
President only has to express wish that
he could see certain performance on a 4
given night, and the spacious state box
forthwith is set apart-Nor IoFk World 4
A WRITER in the 7oolHol9giN saws that
he has in his possession flower stakes