Litchfield enquirer., 1874-03-05
BuTLE RISM.

We'are forced to acknowledge that at least one department of our general gov ernment seems to be pretty thoroughly Butlerized. Ex-Secretary of the Treasury Boutwell, owes his election to the U. s. Senate to the support of Butler. Our present Secretary of the Treasury IS reck- oned Butler man, and the appointment and confirmation of Mir. Simmons as col lector of Boston shows that Butler is stronger with the President and Senate than the rest of the Congressional dele gates of his state combined, backed as they were by the best Republicans of Bos- ton and Massachusetts. The support of Butler by the papers controlled by Post master Sperry, of New Haven, may not be owing to Buffers influence among office- holders. Very possibly it is occasioned merely by the fact that Butler is an ene- my of Gen. Hawley.
 Just now, too, comes the disclosures regarding the Sanborn contract. It ap- pears that this fellow, an old spy of But ler's in the war. was made wealthy in this wise: A bill was passed through Congress, Butler engineering it in the House, au- thorizing the Treasury department to em- plOy agents to discover unpaid amounts due the government and receive a percent age for their fees. Sanborn was given a contract allowing him fifty per cent of the claims he should discover and collect. He was also empowered to examine Collect ors' books and to call in the assistance of |. <. officials to enforce his collections. His style of discovery" was simply this: he would find, on examination of the collect Or's books, who were in arrears. force the collection of such claims, and pocket half tine proceeds. He has already realized some hundreds of thousands of dollars by this process, with fair prospect of heav- fer percentages still
 From these and many other facts it would appear that the Claimant" IS to have even more strenuous support from the office holding fraternity of Massachu- se;ts in his next raid for the governorship of that state than he had in his last. In Simmons he has an interruptions tool, and in Simmons office he has captured the most lucrative and influential official position m New England. We should have supposed that Gen. Grant would have understood from the broad hint giv- en him by the last convention of Repub- licans in Massachusetts that they are not in mood to stand any further interfer- ence of his in aid of Ben Butler. He has disregarded this protest, and the next election will see Massachusetts doubt ful or an anti-administration state.
 What specially provokes the Connectl cut Republican is the fact that the weak nes of Grant in all matters pertaining te Butler. the uncertain course of Congress regarding finance, their dallying with the salary grab, and their reluctance to dea with the Louisiana usurpation, are com bining to make the coming contest in thi state a very doubtful one. On local is sues we are stOng and united; but tn, Butlerism of the Government, and the in capacity of Congress, will very likely turl the scale in favor of the party that voteo for Simmons confirmation in the Senate that nominated Fernando Wood for speak CT of the House; and that has shown a least equal incapacity to ours in the mat ter of Finance and Southern usurpations
 There has been much comment in tn papers regarding the case of Mrs. Scot confined as insane in the Middletown asy lum by her husband The Rev. Mir. Nor gan, former pastor of hers declares tha she is sane and that she has been robbe, of her property and fiendishly persecute' by her husband. Mir. Scott is out in
 letter denying Mr. Morgan's statements
 Simmons was finally confirmed by tn Senate. The first vote was adverse i; bu showing no quorum, the matter went ovt till the next day. In the meantime Btu Ter was bdsy the Democratic Senator concluded to vote for Simmons in ord, to make Republicans trouble; and he VI confirmed. Boutwell, voted against hin but his vaciIIating course gave his view no weight with any one else.
 Mr. Francis H Smith, one of the off cial stsnographers of the House. and native of Washington in this State, Ina been appointed special Indian Commil siOner. and will accompany Bishop Hal and Mr. Hinman in an extended weste, tour to investigate the condition of tl Sioux agencies He hopes to reco CT his health, which has suffered from co