Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1874-06-24
A SPARK OF INDEPENDENCE.

VT /
We can forgive the United States SEN
ate many sins Of commission and even
some Of omission for its action Of yes
.terday regarding the nomination Of Boss
shepherd as one Of the three commits
sioners. provided for under the new law,
to govern the District Of Columbia until
tho rcassembling Of Congress next De-
cember. We. in common with almost
everybody. have given up as a bad job
any attempt to predict the Presidents
action upon any given proposition, much
more any effort to explain his motives
upon any rational hypothesis. The
nomination OF Richardson cured US Of
all such nonsense. The President yes
tcrlay sent the name Of Alex. II. Shep-
herd, ex-President Of the renowned
Board Of Public Works and ex-Gover-
nor OF the Territory Of Columbia to the
Senate a. q fitting appointeo to the
officer Of commissioner. three Of whom,
as we have said. are to govern the
District until next December. The
Senate received the nomination, together
with those Of two gentlemen for the
other places. and confirming the latter
without division. tabled that Of the
"Boss" by q vote OF six to one. This
action will be generally commended no,
only by the opposition. but by the Re
publican press, (outside tho District OF
Columbia. Of ~course), throughout the
nation. From the testimony taken by
tho Investigating Committee las, Winter,
aud from tho report which has just been
submitted. IL is evident that there never
was. even in the palmy days Of the New
York Tammany Ring. a more corruptly
o%Itravagant band Of public robbers than
the Washington Board Of Public Works,
Of which this same Shepherd was Presi'
dent. 1t squandcred over $50. OOO, OOt
in tive years, and in such loose
manner as to call upon il
the severest condemnation by
all citizens not connected with the
profits Of its swindling operations,
II subsidized nearly every newspaper in
the city. bought contracts and formed
rings within rings until from its Presi-
dent to the Secretary, it was a gigantic
and concentric spiders web, netting and
dcvouring the people and their money.
And this Shepherd was at the head OF
the whole combination. How the Pres
ident could bring himself to nominate
such a man. we n before remarked.
cannot explain. How the Senate could
have been honest and confirmed him.
would have been equally ineyphc'ble.
Had that body acted as justly in the
case OF Richardson there would not now
be sitting rs Judge Of the Court OF
Claims a man who by either his
inertia or his criminality has lost the
confidence Of the American people. This
last action OF the Senate shows that
after all il has n spark Of independence
left. The general public, from its re-
cen, acts. had nearly concluded that the
spark went out with the great effort
made in rejecting Caleb Gushing and At
torncy General Williams ~ Chief Justice
OF the Supreme Court. This spark
needs tanning into n flame in both
Houses Of Congress, until by impeach-
ment or some other method the Repub-
lican party shall be "unloaded'' of the
dozen or more prominent swindlers and
demagoeues who now disgrace its AL
ministntion. rctard its progress and i'm
peril its safety and p~erpetuity.