New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-10-21
NETWORK CONGRESSMEN.

A
PoUGHKEePsIE, oct. 20.-Mr. j. Mansfield Davies
of Fishkill Landing, who has been nominated by
the Democrats of this district to be their candidate
for Congress- was not their first choice. Nh John
O. Whitehouse Of this city, the present Representa-
tive now serving his second term, was selected at
the first session of the convention, but he peremp-
torily refused to stand, assigning as reason the
pressure of private business long neglected lie IL
a Liberal Democrat who, without becoming very
prominent in the House of Representatives mas
served his constituents very acceptably ana haue
fair record for himself. His determination 10 WIFI
draw from political life after the close OF MS present
term in Congress was announced during Ihe laSV
session. The unlusinesslike habits Of legislative
bodies made the House an uncongenia place Ior hlil
Mr.. Davies is not very we'll known to the people
of Duchess Columbia, and Putnam counties lie
son OF the late Prof. Chas, Davies whose mathc-
NAUTICAL textbooks have been widely used, and Is,
by profession, lawyer At the beginning OF the
war he entered the military service of the United
States as an officer of Duryea's ZouaveS and subsc-
auently became a colonel of cavalry with the pleEct
rank of brigadier-general Since the war ne mas oe
voted himself to the practice Of his profession ahu'
/ am told, spent the last two Winters III Albany as
the representative of private interests Which
desired to secure favorable or prevent adverse csS
lation. Gen. Davies has never held any important
reputation vet to make. He certainly is not as pop
Mar az Mr. WhitehOuse. who undoubtedly could
have been reelected. aud he will probably have less
money to spend in the canvass, but as far as am
able to learn he is man of good character, and not
especially open TO attack.
The Republican candidate is Gen. John ii.
Ketcham. now one Of the Commissioners OF the
District of Columbia. He represented tins DISTRICT
in Congress eight years beginning in 1850 ana end
ing in 1873. Gen. Ketcham was also Union SOL
der and remained in the army until after MS eiec-
ton to Congress, having resigned his commission
that of brevet major-general conferred on him for
Gallant service in the feld-tO take his seat IN the
Uouso His Congressional record was good. For
two or three terms he member OF thc Com
mittee on Military Affairs at time when the duties
of that committee scarcely less important than
when the war was actually in progress, and at the
opening of the XLIId Congress Speaker Blame
placed him at the head of the Committee on Public
Lands. 1t was during his service as chairman OF
this latter committee that the Bayfield, and st.
Croix Railroad Company made its memorable effort
TO force bill through the House reyying grant oil
land which it had forfeited by failure TO complete
its line within the stipulated time The whole sub
icct was referred to Gen. Ketchauls committee and
il was reported and generally believed that large
sum of money was used to facilitate the passage Of
the bill A part of the scheme was TO remove Gen.
Ketchams objections to the measure for he had set
his face like flint against the job and refused to let
il be reported know that the lobby agents Of the
company labored with him night and day. but all IN
vain Gen. Ketchams name was never publicly
connected with any legislative scandal i'll Washing
ton. l do not mean to say that his enemies have
never spoken of him ''jobber" but do say that
never knew one of them TO prove it,
already see indications in the Democratic news
papers of this district that Gen. KechaIn is to be
attacked on his record as a District of Columbia
Commissioner and that he is to he denounced as
friend and supporter of ex-Gov. Shepherd. When,
in the early Summer of 1874, the gigantic rascal
tiles of the Washington Ring had been exposed by
a Joint committee Congress legislated Shepherd &
Co. out Of Office aid provided for the temporary
government of the District Of Columbia by commits
sion. President Grant who had been ana still Is
blind to what was going on under his very eyes IN
Washington, with an erOntery that has rarely been
eoualed Immediately sent to the Senate the names
of Mr. Shepherd and his associates, and when they
were promptly rejected, nominated i'll their places
three nou-residents of the district, of whom Gen.
Ketcham one.
The memorialists, who at great expense Of time
and money, and as il afterwaTd turned out, at the
risk of their regulations. if not OF their lives cyen
had secured the overthrow Of the public plundeIea
believed that their triumph ought TO be followed
by the complete degradation of the old ring. Ihey
thought that its members ought never after to have
any influence ia the management OF District affairs;
that the contractors who, by its fayoritisn, have
shared in its ilgotten gains ought to be made to
stem aside and give place TO new men, and that the
commission ought to continue with the greatest
yigor the war upon the ring that had been so sue
cessfully begun. In short they supposed that the
commission which was composed of men who were
unfamiliar with the local affairs Of the District,
would come to them as the representatives of the
great body of Taxpayers for advice and consultation,
and that ex-Gov Shepherd and his friends would be
made to feel that the discontinue Of the ring was
permanent.
But the commission adopted different policy. It
said eve are commissioners of the District, not OF
the memoralists of the sO-called District Ring
We will know no parties we Will not take sides iii
any local quarrel nor make war on any class of men
on account of anything they may have done before
we came into Office; but we will treat all citizens
alike no matter what their past relations to the
Government of the District may have BEEN" The
members of The Ring were persistent, persevering
men, who had much at stake which they were de-
sircus Of saving and 1t natural that they should
press their claims and urge the adoption OF their
policy in season and out of The commission
treated them politely and acted on their advice
when it seemed proper to do so. l know 1t was
sometimes misleG, when Gen. BabcOck Sc
cured for a Washington newspaper from one OF
its members mot Gen. Ketchaml 100000 adj
yeris;ng contract on terms that would never have
been accepted had it been supposed that it involved
the payment of sum one fourth as great The me-
mcrialists ON the other hand, generally stood aloof
waiting to be consulted, and In the mean time the
resumption Of work on old contracts and the em-
Al Ia 1.t la off AZ