Evening star., 1877-10-20
HuMoRx OF roIrrICS
George n Oherf6anS Amustmg Ac.
count Of How He Failed 90 Get the
New Orleans COllect0rshtP.
[Frona a Speech at Tbleio


In discussing the question of civil services
reform. General Sheridan convulsed the
house by the following statement of his eifbrs
70 secure an offics: II did not see how it was
possible (and 1 tried very hard To see) for
Mr.. Hayes to ma ke a success of his sd m mis-
tration, especially in his southern policy,
at New Orleans. ( knew there wouli be a
rev collector appointed, because President
Hayes told me SO He did me the furt1er
honor OF asking who, in my judo sment, would
Be the best man for the place To me this
was a somewhat delicate question. and 1
asked time for reflection, which he very
the only thing he has given me up TO date
tUProarious laughter.
81 knew how important the collector OF
New Orleans was to the business interests OF
the city. felt the government must have a
man OF integrity In the place, who should
also De OF good moral character As Well as
collector should be q man and a republican
1 spent two or three days In prayerful delib-
GRAFTON upon the question, and at last relIct-
antly came to the conclusion that perhaps,
all things considered, came nearer nlliax
the bill than any o her man in the state wh1
was hkeiy TO be appointed. tShoaJs sud
ness interests OF the city. hal no doubt of
my integrity. Laughter Ny moral CHAR.
acter was-weil, II was as fair a moral char-
acter as somewhat tropi ,al m An couid de
velOp in a very tropical country As tor
ability, knew l possessed thai; upon this
point was unanimous: 1 might possibly
other questions, but upon this point 1 was
solid lGreat laughter 1 know | was a
representative man, for had o1ce served a
congress with great Satisfaction TO my con
stituents 1t is true did not srve lonx Bat
that was not my fault. would ia We nee
serving the state yet If the people would have
elected me. Cheers and lau ylter.l [ was
elected for two years; L had hard contest
for my seat; IL was finally awarded me bout
Tour hours before the adjournm snt of the
Congress to which had besa accredited /
a enri hut
! worked hard; voted on both sides otevery
Dill that came up; l. yelled Mr.. Speaker
every chance had; called one member "A
llar, and told another he was a fool; put
my boots on my desk, spit tobacco juice on
the floor, ogled the ladies' an The galleries
went into innumerable COMMITTEES rams tn
take look at the documents. b Brrowe sone
money and Went home. long continued
laughter. Considering the time | mad /
made pretty good average 'membar rec
ord Several people told me they. actually
LOOK me for an old member. tGreat laugh
teri
agree with me that was bat doing mydlty
10 my country in consenting 10 take tie COL
lectorship OF New Orleans 1 statel the re-
suit oi my reflections TO the President. Toe
manner In which he received my Suggestions
was was happy ana cordial, Lhe is very cordial
man. DE prOmiSei to make ont at once the
commission OF the collector at New Orleans
he Ola so, out by SOME strange oversight he
commissioned man had never thought OF
In connection with the Office. TLouI laugh
teri Do you blame me for thinking the al
minsttation failure? TIE solid earth
seemed To slip from under me. felt the re-
public was goDe-clean gone. In hedistrass
OF my soul cried out, rs this what m lie
paign" Or, to state 1t more correctly, the
same speech 1N times. Immense laughter
Esn fsit oniH mls SS1 gSvernmsnt na, go on if an
care for you now that 1 am banished by
the edict of a tyrant, and can have no chance
TO sustain you, TO say nothing of sustaining
<Nft tk~x.
Mr.. Hayes; my words moved him, moved
hlm TO console me, moved him to aivise IN E.
he advised me either to pull down my vest
or to go West llong continued laughterl,
which, owing TO the excite nent was labor,
Ing under at The time of the intervieE A. can
not certainly remember; but it is one or the
man) perhaps IL was both. My first impsIse.
after listening TO the consOling words OF ths
fresi lent, was to go and take-a stroll. L
up, felt better. [Laughter.l Notwithstand-,
ing l am not collector OF customs In New
orleans, the government still runs on, the
party lives. L have reluctantly com to tue
conclusion that L am not absolutely es
sentlal TO the maintenance of q repub-
continent fCheers and laughter T Tasi tbsrs sn1s
are men as well qualified 70 administer
An office as am; that the President, being
appointees, should be allowed the Iarg sst LAT
itude iD their selection, and lat true sense
and true patriotism should cOnvincs me IN At
in declining to give me the position asked.
the President acted for what he felt and ba,
lleved 10 be the best interest of his puntry.
Ny fellow Citizens, those of you, VINO, like
pirations and ambitions, will / think. unon
calm re renec1on, reach IN your cases the same
conclusion have reached in mine"
we nave never seen an audience more
thoroughly cOnvulsed with merriment than
during the delivery OF the above Sheridan
looked, while he was talking, like the per
sonlncatlon OF injured Innocence, and seemed
TO think it strange that the audience found
any thing TO laugh at In what he was saving
TO him, losing the Office was evidently a
serious thing.