The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1877-08-16
CUST0M-HOUSE NOTES.

THE "INs" AND "OUTs'-THE FORMER
SERENE AND THE LATER
UNHAPPY.
AherlDan's letter IndOrsing the Collector
The Custom House ''Outs'" Mutual
Admiration society.
The assertion in Wednesday mornings DEMO
rnAr that Collector Kings policy and course had
been indorsed by the National Administration,
STAGGERED THE "oUTs"
not o little, and as g result the moment the
"boys" swallowed their breakfasts and the Dem
ocaAr's Custom House notes they made straight
break for the Postoffice corner. where the council
was called together half hour earlier tkan usua
and where it waited anxiously for Tomanderson
to hear q report from the council committee up.
pointed to wait on him and ask him II he had not
GONE OVER TO THE ENEMY.
He came not, however, and the boys had the
easiest time imaginable holding down the cor
ner, and watching the door o. an establishment
nearly opposite, where it was expected That the
St. Landry chief would emerge from.
Up stairs inside the offices the scene was diff
ferent for, while the outs were growing over
their illuck, the sins" were gleeful over the fact
that ther superior had defeated and
CAPTURED THE RETURNING BOARD,
lock, stock and barrel, and was making himself
still more "solid with the administration.
The surveyor must have felt his portion of the
defeat keenIy the first thing he did after get
ting down to his Office was to call in few in
hmate friends, and lock the door. resolving him
self and intimates into executive session, which
lasted until nearly noon. Some seem to think
that the defeated will now form
NEW PLAN OF OPERATION
and will flank the Collector in ano her way, but
as yet no fixed plan has been agreed upon.
Some of the outs were OF the opinion that the
DEMOCRAT was slightly off in its positive asser-
tion yesterday morning that the Collector WAS
''bolstered" so to speak, by the Secretary OF the
Treasury and President Hayes, and hardly
thought Il possible that the lI-planned raid by
the Returning Board. Kellogg, Morey & Go.
could have
RESULTED 80 DTsAsTROUsLY,
and to relieve them and other solicitous friends
from further anxiety the letter written by secre-
tary Sherman to the Collector is appended as fol-
lows:
TREASURY DEPARTMENT,
Washington, d. O., August 7, 1877
John q. King, Esq, Collector OF Customs New
Orleans. La:
Sir-Your letter of the Sd inst. was duly re-
ceivsd; read IL with interest and submitted it
to the President, who also READ 1t, and requested
me to write you that the letter did you great
credit, and that you ought to be left to your inde
pendent Judgment In executing reforms in the
Custom House at New Orleans. / add my hearty
assent to this proposition. have no doubt that
you are doing. your utmost TO secure efficiency
and reform. The selection OF persons to hold
office is always difficult and delicate task. Your
motives are likely to be misunderstood and your
conduct criticised, aud, at best, to turn out any
one is painful aud irksome business. You may
therefore consider youpeelf instructed, without
fear OF criticism here, to
FOLLOW YOUR OWN INDEPENDENT JUDGMENT
In recommending persons to be retained or re.
moved subject, 1t ia true, to the action OF this
department. which will only refuse your request
upon satisfactory showing. The true rule is to
select from your force the very best r1en for the
special duties Of their positions. giving to expert
ence, personal character and political afinities
due consideration.
Very respectfully,
JOHN SHERMAN, Secretary.
A great majority Of the boys had faith in the
DEMOCRATS assertions relative to the letter yes
day, ard thinking that the Jig WAS up got
themselves together in something of q mutual
admiration society-as was anticipated in the
''Custom- House Notes"-aud delegates were Sc
lected to throw out as skirmishers to
FEEL THE ENEMys FRONT,
as IL were, the skirmishers informing both the
Collector and Deputy Champlin In very patron
izing way, that they had not been connected with
the rumpus, and that they we're now and had al
ways been their friends.
or course this was taken with the usual grain
OF allowance, and nothing more was thought or
the raid or Its results until Elder CAN'T popped
In on tho Collector and had u few moments con-
versation, intmating again that his RESPONSE
bility on the Collectors bond was very great
etc., etc., etc.. but the Collee did not shnk he
would suffer any, and conidentialiy (p) told him
as much, which was equivalent, II the expression
may DO used, to
PUTTING nud IN HIS EAR,
and he retired soon TO visit Alabama, whore ho
has property, and then may return to look after
hs steHmboat interests here.
Tomandorson called upon tho Collector, too,
and had quito u lengthy conversation, but never
said word about the Modoo style OF scaping
rocalctrant Collectors, but on the contrary
laughed and ioked with him as OF yoro, wsich
inclined some OF the "outs' to the belief that
somebody had been ''playing possum" on their
watch and that the huge threats made
WE'RE ALL SHAM,
some claiming even that the vice president of
the great national returning board had not gone
into the fight with as much earnestness as he
professed, all OF which WAS predicted in the DEM
ocRAT several days since.
After the friendly chat with the Collector, Tom
anderson next waltzed into the Office of Deputy
Champlin, shook hands, sat down and had quite q
pleasant visit, at least SO thought the DEMOCRATS
commissioner as he sat in the next room-and
left, expressing the utmost friendship for Cham
plin. who didn't object to two or three patron
age" appointments, provided the men suggested
were capable, but he did object to having in the
customs service raft
OF INCoMPETENT MEN,
agreeing that such had not ought
to be done, and with renewed expressions Of
they separated.
The surveyor and ex-Returning Board chief
had but little to cay upon the subject Of the de-
feated raid, but he made up his mind while in
executive session that three or fodr boatmen or
inspectors would have to step down and out to
make room for those who have served him
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