Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1878-10-10
Wash.ngta n Correspondence.

great deal of anxiety at the fruits of
President Hayes Cancellation policy
and as yet they are unable to discover
any good results therefrom. The
South is perfectly willing to accept all
that the kind-heared President is will,
ny to give or concede to them but is
not willing to render any return there
Tor. We have a practical illustration
# its workings in this city, as related
" a correspondent Of the Philadel-
phia Pres:
Republican Heads FuUjng into the
Basket and Coafedera'es taking their
place.
CAS- a Republican the President has
no occasion for pride or satisfaction
over the Board of Commissioners he
has furnished the District Of Colum
bia as its Government The appoint
mcnt Of Mr. Dent. at the urgent sole
itation Of ". W. Corcoran, as a Dem
ocrat is perhaps as flultloss as any that
could have been made on that side. Tor
he performs his duty as Democrat
and nothing else, The appointment
Of 7Ir. Phelps as Republican was
the pcrpetuation Of fraud thar was
inauguratcd by President Grant
through a mistake, or otherwise, which,
from political and other considerations,
/ should never have been continued, for
it is really an iafiction that should
have been saved the District. The
third Commissioner is Major Twining,
Of the Engineer Corps, United States
Army, and is fair minded, capable,
upright man but of limited experience
in civil affairs and with but little taste
for the duties and responsibilities Of
his new position Nevertheless, i he
had the power, the District govern
ment would wear very different as
pect than that which enshrouds it.
If he could have his way the govern
ment would be fair toward the Repub-
lican interest; but under the alliance
formed between Commissioners Dent
and Phelps he is powcrless and is fore
ed to submit to superiority of num-
bers, if not ability. 1t appears to be
the highest ambition Of Commissioner
Phelps to award late Confederates
while Commissioner Dent has no con-
stitutional objection to such policy,
and hence they get along we'll together
in the work of decapitating Republi-
can subordinates to make places for
ex confederates The following are
specimens of the persons selected by
the Commissioners to do their work,
! Captain Hickey, an ox-Confederate
soldier, Inspector of the seventh
street pavement now being laid; Gen
cral Wilcox, ex confederate and form
erly an officer of the United States
Army, Assistant Engineer at the I'M
covering of the Tiber Greek Sewer !;
! Colonel Washington, of Texas. an ex-
confederate, is a draughtsman In the
Engineers Department; Colonel AL
/ exander, ex-confederate, the same !;
! Commodore Van Rensselaer, Morgan,
and Captain f. f, Sheppard Of War
renton, Va, both of whom left the navy
in 1861 to join the rebellion, are clerks
in the Office of permits Tyler, ma
rine officer, who went south in 1861
II clerk in the Engineer Office; a DR.
/ Page, who was surgeon in the navy in
! 1861 and served on the side Of the re-
bellion, was until very recently, ply
scian in the Washington Alms-house !;
I B. d. Penn, an assistant inspector in
the Water Department, is an EXON
federate officer. Most of these ap
pointments, it is alleged, were made
bv ex confederate members of Con
grcss from Maryland and Virginia
It is also complained that there are a
number of nonresident officials from
those states, instancing Vinson, the
Auditor of the District Government, a
voter in Maryland Francis Miller, a
member Of the liquor-license board
and Assistant Attorney for the Dis
tyict Commissioners, also a citizen Of
Maryland. It is stated that three OF
the confederate officials were ship
mates Of Commissioner Dent before
the rebellion and received their ap-
pointmen5s through him 1t is COM
planned by the people who pay the
taxes that their interest are the last
subjects Of consideration by the Com
missioners and that the Offices are fill
ed by itinerant constituents Of Con,
gressmeu and the class mentioned, in.
stead of persons who actually reside
here and have property interest il
the welfare of the District"