The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-03-01
BOSS sHEPHERD's BIG Jon.
The Rings Scheme 20 Sell the Boss's Build
ing for City Post once.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2S-The old District
Ring rallied yesterday and to-day in all its an
cent strength The headquarters. as Of yore.
was the private Office Of the Secretary OF the
Senate. There all the familiar faces Of the Ring
lobbyists were TO be seen. Boss Shepherd WIS
the leader. and his active lieutenants
we're Charley Eldredge. Hallet Kilbourn.
John o. Evans. Alaska Hutchinson. George
G. Gorham. and Backford OF Virginia.
There were some new faces also. and
among them Stetson Hutchins. editor OF
the Post the would-be national organ Of the
Democracy. and the Rves brothers. OF the
old Congressional Globe were noticeable There
were throngs OF other hungry lobbyists Of les
scr note. active as skrms shers and runners.
The objective point OF all this array OF strikers
was the Senate Appropriation Committee. and
the job they were lahuring to null through WIS
Il double-headed one. though to the uninitiated
there was no apparent connection between the
two.
For many months a wel-organized lobby.
with wide-reaching influences, has been en-
gagged IN working up the scheme 70 sell 70 the
Government for a new city Post Oni'e "a build
ing erected boy Boss Shepherd, on the corner OF
PENNSYLVANIA avenue and Twelfth street. The
inception Of this Job dates back to last summer.
during the yellow fever excitement. when n re-
lief committee was organized in this city with
Boss shepherd and his friends Ms the leading
active spirits. The object shepherd had in view
was purely mercenary one. II WIS to ngrat-
ate himself with southern Democrats and se-
cure their votes in Congress this winter
Tyner and Brady. the nominal subordnates
y.
real heads of the Post Ofllre Department. have
always been the active friends of the old ID strict
Ring. Key was easily captured. and induced
10 recommend in his annual report the removal
OF the city Post Oftice. THIS point secured, the
next move was 10 get the House Committee on
Public Buildings and Grounds q recommend
city Post O1lc~. Casey Young of Tennessee
was a member Of this COMMITTEES. and to
fiatter him and make him an easy
prey to the ring of jobbers. n reception for him
was gotten up when he arrived here. a few days
Wizards Hotel In Casey Noung's honor. and
de- iacto Pnsimaster-General Key and his
| assistants Tyner aud Brady. were invited
guests The old District Ring was in It's glory
| aud Boss Shepherd was eulogzed in speeches
made 10y Key and others. But the investment
| 80 Tar IA Casey oung WAS concerned. docs not
| seem to have paid. The Committee on Public
| Buildings and Grounds did not make report
! in favor Of the Boss's building. but Key and a
| packed committee of experts dii.
The Job failed utterly on the House side. and
the next move was to capture the Senate Com
| mittee on Appropriations. and get an amend
| ment on the Sundry Civil Appropriation bill
| directing the Post ONCE Department 10 pur-
! purpose that the lobby already des ribed. with
It's headquarters in the ofiirc Ot the Secretary Of
| the Senate. was exciting itself yesterday from
| early morning until late AZ night. All day long
| there were messengers going to and fro be-
| tween Gorhhm private once anu me Appro-
pflWlon Sommluee room. Orcasionally. Dor
| sey and sargent. old-time friends OF the Dis
| trict Ring. would slip out of the Committee
10 consult with the Boss and his
| coadlutors. Then there would be mysterious
| conferences between Hutchins Of the Post aud
| shepherd which would be followed by inter-
| views between Hutchins and the Democratic
members Of the Appropriation. Committee
working for the shepherd job So they were.
! nut they were also wQrking for
edly community OF interest. 1t is
! even alleged that there Is a copartnership,
Democrats, prnponderAting for. future opera
| tons on the Federal Treasury. The basis Of
| this combination is the public printing. which
Is, II everything goes right 10 be turned over 10
| private company. with Stllson Hutchins and
| the kiNes Brothers as the nominal heads. This
| lob has been quietly worked up for u year past
The Riyes Brothers want to get back the re-.
porting Of the Congress ionHl debates and resur-
rZ9'i Z ZtI8 p oiu fongLtsSona I ,g.2tr, lhey EN-
| strikers, to get through last session an apprO-
| printion Tor the purchase Of the stereotype
| plates ana all of the old Congressional G'OJeS
The Boss and his assistants We're successful in
| outhlning an appropriation OF SluuOuo for
this purpose. out Of which they got 10000
| i9r their services. This was the inception Of
| the present plan to turn over 10 "A private cor
poration the whole Of the public printing. which
| amounts To more than $1,000. 600 year. Shortly
| after this Stilson Hut'uius began the publicl-
| uon OF the P0st from the old Gi0ie building.
| He had formerly issued his paper from the old
| Kroncie building, which was owned 10y Boss
| Shepherd
The foregoing makes plain connection be-
| building for a city Post Oni'e. ana the turning
over OF the public grlntlug To a private company
| .t'iNihn'.l il ilulrIlN~s liH HIVES hfblIltlS.
| Boss Shepherd. John o. Evans. Chur-
| ley Eldicdse. Hutchinson, and oth"rs.
| An attempt was made few weeks
| since TO get the Democratic memhers Of the
| House to commit themselves in favor OF the
! public printing Job. 4 caucus was called. and a
proposition WAS made 10 IT by Hutchlns to do
! the public printing for ten per cent less than
! the present cost. but it had few If amy
supporters. and no action WAS taken
on IT, There is reason. however to believe that
! since then a good deal of work has been quietly
| done with leading Democrats, and II is asserted
| that they have committed thems lives to
been used with these Democrats ia that
! tho transfer Of the public printing to
private parties will give the Democratic MAJOR
! itv in the House and Senate an immense
| deal of patronage, and in addition the dis
nursement Of over two millions Of dol
! lars that the public printing can he
! done for II great deal less than IL now costs no
! well informed man conyersAnt with affairs here
| doubts. Thorough business men can well nf-
! ford to take tho contract TO do the public
printing for ten per cent, less than the present
| cost. they would make at the lowest calculation
| 100000 year. They could well afford. thrrc-
| lore to make Il handsome yearly contribution
10 the Democratic Congressional and National
| campaign fund.