Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-03-28
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
President Garfield's 'AIf.an-'Alf Poll
icy-LOrd Roscoe Mad, but Afraid
TO Kick = A Dissatisfied Man
Savannah HarbOr Lights The
Channel of the River.

WASHINGTON, March 26.-President Garfield
has sent to he Senate the first batch of i'm
portant nominations that he has dispatched to
the capitol since he announced his Cabinet.
The other day he sent in a lot of Conkling men
for places in New York State. They were not
important, politically. though indicative, in a
measure, of the policy within the party to be
pursued by the administration. II you will
recollect. 1 stated solsse time ago that in the
matter of Federal patronage, it was the inten-
tion Of President Garfield not to antagonize
any particular faction in any State, but to give
them all a showing The other day he sent
nominations Now he has sent in
a squad of anti-Conkling names. Great inter-
est is taken by the politicians in what Mr..
Coukling is going to do about it. Remembering
the fight between Conkling and Hayes is what
makes tho rotations between Garfield and
Conkling a matter OF SO much interest politi-
cally. feel authorized to state that though
Mr. Conkling is mad, very mad, he will not
kick up a row. He can't have it all and will
have to content himself with the lions share
which Garfield has accorded him. Conkling
would fight il he dared. He has not the back
ing, however, to kick. He cannot like
school boy, refuse to take three-quarterS of an
apple snd refuse TO play IL he does not secure
the whole fruit. Garfield, before he put forth
the dlstastetui nominatiDns % Conkhng, rre-
ceded them with whole lot Of Conkling's
henchmen. He showed his strategy and az the
same time practi ally disarmed opposition. The
nomination that sticks the most in Conkling's
threat IS that of William II. Robertson, to be
Collector or Customs at New York. Robertson
is a Blaine man, and anti machine from the
very core. 1t was he who, in the campaign for
the Presidential nomination, first attacked
.N-Tsv, ~ lor and fhaVr
the name of the Grant Syndicate" He fought
Conkiipg and Grant, and his letter denuncia-
tory of the 'Syadcate'' was what led to such
bitter opposition within the party against
Grant. And then, on top of this Merritt. who
was only confirmed as Collector OF New York
under Hayes after q desperate and lobbying
crusade, conducted by Hayes and Sherman, is
not bounced, as Conkling would have desired
He is transferred across the water as United
States Consul General at London. And more
of it, The man whom he succeeds is
Adam HDadaau, Grants big blographer and
CONFIDENTIAL frien6 Rnt Badeau is not alto
gether dropped: he is sent as charssH q 'anaires
to Denmark. The nomination of William ".
Phelps as Minister 10 Austria is also distaste
full to COnkling. Here protest must be en-
tered Conkling certainly has a right to growl
about the app lintmentS iR his own State if
they are distastefu to him, but as Phelps is q
New Jersey man he should not get so excited.
The line should be drawn somewhere; If it
were not Conkling would be dissatisfied if he
was not given absolute swing of the whole
Federal pa ronage 1t would be impossible for
Garfield to satisfy him except by reSigning in
his favor, if such a thing were possible. But
he seems to have disarmed him by first giving
him big slice and then kicking some of his
friends We can't scoop in everything in this
world even should we happen to be big boss
like ''Conky."
A DISSATISFIED MAN.
There is one Southern Republican diSsatis-
fie because he has been nominated to place.
Put him in marble right away and stand him
on the dome of the capitol. BE Is from South
Carolina, and is named Samuel F. Phillips
Nr Phillips has been Solicitor General of the
Department of Justice for eight years, and
wanted to keep right on. But Chandler Will
liamee wanted the place too, and has got 1t.
In making the change President Garfield never
once consulted Phillips, but desiring to let him
down easy, nominated Phillips as Judge of the
Court of Claims a. the same time that he
nominated Williamee to the Solicitor General
ship. Phillips was at the capitol Witen the
waiting, to the White House TO Indignantly
protest Garfield was conveniently at lunch
and could not see him. Phillips is
will not take tho Judgeship. He considers it
an objectionable affront that Garfield should
remove him from one place and appoint him
to another without even so much as mention
ing the metRmorphosis to him. He says he
will, as soon as he gets chance to see Gar
field tell him what he thinks and demand that
his nomination be withdrawn. II he does not
COOL down ana LDluk DotlcT VI BoHCTdIi
Garfield will certainly comply with his request
to be withdrawn as nominee TO the Judge
ship There are plenty of patriots who are
hungeriDg for the place and Phillips will be
given nothing Cut his name out and preserve
it as the only instance on record that South
ern Republican ever refused anything.
SAVANNAH HARBoR LIGHTS.
The appropriation made by Congress for
lighting Savannah harbor does not become
available until the beginning Of the next fiscal
year--July 1st. Captain Dewey, Secretary of
the Lighthouse Board, says that early atten-
tion will be given to the question Of carrying
out the plan for properly lighting the savan.
nah harbor. Before any definite steps are
taken in the expenditure of the money, an
officer of the lighthouse service or a board of
officers will be sent to Savannah to investigate
and report Work would be commenced, he
said, just as early IS possible, and though he
could not estimate how long it would take to
complete the improvements contemplated,
menced but such as might be rendered neces-
sary.
THE CHANNEL OF THE RIVER.
Senator Brown has hal an interview with
General Wright, Chief of Engineers, in regard
to the survey of the Savannah river at your
CITY. provided for in the river and harbor bill
passed at the last session. 1t is made manda-
tory that survey of the river and estimates
for a channel of twenty y-two feet be made.
General Wright will leave this work in the
hands of General Gilmore, who will cause the
survey to be made by officers under his COM
mand. 1he report will be ready for submis-
sion to Congress by the first Monday in Decem-
her next, and will furnish the basis of action
or future appropriations for the improvement (
fof the channel Potomac.