Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-02-28
WASHINGTON LETTER
A Republican Correspondent
Who Knows all About the :
CustOmhOuse.
wAsHIsGrOs, D. O., February o, isss'

Is geueIdl u eHS NV~ANS
this administration is Stalwart, and
there is going to be a revolution In
political leaders and methods. The
truth is, since the days OF Andrew
johnson there has not been an admin
istration so hampered and circum-
scribed in the matter Of Federal APP
pointments as the present. President
Arthur is like the man mot boy) skat-
ing on old ice. There is a general
disposition to break up and air holes
on every side. The Senate is a tie.
The Democrats are divided on the
tariff question, the Republicans are
classed as Stalwarts and half breeds.
Mr.. Sherman is under fire, and as a
disappointed candidate for the Presi-
dency, in twelve months has e his
wing Of the party go down and his
opponents occupying the position that
he coveted. He has not given in his
adhesion to the present order of things.
| could mention other Senators who
are watching the effect of Mr.. Blaine's
drum and fife exercises before the
country. 1t is said hal the President
goes slow. He cannot go fast if he
would. Between Senatorial courtesy"
the Democratic apology and half
breed" policy, the too utterly utter Of
one wing of the Republican party, he
is compelled to go slow. He cannot
afford to receive a black eye from
either, and to avoid it he must move
cautiously. | do not know but what
this is not best for the country at large.
1t strikes me as the only practical
check that the Senate has upon the
Executive in this day when party ma
chinery seeks to control everything.
The President sent in theanames of
Judge McLain, of Nashville, aud Mr..
Poston, Of Alamo, to be United States
District Attorneys for the Middle and
Western Districts respectively. Judge
McLain was promptly confirmed, but
Mr.. Poston's case hangs fire in The
Committee. Senator Harris does not
think hat Mr.. Poston is qualified, and
so powerful is the custom Of "Sena-
torial courtesy" that the appointment
is held back. What will be the out
come | am unable to say.
Politicians here attach no impor-
lance to the Blaine movement. Mr..
Blaine can never be President Of the
United States until he explains salts
factorily his connection with the Ar
kansaw bonds, the Mulligan letters,
and lastly, the disappearance of the
letters on file in the State Department
relating to the guano contracts. His
dash, brilliancy, genius, are all ad-
mired, but there is a prejudice against
his method, a lack of confidence in his
integrity that is as painful as it is
patent.
| have been making some inquiry in
regard to your custOmhouse--why it
has not been built. To say that the
Hon. Casey Young is responsible for
its non-c ompletion, does not necessa-
rily follow that he is to be condemned.
| will state the facts as told me by a
gentleman in a position to know:
The first estimate and contract
based thereon was for sandstone, to be
quarried in Missouri. After every.
thing was ready to begin work, Mr..
Young made inquiry Of the depart.
ment what amount additional it would
cost to substitute Tennessee marble
for sandstone, and upon a~scertaining,
requested work to be suspended until
he could get a resolution through Con.
gress authorizing the change. The
change was agreed upon and the con
tract for the marble awarded to the
gentleman who had the sandstone CON
tract, at a price several thousand dol
lars in excess of the first estimate, and
a few thousand dollars greater than
some other contractor had bid. Now
the architect made the award to the
former contractor at a slight advance
upon other bids, because he did moi
wish to subject the government to an.
noyance and loss by reason of the
damages that the contractor would
sustain by a change in the contract
from stone to marble. Mr.. Young
was friendly to other parties than the
ones who got the contract, and opposed
it, because the contractors were no
the lowest bidders. At some stage o
the proceedings, the contract wa,
again altered, requiring the marble tt
be dressed at Memphis. The inten
ton Of this, / presume, was to add
little To the wealth of the boarding
houses and saloons in Memphis AM
increase the amount paid the railroad
for transportation.
If Mr.. Young had kept his fuge.
out OF the pie your customhous
would have been built, but as b,
could not get marble, he would no
have sandstone and he preferred tina
his friends should have the contrac
to furnish the marble, even it tn.
government had to stand a suit O
$1,000 damage in changing contracts
, The Nashville customhouse i
! nearly completed and is a thing q
5 beauty and a JOY forever. ColonelJo oh
+. House let the contractors 90 O
with their work without meddlin
and INSTRUMENTATION demagogins
d by requesting it to be made Of ginger
]: bread colored marble, because it wa
d Tennessee, with the result above.