Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-07-03
EVANS AND THE PRESS.
The New Commissioners GauntIe
Thrown into the Sanctums.

IedllN uOes not care Tor newspaper criti-
cism has at last been found. He is Mr.
Walter Evans, the new Commissioner of
Internal Revenue. Mr.. Evans saw fit
some time ago to make changes in the
force Of Internal Revenue agents. He
bounced four and put in four more. He
did this before he was we'll warmed in his
official seat. Two of the men he turned
out were the pets of two newspapers in
New York. There was nothing verv good
to be said of them as a general thing.
Dut the aforesaid newspapers took up the
hight, and have been pounding Mr..
Evans very vigorously. About
the worse thing that could be
said, as fact, was that Mr.. Evans
made the change referred to before he had
really got the run of the Internal Revenue
Bureau! Other newspapers followed the
lead OF the New York two, and Mr. Evans
has experienced that circular treatment
which is commonly called Catching il
all around" But none of the bounced
men have been restored; there is no con-
vulsiOn in official life here that | have
been able to discern, or that the Signal
Bureau has reported; and Mr.. Evans is
still commissioner of Internal Revenue
with every prospect of a long lease of
Official life. The newsp pers have been
greatly excited, but they have had all that
feeling on their own side. Mr.. Evans has
not been excited at all. He Is natu-
rally cold man. In this matter he
has been phenOmenally cool. He has not
printed card or asked for any newspaper
vindication. He has adopted the sensible
course of quietly looking after himself
and letting the other side do all the
howling. l do not remember the case of
any other public official who: attacked
as Mr.. Evans has been, has not rushed into
print with a column or so of VindicatiOn.
Public officials as rule are as scared of
a newspaper paragraph adverse to them
as they are of grim death. Mr.. Evans
stands forth as an exception, which when
found is to be ''made a note ono The
newspapers may howl and howl again.
but he never budges an inch or wants to
talk back. Barnum ought to have him
for his collection of wonders,
A private letter written by Senator
Jones, of Florida, and dateds London,
June 18th, has been received here. The
senior Senator from Florida says he has
been having good time, and that he
greatly enjoyed the dinner given to him by
the irish members Of Parliament. He
anticipated much pleasure at the enter
tainment which was to be given him
June 23d, by the Lord Mayor of Dublin,
at the Mansion House. Senator Jones
says that he has seen a good deal of the
British Parliament. He thinks the
American Congress and its members COM
pare in every way most favorably with
the British Parliament. He had intended
going to Rome, but decided to spend all
of his time abroad in Great Britain. He
will return to the United States in July
and visit Saratoga and other watering
places.
Gen. Crook will be here in a few DAYS
to confer with the all-wise authorities as
to what shall be done with the Indians
whom he captured i'll Mexico after a bril-
liant campaign and brought back. Gen
eral Crook has been fighting Indians ever
since the late war, and has always fought
them successfully. He ought to know al
most as much about Indians and their
nature as do the present officials who
have been dealing with the Indian Ques-
tion at long range for about four years
some OF them for much shorter time.
General Crook recommended that the cap
tive Indians be put on a reserva-
ton. lie wrote report giving his rea-
sons. lie wound up by saving
that in his judgment to return the In
dlans to reservation where they could
be closely watched, not only bv the
United States authorities but by the other
Indians, was the only safe way of dispOs-
ing of them. The long range authorities
here directed that only the captive women
and children could be taken on the reser-
vatiOn. They knew a great DEAF more
about it than did Crook. Oh, yes: tbey
knew it all. But they condescended to
allow Crook to come on here to 'sconsuIt''
them Secretary Lincoln went so far as
to say that Crook had been doing hard
work, and that he thought if
he could be allowed to come East
he might get some rest. He
thus branded publicly the so-caIled consul
tation with Crook as amounting to moth
ing but mere pleasure trip for that hard
fighter. But it will amount to more. The
Indians who were not captured by Crook
promised to come in and surrender them
selves. They have since heard that the
Washington authorities have refused to
allow them to go on reservation. Not
knowing what would be done with them,
they have gone on the war path again,
and threaten to renew their old ravages.
here he will be listened to. He will
have his way and the long range
managers of Indians WILL with the recent
lesson before them, defer to his Judgment.
They would have shown common sense
had they done so in the first place. While
the Indian problem seems to have about
resolved itself into Gen. Sherman's axiom
theib bHC OuAy SOOu IHOldu Is uedQ Ill-
dian," yet most sensible saving of
Crooks is that sit is cheaper to feed In
dians than to fight Them" II there was a
little more of the fruits of the experience
of army officers in the management of In
dian affairs, things would get along much
better.
There is no work doing on the Washing
ton Monument. This is the very height
of what is called the working season, but
for lack of material the tall white shaft
does notsmount higher each day. The
company which was contracted with to
furnish the marble blocks Is unable to
fulfill that contract. 1t cannot get out
the stone fast enough. Consequently.
things are at standstiil,
This is a great disappointment to Col.
Casey, who has charge of the work, He
eXpected-and so reported to Congress-
that the monument would be completed
by next fall. The lack of material will
make that an impOssibiIity. 1t will not
be completed until the following year.
mayhap the year after. The Washington
monument is a long time in getting
there, but its five hundred and sixty feet
will make grand pile when it does arrive
at completion. PoTOMAC.