Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-05-23
Especial Telegram to the Globe. ]


derstand the reasons why Southern man
should be appointed, least of all why a
commissioner of internal revenue should
be appointed from state which has such
vital interest in lenient administration
of the revenue laws as Kentucky. It is
we'll known that the president from the
beginning of his administration has desired
to recognize the South. In selecting a
postmaster general the president first
turned his attention to the South,
but he could not find man among the
native Republicans there of commanding
position who suited him, nor could he find
man among the independent Democrats
whom he thought we'll adapted to the
place. Had such man been found there
is authority of cabinet officer for stating
that the postmaster general would have
been chosen from the South. The first op-
portunity for appointing southern man
to any important bureau officer below
that of cabinet officer has occurred by
the resignation of Gen. Raum, and the
president has decided to give the place
to the South The commissioner
of internal revenue holds an Office only
second in rank to that of a cabinet officer,
while in point of practical influence
among the people the commissioner of in
ternal revenue exerts very much more in
t1uence than the secretaries of state, war
and navy or the attorney general. He has
1900 Office holders under him, and is an
active force in every hamlet in the land.
Mr.. Walter Evans, who has been selected,
is Kentucky Republican, who in 1876
was actively engaged with the Bristow
movement. He is a lawyer in good stand
ing, and four years ago
was the Republican candidate for
governor of Kentucky, polling a
large vote. He belongs to the class of
Republicans in Kentucky of whom ex-Sec.
Bristow and Mr.. Justice Harlan are types.
Evans is a lawyer, man of ability, and is
said to have executive capacity. A tele-
gram has been received from him stating
that he will accept the place. Gen. Arthur
observed the precedent which he has set
that every executive act must be carefully
considered, and that nothing is to be done
to-day which can be postponed until to-
morrow. Twenty-one days ago vacancy
was created in the Office of commission
er of internal revenue. There
has been no great pressure
of public business since that time. There
has, in fact, been no public business re-
quiring any special attention except the
rules of the civil service commission. The
| injury to the public service from the delay
has not been great. The mail has in part
been held up for one day because a COM
missioner was not qualified to-day. If
the new commissioner requires time to
prepare himself to enter upon the Office it
will be necessary for him to come here
and qualify, as there is no power to ap-
point deputy to act until after the new
commissioner shall have qualified. The
personal choice of the president is known
to have been Silas B. butcher, of New
I York. The fact that he has not been Sc
lected is to be regarded as indicating that
there was some important public reason
why the commissioner should not be ap-
pointed from New York. The theory of
some New Workers here is that it was
feared that the choice of New York man
might prevent, rather than aid the restora-
ton of harmony in the party. There is an
opinion here, whether it is we'll founded or
not will doubtless be known later, that the
president is very anxious. harmony shall
be restored in New York, and will contrib
ute what he can to that end. Three
months ago there was a general belief that
Gen. Arthur was not a candidate for the
presidential nomination. Now the belief
is quite as general that he will be candi-
date, and there is no more good reason,
possibly, for one belief than for the other.
THE NORTHERN PACIFIC LAND GRANT.
Said Secretary Teller this afternoon
after reading an editorial entitled "a new
eye on the land grants "The truth is,
that I have deemed it my duty to give
notice to the Northern Pacific company,
not only that they are not entitled to have
the alternate sections reserved in the
second indemnity strip, but that the alter
nate sections in the first indemnity strip
will not be held for any longer period than
is necessary for the road to make its Sc
N-S' Inv WILL pony Aelo AdU P1OAl4HSAG
lawyers here, among them Roscoe Conk-
ling and Mr.. Gray. They have made large
demands upon the department. Their
first claim was that the secretary of the
interior had no more discretion as to the
odd sections in the second indemnity strip
thaa he has within the belt of granted
land. They claimed that the land in both
these strips were by law and right alb
solutely reserved for them until such time
as they got ready to claim them, and the
inference, if not the intimation clearly
was that they would be quite at liberty to
be ten, twelve, or fifteen years about it. I
denied that that was good law and, after
giving the subject the most exhaustive
and careful consideration I came to the
conclusion that the road had no such right
in the second indemnity strips and that
whether or not the odd sections within
those strips, or within either Of them
should be withheld to make good defcien-
eies which might be found to exist within
its granted tract was matter within the
discretion of the secretary of the interior.
That discretion I determined to exercise
in the direction of opening to the settler
as speedily as possible all lands within the