National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-02-13
ON THE AVENUE.
small Talls About Men ANA rIeasur.

some Americans / think it was more than
century ago, and these Americans aud their
heirs have been trying ever since TO get pay
for their property. Mr.. Causten was the at
tOrney for the claimants for fifty ORA sixty
years. He had an Office up on Il street and
had no other business except these claims, and
they kept him very busy. While he was the
attorney Mr.. Leonard Myers, of Philadelphia,
was member of tho foreign affairs commit
mitteo and became SO much interested in
these claims that when he went out of con-
grcss no took Mr.. Caustcn's place as attorney
for the claimants. Bleak House would DO
tame story, 1 fancy, compared to tho
romances of some of those claimants who have
been born into the expectation of French
gold, and have grown old and died still
hoping, but never receiving"
ao@ l..-
There is great trouble over the Office of
collector of the port of Marblehoad, Mass
Mr.. Simeon Dodge has held the office for
many years. Recently the President APP
pointed Maj. Frank Osgood, of. tho 6th regi-
ment, Massachusetts, militia, to the position,
but the senate has not yet confirmed the APP
pointment. Mr.. Dodge is here to see that the
senate does not confirm it. The bitterness
Of the struggle is not to be measured by the
emoluments of tho office. 1t has paid Mr..
Dodge for the last fifteen years an average of
$375,50 year, but Mr.. Dodge and Mai. o.
good want it just as bad as If it was worth
$4,000 and brick house. The trouble dates
from the congressional republican convention
which nominated Mr.. T.. f. Stone, the
present member from the Essex dis
trict. The Marblehead delegation was
solid for Loring and against Stone.
One of the delegates was absent and
Maj. Osgood was the alternate. He voted for
Stone and his vote nominated by q majority
of one. Naturally Mr.. Stone felt kindly to-
ward Mai. Osgood and recommended his ap-
pointment Osgood's petition was signed by
nine citizens of Marblehead and two citizens
of Salem. Mr.. Dodge's petition was signed by
800 citizens, and after the appointment was
made he brought petition signed by 400
out of the 600 republican voters of Marble
head. Poets and statesmen have engaged in
the fight John L, Whittier and tho Hon.
Joseph Davis wrote letters to Mr.. Stone urg-
ing Mr.. Dodge's appointment Mr.. Stone
did not file these letters with the petitions
because he said they were personal letters
Since the appointment Whittier has written
to the President urging him to withdraw it.
A large portion of eastern Massachusetts, is
sadly stirred up over the affair
Mr.. Dodge is q little, short sharp man, and
his shrewdness is illustrated by a little story.
A few days ago he went to call upon Mr..
John B. Alley, and that gentleman, who APP
pears to be q supporter, Of Mr. Stone, said :
| Now, Mr.. Stone is q very able man, and
ought to be returned to congress. I'd like
to know what you think about it. Will you
vote for him." Mr.. Dodge looked straight
over Mr.. Alleys head, and replied: That's
q very fine picture you have of Charles Sum-
ner, Mr.. Alley. understand you intend to
present it to the Lynn library. think that's
good idea. It's fine picture, and the
library would appreciate it. I knew Mr.
Sumner" Then he proceeded to deliver q
eulogy ON Sumner, but not a word about
Stone.
Somebody who signs himself at. f." is
sending bundles of printed circulars to soma
tors, in which objections are made to the for
feiture of the Texas Pacific land grant 1t
gives the usual arguments which were made
by the attorneys of the Texas Pacific before
the house committee on public lands, and adds
the new and astonishing argument that the
land is worthless The circular recites Ihat
"if the United States were to give all these
lands for nothing to actual settlers, it ia
doubtful whether anybody could be found
with temerity enough to accept them." Not
withstanding the worthlessness of these lands,
this advocate of the railroad insists that the
road must have them, and reiterates G. p.
Huntington's threat that if congress declares
the grant forfeited tho constitutionality Of
the act must DO decided by the supreme
court The gentlemen who are supposed to
be prominent in the movement to take these
worthless" lands from the Texas Pacific are
"done up" in the circular in this fashion:
at is not difficult to divine the real ami
mus and drift of this and many similar bills
for declaring certain land grants forfeited.
Political party capital is evidently ct the
bottom of it. Such men as Holman, Payson,
Dunn, and Anderson see in the noisy discus
sion of such bills, and tho apparent warfare
which they wage with the railroads, some-
thing to catch the ears of the groundlings-
of those who are opposed to anything and
everything which tends to develop and build
up the great west"
w
new element of opposition to the ratifca-
ton of the Mexican treaty has arisen among
the oil producers of the country. Mexico has
put tariff of 80 cents gallon on petroleum
and this tariff is SO nearly prohibtory that
during last year less than two-thirds of one
days production of petroleum in this coun
try was exported to Mexico. The new treaty
l while admitting many other productions free
of duty, says nothing about petroleum. Th'
oil men appear to have just discovered this
fact, and they now propose either to have thu
! treaty modified so as to decrease or abolish
, the duty on oil, or, if that is not done, to op
pose the ratification of the treaty. The i'm
. position of this duty by the Mexican govern
{ mcnt is purely for revenue, as no petroleum
is produced in Mexico and she has no OF
o wells to be protected. Said DIR. Roberts
"These Russian oil wells are cutting on
a great deal of our European trade, and W
I cannot afford to have the markets of Mexic
A and South America closed against u.s."
10
A 'T can readily understand" said the In
' terror department clerk, "why large retail
' stores have foor-walkers. They are as neces
|, sary in tho business as are the clerks ant
1 salesladies. But why this bureau of a govern