The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-08-01
POLITICAL MACHINE
Is What tile New York Custom House ia
Deon for n Long Time.

Il What tile New York Custom House Ia
Deon for Long Time.
The Custom House since the founda
ton Of the Government has been used
as political machine by the admins
tration that controlled its patronage
The present generation has had abun'
dant proof OF this statement. Since 1861
politics has ruled the Custom House rs
vigorously as under the defeaulting Col
lectOr Swartwouts regime.
Three weeks after his Inauguration as
President, Mr.. Lincoln nominated Hi
ram Barney as the successor OF the late
Augustus Schell as collector, and by the
time Fort Sumter was fred on, not
enough Democrats who had supported
the Buchanan administration were left
in office to man n mud scow. Barney
was assisted in this work by one OF the
clevere5t private secretaries who ever
drew resignation for IN obnoxious EN-.
ploye, Mr.. A. NJ. Palmer, who developed
IRON one OF the most tyrannical politi.
cal bosses to one OF the most successful
theatrical managers in the country,
Barney's measures were too harsh, how.
ever, and he leaned too far toward the
Chase contingent in the Republican
party and was forced to give way 10
Simeon Draper, who heldoff for bare
Is eleven months, when the lamented
st. Lawrence county editor and United
States Senator, Preston King, succeed
ed him.
King during temporary alteration,
loaded his pocket with shot one cold
November night in 1866, walked aboard
Hoboken ferry, and when in mid
stream, jumped overheard. From that
day TO the following May Charles i.
Clinch, brother of Mrs. a. 7. Stewart,
was acting collector, when the office
was formally occupied by Henry A.
Smyth. who held on during Andrew
Johnson's administration. When Gen.
Grant became President he called the
merchant prince, Moses II. Grinneth,
to the position, and year later Thomas
Murphy began his active political ca
reer in the office. Murphy, however,
had suit against the Government for
supplies furnished during the wa-, and
great pressure was brought to bear
upon the President to remove him.
With that characteristic devotion 10 his
friends marked throughout his life,
Gen. Grant refused, but Murphy ten
dered his resignation voluntarily.
Grant allowed Murphy the courtesy
OF naming his successor. Murphy sug-
gested General Chester Alan Arthur.
For seven years Arthur filled the Office
with satisfaction TO the merchants oil
New York irrespective OF politics. With
Alonzo B. Cornell he had organized one
of the strongest and most cohesive po-
litical machines the country has ever
seen. John Sherman, then as now an
aspirant for, the Presidency Of the
United States, and at the time Secretary
OF the Treasury under General r. b.
Hayes, discovered that he could not
swing the New York Custom House to
his side Of the fence and proceeded to
smash the political organization that
controlled it. Arthur and Cornell were
removed. In six months time Cornell
was elected Governor OF New York State,
and in less than two years Arthur was
nominated for the Vice Presidency OF
the United States, and in little more
than three years became President,
while Sherman was forced to content
himself with his seat in the Senate.
In the meantime Gen. L. A. Merritt,
who had succeeded Arthur, was shipped
off to London as Consul General fifteen
months before the expiration Of his
term OF office, and the nomination OF
Judge William II. Robertson for Collec-
tor May Is, 1881, led to the disruption
Of the Republican party in this State,
the resignation OF Conkling and Plat,
United States Senators. Then followed
the assassination Of President Garfield
by Charles j. Guiteau, and the promo.
ton of General Arthur to the Presi-
dental chair.
When Mr.. Cleveland became Presi-
dent he selected Edward L. Hedden, n
reputable merchant, but thoroughly in
competent MS an executive officer. His
appointment was made through the in
tluence OF Herbert q. Thompson. 1t did
not require much time for Mr.. Cleve-
land to learn what worthless officer
Hedden was and a year later his resig-
nation was demanded-a proceeding
which drove Thompson to his death,
partly from modification and partly
from rage. Two years ago last April
Joel B. Erhart succeeded the third st.
Lawrence county Collector the Office had
had in twenty years, Daniel Magone.