The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1876-04-26
WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENCE.

CORRESPONDENCE.
WASHINGTON, !
April Is, 1851 |
EDITOR DEMOCRAT
For several months previous to a
Presidential election, the leading dai.
lies generally indulge themselves in
casting the horoscope as to how the
various States viii. throw their votes
in the electoral college. The calcu-
lations of the New York World have
been, in the past, singularly accu-
rate; and its predictions as to the
next race strike one as particularly
so. It says that, Of the Southern
States, the Democracy will carry,
without doubt, 127 votes. Its candi-
date will also get the ~ electoral
votes of the Pacific States, and those
of Connecticut and New Jersey. It
will, therefore, only be necessary to
carry New York in order to elect
Democratic President, with several
votes to spare; as the three States
just named carry so votes, which,
added to the others, will give 1S9,
something over necessary number
The lesson in this estimate, which
appeals to every mans common sense
as founded upon experience and
knowledge of facts, is that New York
must be carried, at every hazard, and
that upon its IS electoral votes hangs
the success of the Democracy next
fall. The State has, in the muta-
tons of parties and politics, become
the key without which no Presiden-
tial candidate can enter the electoral
college with any assurance of being
its choice. Blaine evidently feels
the Importance of this fact, and his
anxiety to ingratiate himself with
the leading Republicans of that State
explains the haste with which he left
the House lately, and journeyed to-
ward the political Mecca. Conkling
had been endorsed, few days pre-
vious, by the Republican Convention
which met at Albany, and Mr.. Blaine
found it necessary to stop, for a time,
his scheming to hamper the Demo
Gratis in the House, and to go to New
York, in order that he might unite
all disafccted elements on himself
New York, then. must be carried;
and the ability of a candidate to per-
form this should be, in conjunction
with other qualities which fit him for
the position, prerequisite to his
nomination by the st. Louis Conven-
tion. Such man, with the Soutl,
and Pacific States shoulder to shout.
der for him, which they certainly will
be, will be perfectly invincible, and
his election a foregonc conclusion.
HOW MUcn WOULD HE HAVE STOLEN?
just before Belknaps downfall. he
submit ell, in reply to resolution of
he House. his budget for The fisca.
year ending June 20, 1877. j.
amounted to some $2G.000,O00, or
about $l,000,G0O for each regiment
in the scrvic The House now calls
for II new estimate from his surces-
sor, and no little interest is felt III
his reply; US. it will exhibit, among
other things. exactly how much Bel
KNAPP calculated to steal during the
year.
a RApIc,r. GOVERNOR IN THE BALANCE.
The late developments before the
House Committee on Expenditures
in the Post Office Department have
|
brought to Washington Governor
John L. Routt, of Colorado, formerly
Creswell's Second Assistant Post
Master General. The Governor is
charged with having received $4,000
from one F. P. Sawyer, an extensive
mail contractor, in consideration of
his good office in securing certain
profitable contracts for said Sawyer.
Routt, as Second Assistant Post
Master General, had the letting OF
all mail contracts, and it was during
his incumbency that the corruption
subsequently unearthed took deep
root; extending to every contract Of
Importance in this country. On his
retirement, this state of affairs was
made manifest by slight investiga
ton; but nothing was ever made
public duplicating Routt until the
other day, when witness before til,
Congressional Committee testified
that Sawyer told him that he hat
paid Routt $4,000. AS a matter o