Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-05-20
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Washington, d. c., May II, 1876

GRANTS CENTENNIAL SPEECH.
People have frequently expressed
the belief, whenever our soldier Pres
ident has issued State papers, that
they were written for him by some of
his Cabinet officers. When he deliv-
cred the longest speech of his life
the one read by him at the Soldiers
Convention at Des Moines-it was
generally believed that its real author
was Bishop Simpson, of the MethO-
dist Episcopal Church. Be this as it
may, there is no doubling the author
ship of his little five and ten line
speeches made in response to seren-
AIDES, and the addresses of Mayors and
other officials on his various junket-
ing tours about the country. These
are Enthusiastically his own, for there is
an awkwardness of diction and bold
defiance of the rules governing the
construction of the Queens English"
marking them all, of which onne of
his constitutional advisers, except,
perhaps, old Zach Chandler, could
possibly be guilty. On a par with
these was his speech at the opening
of the Centennial Exhibition on
Wednesday last. It is a model of
awkwardness. Nevertheless, the as
sembled thousands, including the
Brazilian Emperor, threw up their
hats and shouted long and loud over
the President ngrammatical utteran-
ces. 1t is safe to say that no one but
the man who endeavored to disprove
the proposition, ''The pen is mightier
than the sword, will ever claim the
authorship of the Presidents Centen-
NAL address.
CONGRESS oUTwITTED BY MURTAGH.
Murtagh, the proprietor of the
National Republican, the home or
gan" of the Administration, by the
Iexercise of the shrewdness he confess
sedly possesses in securing government
pap to keep his fulsome sheet in exis-
tehce, has at last secured the printing
ofthe District tax list, although it was
evidently the intention of Congress to
have the work done at the Govern
ment Printing Office. A bill direct
ing it to be done there passed the
House last week; but unfortunately,
did not rech the Senate in time for
action before Congress adjourned to
attend the Centennial. Fortunately
for Murtagh, however, he was already
in possession of the copy" The
contract having previously been award
ed him by the District Commissioners,
and knowing that the Senate would
concur in the action of the House, he
at once set at work a large force Of
extra employees, and the result is that
the tax list was printed and sent out
with the Republican for the first time
on the 10th inst. There will now, of
course, be no necessity for further ac-
ton on the House bill, as the printing
of the list is an accomplished fact
Mr.. Murtagh will consequently come
in for the nice little sum of SIC, 900 or
Whereabouts from the District ex-
cheqer. Last year he charged $96, 600
for doing the same work, but received
only $4,000 He thereupon brought
suit to recover the remaining SAG, 900,
claiming that $4,000 did not compen-
safe him for the job. This year he
was anxious to do the same work for
$4,000, and will undoubtedly make
handsome profit even at that figure.
| omitted 20 say that, in such hot
haste was Murtagh to complete the
printing of the list before the Senate
could act upon the House Bill, that
n his paper of the 10th inst, he boasts
Of his enterprise, and states that so
continuously did the composltOrs work
that some of them dropped from
their frames, simply exhausted from
fatigue" Congress was certainly out
witted by the Organ Grinder this time.
POLITICAL.
General Butler has been interviewed
on the subject of the Republican NOM
ination for the Presidency and ex-
presses himself favorable to Morton
first and Conkling second, and believes
the chances of the former better Tor
the nomination than those of any other
candidate yet spoken of. lie fears
that the state of Morton's health may
be an impediment, but that this should
only render the convention more care
full in selecting the Vice President.
He thinks Conkling would certainly
carry New York /; a consideration
which In the present state Of parties
gives his Danse great weight. There
IS an apparent harmony between the
supporters ofthese two aspirants which
bodies no good to Blaine, who leads
the race, SO far, in the delegations
elected. 1t is evident that he will be
the object of continued attack from
the Morton and Conkling forces, who
will unite with all other opposing ele-
ments to beat him. Butler thinks the
nominee will be Morton. Conkling, or
the Great Unknown. He does not re-
gard the chances of either OF the other
Republican candidates now so proml-
nently spoken of as worthy of consid-
Grafton.
BLAINE IN TUE MARYLAND eoNvEN-
TI0N.