The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1876-06-16
WASHINGTON LETTER,


WASHINGTON, d. c., June 10, 1876.
What l have said in former letters | now
repeat. hat is, that there are few cities
perhaps none, of the size of this in which an
increase or diminuton of its population is SC
readily porceptiblc as it is here. What with
the Centennial on the one hand and the Gin
cinnati Convention on the other we may be
truly said to be between two seas (C's), aud
our usually well filed streets present but a
slim appearance.
On Sunday much excitement was occasion.
ed by the sudden illness of Mr.. Blaine who
had u violent attack of vertigo or apoplcxy
while attending divine services at the Congre-
gational church. II was a very warm morn
ing, and Mr.. Blaine with his wife and daugh-
ter had walked to the church, which is some
distance from his residence and had Just en-
tered the vestibule when he became dreadful
ly sick and seated himself on the gallery
steps Several physicians who were in the
church, among them Surgcon-Gen. Barnes,
were Immediately in attendance and he was
at once conveyed to his residence. This
morning he is said TO be rapidly convacscine.
Speaker kerr's health is still in wretchcd
condition, and he has obtained further leave
Of absence for ten days.
1t is questionable whether there will be
a quorum in either House of Congress to-day.
some Of the members of both branches having
gone to the Centennial and many more to
Cincinnati. Much excitement just now nat
uraly prevails in that city. Mr.. Blaine's
friends here seem confident of his nomination,
saying that he will 90 into the convention
with at least three hundred delegates and that
on the second ballot he will be the man. But
advices per telegraph of the 10th inst. from
CINCINNATI are by no means SO flattering.
Many politicians there say that those letters
OF his as published are fatal to his interests
and after receiving handsome vote on the
first ballot his supporters will be divided
among the other candidates. Should this be
50 he will still have Il controlling influence,
and will, Of course, Use it to kill the bugs that
got into his wheat and so cffectually ruined
his crop. Some of his friends claim that be-
cause the Democrats believe him to be the
most dangerous man to their party they have
subjected him to the ordeal through which he
Is now passing. I'm all fairness it is to be
hoped that the same wiscacres will not attrib-
ute to Democratic agency or influence the sad
personal alllction he is still suffering. Mr..
Blaine himself is too astute a politician and
too shrcwd man not to have seen from the
beginning that all the trouble to which he was
subjected had its origin in his own political
household, !and that no Democrat had any
agency in It's conception or prosecution further
than what was demanded as members of the
Investigating committee But should Mr..
Blaine be defeated in his aspirations, he is in
the best possible position TO strike blow that
will tell with killing effect upon those of his
party who have ignored him, and at the same
time sorely wound the Democracy His
course should clearly be to defeat Morton,
Conklng and the rest Of his prominent and
unscrupulous competitors, and by using his
influence for such man as Taft give the
Democracy Il much warmer contest than they
could possibly have with either of the others.
Bp this course he would be serving his own
purposes aud at the same time bcneftting his
party.
1t Is ridiculous to observe the straits to
which the RAIDS are driven in their frantic at
tcmpts to offset, if possible, the multitudnous
developments Of fraud and corruption among
its officials since the Democratic majority rot
possession of the House. The weak and ma