Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-04-22
NuR WASHINGTON LETrER.
Wqs1ingtoa y. d, Apri7 "A. 1876
nm NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. THUG.

AN ADMINISTRATION THUG.
The labyrinth of Crete, with ali its
myriads Of meanderings and deceitfnl
snares TO mystify and confuse him who
was SO unfortunate as to penetrate its
depths, would be fitting symbol of
the tortuous and dangerous path now
travelled By General Babcock, late
Private Secretary of the President
1t is but few weeks ago that this
precious scOundrel, aided by Pierre
points letter to Dyer, aud the moral
influence of the Administration, es-
capped the just punishment of his con-
nection with the whiskey frauds in
st. Louis, anu returned here, confident
that the skeleton of his past sin was
buried beyond resurrection, and blind
" secure in the certainty OF future
immunity. But he il already brought
face to face to with another crime,
thousand fold darker than the former,
and for which he will belikely to pay
the severest penalty. The Develop
ments in the celebrated and infamous
Safe Burglary case, as brought out
before the committee of investigation,
point to Babcock, beyond the posi-
bility of doubt, as the author and
prime mover In plot which, In all
its phases, would do credit to the NAL
ice and ingenuity of a race of Thugs.
Whitley, who was formerly Chief of
the q. s. Treasury Detective Force,
swore before the Committee that he
was sent for by Babcock, and com
missioned to employ men for the job
of blowing open the safe in the Dis
trict Attorneys Office, and abstract
ing the records therefrom. The de-
tails oil the burglary have already been
given to the country, and it is crafty
ing to know that two or three of this
gang have been induced at last, to
give the facts in the case, and to fix
the crime where it belongs. Take it
altogether, l do not know of an indi-
vidual who stands fairer chance to
spend the remainder of his days in the
Albany Penitentiary than this same
"Sylph, unless his chum. the PresI-
dent, should interpose with the exec
utiye pardon. Harrington, the Asst.
District Attorney at the time of the
burglary, was also proved to be par
ticeps crininis. " and will be indicted.
TIE NEXT PREsIDENT-wHo WILL HE
BE.
There is less positiveness in their
predictions manifested by friends of
the various candidates for the Demo-
cratic nomination for President than
there was a week or two ago. The
friends of Gov Hendricks still! stand
nobly by their guns, and there is some
confidence expressed on the part of
those who support Senator Bayard.
The announcement that Horatlo Sey-
mour is in favor of Gov. Tilden, and
the probability that Seymour, Charles
O'Connor, and other men of similar
standing, will head the New York del
egation to St. Louis. in favor of Til
den, has had a very marked effect. and
Tilden is gaining rapidly. Stih there
is much uncertainty expressed. Men
are unwilling to abandon their FIRST
choice until they see that it is a ne
cessity. But once convinced that the
success of the party demands any given
course. and the Democracy will be
found facing the enemy with an un-
broken front. There is good deal of
talk about Judge Davis, but as yet
there does not seem to be much real
substance behind it. There is more
disposition exp essed to nominate
lifelong democrat, whose character is
such as to command the confidence
aud respect of the people, than to take
up former Republican like Judge
Davis, in the hope that he will win
Republican votes.
A HUNGRY AsPIRANT FOR PREsIDEN-
TIAL HoNoRS.
The paralytic blood -besmeared
shirt-waver from Indiana is probably
the most eager of all the Presidential
aspirants. 1t is believed here that he
was mainly instrumental in the publ
cation which appeared on the 18th,
charging Blaine with having impron-
erly and corruptly received $64, 900
from the Pacific railroad company
The facts that this charge was pub
lished on the 18th inst, and that the
Virginia convention to nominate dele
gates to the Republican convention at
Cincinnati was held on the same day,
give color to the statement as the
delegates were about equally divided
between Blaine and Morton. The
latter takes every occasion to manu-
facture capital for himself in this con-
test. He writes and dictates articles
for the press calculated to show his
superior claims to the honor of a nom
nation, and in fact, omits no opportu-
nifty to say a good word for D. Z. NJ
In order to secure the influence of the
delegates from the District of Column
bia, he vehemently advocates suffrage
here. and to that end, introduced into
the Senate a joint resolution, on the
18th inst. 1t is almost needless to say
that the lower class of Republicans,
who preponderate here are in favor Of
suffrage, while the respectable portion
of the citizens, without regard to
party. don't want the sweet boon at any
price.
BLAINE KILLED OFF.
Mr.. Pendleton is not to be alone, it
seems, in the ruin of his presidential
aspirations. 1t appears that Mr..
Blaine, so good, so irreproachable,
who comes from the Prohibition
State. has been soiling his immacu-
late fingers with filthy lucre.- On De-
cember 16, 1871. $4,000 of money be-
longing to the Union Pacific r. r. Co
found its way into the hands of some
mysterious individual, who, accord
ing to a prominent banker of Indian
apolis, was no less a man than the ex
Speaker. The particulars are pub
lished in the Indianapolis Sentinel Of
April IL, and the article concludes
thus:
Mr.. Harrison, the banker in question,
has been asked for a statement of facts, but
declines to say more than that, if brought
before a Congressional committee, he will
tell all he knows about il, without con-
cealment.
Here we have a Democratic Roland
for the Republican Oliver, and in
view of all the circumstances, and the
assumption of such extraordinary pu-
rity above other men, on the part of
Mr.. Blaine, two texts of Scripture
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