Middletown transcript., 1877-06-16
washington Letter.

The admirable manner in which the
Presidents Southern policy CONSOLE
dates the Republican party in the
South, is shown by the presence here
of two rival delegations from Alabama
They represent the carpet-bag and ma
tive element Of the party respectively.
The object Of each delegation is Office,
Of course, and neither wishes the other
side to have any.
Senator Conkling has been here for
several days without having any inter
course whatever with the President
But 50 far as | have been able to learn
he did not express himself unfavorably
upon the subject Of any act or policy
Of the president. He goes to Europe
soon. His passports he procured thro'
the subordinates of the State Depart
ment, and not through the member of
the Cabinet from New York. Thc ap-
pointment Of Evarts by Hayes, and the
ostentations Of war shown by both to
Fenton, must indeed be bitter to Conk-
ling.
A branch of business lately estab-
Iished here is that of bidding for mail
routes. A company has been organ
lied with plenty Of capital, which puts
in a bid for every mail stage route ad-
vertised. 1t furnishes good bonds, so
that the government cannot lose. The
plan by which the company expects to
make its profit is this: The bids on all
the routes for the last year, on perhaps
for a series Of years, are carefully ex-
amined, and bid little lower than
any of them is put in by the company.
In perhaps majority Of cases the bid
is the lowest, and the company gets the
contract. It performs no service, but
sells the route at a profit to the disap-
pointed bidders.
Through local combinations the com
pany now and then has to pay roundly
for getting the service performed, but
generally the jealousies and rivalries Of
home bidders allow considerable profit
to the combination. 1t may be that
the combination has facilities up to the
day Of the formal Opening" the bids,
for finding out what other parties have
offered to perform service for, but there
is no charge of the kind formally made
as yet. Members Of the combination
are in the New England and Western
States at this time. arranging for the
carrying out of contracts lately award
ed.
Delegations of stone cutters from the
vicinity Of Rockland, Maine, and Rich
mond, Virginia, are in this city. They
wish to have the stone-cutting for gov
ernment buildings and other work,
done under the supervision of govern
ment agents, and not of contractors.
Presidential visits, North and South,
are positively. promised. That to New
England will probably not take place
until August. That to the South will
be extensive and will precede the or
ganization Of the House in October,
though no day has been set for the
Journey to commence. 1t is not yet
stated what members of the Cabinet, or
others, will accompany the President.
1t is currently reported, and gener-
ally believed, that the National Repub-
hicaa is not, like the stories in the week
ly papers, "to be continued" On pret-
ty good authority, too, another Repub-
lican morning daily is announced for
July 1st. The Republican does not
seem to be satisfactory to any class.
Ex-senator Fenton's name is connect
ed, perhaps without authority, with the
new venture. While it may be said
generally that the positive enmity Of a
strong politician Is more damaging than
his silence, there are yet exceptions to
the rule. Conkling leaves the country
without any public expression of dis
gust with the Administration, but he
has been in this city without visiting
the President, and having official busi-
ness to do, did it with the subordinates,
and not the heads Of departments.
Whatever weight his displeasure may
have will be felt as sensibly as if, like
Wade and dButler and he had written let
tiers, will be felt much more than that
Of Blaine, who, while expressing oppo-
sition at one side Of his mouth, was
sucking in Administration spoils at the
other side. Senator Kirkwood, Of
Iowa, hoping for good to the party
from "the policy yet fears the worst.
All the Iowa men here are Of his way
Of thinking as to the result, and few Of