Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1878-07-22
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.
ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE OF THE MONITOR


WASHINGTON, July l6, 1878.
The merely sensational effect of the
sudden decapitation of Collector Arthur
and Naval Officer Cornell has subsidized,
leaving the commentators tolerably we'll
settled as to the grounds of their ap-
prevail or disapproval. Truth compels
the statement that very few have thus
far been heard from willing to volunteer
any defense of what looks like almost
anything but "Civil Service Reform
according to the view of all but an in
significant number of those who have
yet made their verdict public. .Reform"
has been further shocked by the an
nouncement of the appointment of Alex.
Reei to an Office way out in Washington
Territory. Very few have forgotten the
persistency with which Reed was urged
on the Senate for confirmation as Post
master of Toledo, last winter. He was
rejected each time his name was pre-
sented, and despairing, seemingly, of
getting him confirmed in an office near
er home, he has been banished to the
Western wilds. A discrimination in
favor of the Western over the Southern
carpet-bag official, seems to have made
an opening for class of men who have
found it wholly impracticable to secure
such endorsement for official position
among those intimately acquainted with
them, as to induce the Senate to look on
their candidacy with any sort of favor.
The investigators have locked up and
gone home. Potter and his adherents
persisted to the last in their refusal to
hear Mr.. Sherman's witnesses. By them
the Secretary declared he could prove
the most frightful reign of terror ever
tolerated by community protesting civ
ilization, during the late Presidential
/
campaign in the two Felicianas. Mr.,
Sherman said that he could show by
them that above thirty Republicans were
made to bite the dust of those two par.
ishes alone, besides numberless other
outrages, only one degree less shocking
Of course they were not the kind of wit
nesses the honorable Potter and his fell
lows cared to hear. 1t was much more
important to show the country that Mr.
Sherman wrote letter to Weber anc
Anderson. Out upon such hypocrisy
Kellogg was about the only witness ex
amined since the Committee re-openeG
the show, and he appeared an unwilling
one throughout. Next to Potter, people
here seem of the opinion that Butler ha
proved the most lamentable failure o
any of the patriots who hoped to distin
guish themselves by sowing the seed o
revolution. The whole business ha
turned out too contemplate, even to b,
called a farce.
The evil genius that has never relax
ed its grip on Democracy since it pre-
cipitated the country into the whirlpool
of civil war, seems to still have posses
sion of the party press. It couldn't d
the work the Republicans would have 0
it more certainly, were that party's man
ayers directing it. In their fear of Gen
Grant and their frantic efforts to xii
him, they have brought him into prom
inence that may give him the nomina
ton by reclamation. Thus early W
hear much about Hayes successor, here
and where any other name IS heard i
that connection once, think it is n
exaggeration to say General Grants
heard a dozen times among Republicans
both ''stalwart" and Administration
The mention of his name, even with tn
mercury dangerously near 100 in th
shade. aroused a degree of enthusiast
that reminds one of old "Wide Awake
times in 1860. There is undoubtedly
feeling of confidence in him in an emel
gency, not accorded any other mar
Grant and Blaine is the latest SLATE
) Thurman is a good deal talked about o
, the other side. But it would start th
party out under such load of ridicul
to attempt to match the "bloody shirt
with Thurman's .sred bandanna," thu
it would break down before the hal
/ mile pole was reached.