Middletown transcript., 1878-08-31
Washington Letter.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Aug. %, Is


He has figured out nomination in
1880. His friends heretofore stated
that he did not expect to be a candi-
date at that time, but they say moth
ing Of the kind now. The Senator is
doing what he can to push the Grant
movement, believing that no man can
be nominated for a third term. Let
us suppose the Republican convention
of 1880 near at hand, and Grant the
principle figure. Blaine, by right Of
his large vote in the Convention OF
1876, and ofhi constant prominence
in affairs, can be brought forward at
any moment. If Blaine's belief as to
third term nomination is correct the
nomination will almost certainly fall
to him. No unknown person will be
taken while Hayes is remembered.
No soldier is available. To nominate
any tried politician over Blaine would
be madness. Hereafter we may ex-
pect the Blaine press to look kindly
upon the Grant movement, and to
keep that impossible candidate prom
inently before the people for a year
more at least. %
Secretary Sherman made a speech
in Ohio yesterday in answer to Sena-
tor Thurman. He is polite an and
only politician, while Thurman is
much more than a politician. If there
are flies on the barn door Of the great
Senator, Sherman will see them, but to
the door itself, or rich harvest within,
he will be as blind as Bartimeus. His
vision is not Of the kind that pereeiyes
such things, and the day Of miracles
is past.
The New York Times says the orig
inal Sherman letter to Weber and
Anderson, which has been more lied
about than the number Of trout caught
by the senior Senator from Maine, is
in the possession of the Potter Com
mittee. Weber swore that it was de-
stroyed. Mrs. jerks secured place
in the New Orleans Custom House by
swearing that she dictated it to a man
now dead-not morally and politically
dead, like Sherman himself, but phys
ically dead. Sherman swore at first
that he didn't know whether he wrote
it or not, but, after Mrs. jerks told
her story, swore plumply that he did
not write it. One member Of Congress
swore he had often seen it, and thought
it was in Sherman's handwriting.
Nearly everybody that has testified
has had something to say about it.
The Committee, which will not meet
again probably, for some time, should
have told US whether they really have
the document or not. 1t is an i'm
portant one.
l have not been able to figure out
all the predicted Democratic gains Of
Congressmen, though there is almost
an absolute certainty Of gain over the
present majority in the House of Rep
resentatiives. fhfUse, T should say,
must be false prophets who say that
the Republican delegation will be in
terefered with in Maine, or that there
will be gains in Massachusetts, or that
we shall carry the few Republican
districts in the South without some
loses in that section But there will
unquestlonabIy be gains in the West,
and probably in New York. Reports
from the West received here are spe-
cially encouraging.
There has just been handed me a
written statement that Secretary Of
the Senate, Gorham, who, with Hale,
of Maine, runs the Republican Con-
gressional Committee, is guilty of
disreputable. trick in expending the
money Of the Committee Its to the
effect that, upon being selected to
manage the Committees affairs, he
bought for himself an interest in the
National Republican newspaper here
and is having all the Committees
printing done there at absurdly high
prices. The amount of the printing
is enormous and Gorham's profits cor
respondingly large. If the story is
true, it would seem that the stalwarts
have hardly higher sense Of what is
honest than the civil service reforming
Administration itself. 1t is further
said that the Democratic Post Of this
rity was kept from exposing this little
arrangement only by receiving quite
an amount of the same work at profit
able prices. SoLoN.