Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1880-02-13
OUR NATIONAL CAPITAL.
The PresIdentIaI OutlOOk-Our Naval
WeakRess-The United States has no
First-class ships Of War.
From our regular correspondent.

From our regular correspondent.
Iseems to be pretty generally conceded
by presidential prophets in Washington
that the race for nomination is now be-
tween Grant and Blaine, on the Republi-
can side; but very few predictions are haz-
srded as to Democratic presidential pros
poets. There have been so many turns in
the political kaleidoscope that the views
are somewhat bewildering. 1t is the opin-
ion Of many that Senator Bayard has
more solid support than any other
man named for the position. He is
the choice of majority of Eastern Demo-
Gratis and of many influential men of the
SOuth-such men, for instance, as Jones,
Of Florida, Gibson, of Louisiana, Hamp-
ton, Lamar, Butler, Gordon, and many
Others. Baysrd's friends only hesitate TO
organize and push him aggressively for
the nomination because of one thing: His
State has been classed among those Of the
''South," and some Of his most ardent
friends tear this might hurt him in the
North. Northern Democrats who favor
Mr.. Bayard insist that this fear is ground
less, and say that the independent conser-
Yative voters Of the North have more con-
fdence in the Senator from Delaware than
any other public man. Tilden is still
prominently mentioned in connection with
the nomination, but if the Democratic
members Of Congress reflect the senti-
ment of their party on this subject he is
not strong. The agitation of SeYmour's
name developed the fact that he was a
favOrite, but hls recent emphatic declara-
ton that he would not accept the nomina-
tiOn if rendered to him seems to remove
him from the race. Should the conven-
tion return to the majority rule it is quite
probable that Senator Bayard will have
strength enough to give him the nomina-
tion early in the action. Should the two
thirds rule be retained, however, there will
very probably, be a long and perhaps. bit
ter struggle over the nomination. The
Democrats who favor Mr.. Bayard are hon
est and earnest in the belief that he is the
best and the strongest man that can be
chosen. In this belief they will stick to-
gether, and that will give him, possibly,
an advantage oyer other candidates.
The present condition of the Navy is in
general way appreciated by probably
every newspaper reader, but few persons
viii be prepared for the particularly un-
pleasant exposure Of it, made by Mr.. Har-
rs to the House, in presenting a bill to
provide tor a permanent construction
fund. The report sets forth that small as
the number Of our naval vessels is COM
pared with the force of European powers,
it is infinitely smaller in real fighting
power; that the five ''first rate" YES
sells we have are now to be classed as OBJ
stacles and as ''non combatants." That
Of the twenty-seYen second-rates there
are unfinished on the stocks, rotten and
worthless, seven are probably not worth
repairing and only nine are in condition
for service; that Of twenty-nine third-rate
six should be broken up, and on
Iy fifteen are now fit for service; that the
six fourth-rate steamers are Of really no
account as vessels Of war; that of the
.wenty-four iron-clads, four ara rotten and
worthless, g number Of them unfinished.
md the fourteen that are serviceable are
II fourth-rates and carry only two guns
bores of fve-ineh ealiber. /
There is not, says the report, ga singlei
flied gun on our iron-clad feet afioaf-3s Z ]
his state Of affairs is only ies~~-
han it is melancholy
Y defended only
'tY for