The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-02-18
WHOLE NO. 1893.
OUR wAsRINGToN LETTER.
(FrOm our Regular COrrsspondent.)

WASHINGTON, Feb. Q, 1880.
Itseems to be pretty we'll conceded
by Presidential prophets 10 Wash
iugton that the race for nomination
is now between Grant aud Blaine,
on the Republican side; but very
few predictions are hazzarded as 10
Democratic Presidential prospects.
There have been 50 many turns in
political kaleidoscope that the views
are somewhat bewildering. 1t is the
opinion of many that Senator Bayar
has a more solid support than any
other man named for the position
He is the choice of majority of east
ern Democrats and of many inhuen-
tial men of the So0tb-such men, for
instance, as Jones, of Florida, Glib
son, of Louisiana, Hampton, Lamar,
Butler, Gordon, and many others.
Bayard's friends only hesitate to or
ganize and push him aggressively for
the nomination because of one thing.
His State has been clsssed among
those of the South" aud some of
his most ardent frieods fear that this
might nurt him in the North. North
ern Democrats who favor Mr.. Bay
ard insist that this fear is grouadless
and sey that the independent con-
servative voters of the North have
more confidence in the Senator from
Delaware than any other public man.
Tilden is still prominently mentioned
iu connection with toe nomination,
but if the Democratic members OF
Congress reflect the sentiment of their
party on this subject he is not strong
The agitation Of SeymouE's nauie de-
veloped the fact that he was favor
ite, but his recent emphatic declars-
tion that he would not accept the
nomination if rendered to him, seems
to remove him from the race Should
the Convention return to the major
ity rule it is quite probable that Sen
ator Bsyard will have strength
enough to give him the nomination
early il the action. Should the two
thirds rule be retained, however,
there will, very probably, be a long
and perhaps butter struggle over the
nomination. The Democrats who ia
vor Mr.. Bayard are honest and earn
est 10 the belief that he is the best
and strongest man that can DE chosen
In this belief they will stick together
and that will give hlD, possibly, an
advantage over other candidates.
Toe present condition Of the Navy
Is in general way appreciated by
probably every newspaper reader, but
few persons will be prep red for the
particularly unpleasant exposure of
iG made by Mr. Harris 10 the House,
IN presenting q bill TO provide tor @
permanent construction llnd The
report sets forth that smz.i Is the
number of our naval vessels is, conn.,
pared with the force of European
powers, it is 'infnitely smaller" 10
real lighting power; that the five
"irst-rate" vessels we have are now
To De clsssed as obsolete and as "non
c0mbatsnts. That OF the twenty
seven "second-rates" that are sun
finished on The stocks, rotten, and
worthless" seven sre probably not
worth repairing, and only nine are in
condition for service that of twenty
nine "third-rate" steamers, six should
be broken up, and only fifteen are
now ft for service; that the six
"fourth-rste" steamers are of really
no account as vessels of war that of
the twenty-four iron-clads, four are
rotten and worthless, q number of
them unfinished, and the fourteen
that are serviceable are all fourth
rates," and carry only two guns each
smooth bores of 6ye-inch calipre.
There is not," says the report, "a
single rified gun on our iron-clad
heet ahoat."
This state of affairs is only less IL
diculous than it is melancholy, of
course. and can be defended only by
those who see no necessity for even
the satirical sembiance of q navy
that we possess. The bill looking to
q moderate and gradual reform which
has been introduced by Mr.. Harris
ought to receive considerable atten-
tion.
c. A. s.