Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-02-09
WASHINGTON.
Gath's Gossip.

BLAINE AND ARTHUR STAR. ROUTE PRO-
SOLUTIONS.
WASHINGTON, d. c., Feb. 4.-There
appears to be some controversy about
the medium through which the cele-
brated dispatch of Whitelaw Reid TO
Gen. Garfield escaped to the public.
The Blaine men here insist that Rock
well had the dispatch among Garfield g
papers left in his custody, and. having
shown it to several persons, finally gave
it to Herald man, or let it be copied
bv one who did. On the other hand, it
is said among the telegraphers in
Washington that one of their number
behaved suspiciously soon after the
breaking out of the war between the
administration and Conkling, and
dropped mysterious hints that he had
big thing-something that he intend
ed to take to Conkling, etc. These say
that the shortest determination of the
subject is that this man sold copy he
had made Of the dispatch, the other
copy being given to Gen. Hay to take
to the president. | have seen an ex-
senator who told me that Gen. Garfield
gave him that dispatch to read, pretty
much as it had been published, in
order to excuse himself for having
nominated Robertson.
One is in danger of being misled on a
smothered intrigue like this. Colonel
Rockwell would never have been sus-
pected had he not, according to the
statement of all the Blaine men here,
talked freely about these things, and
developed himself as a hot opponent of
Blaine, and one willing to treat with
the Stalwart side. Others say that
both statements may be correct--that
the operator had copy of the dis
patch, and that the original, or the full
report of it, got in'o the hands of Swain
and Rockwell.
In the meantime the antagonizlng of
Blaine's position by Frelinghuysen
causes another breaking out of the
quarrel between Blaine and the whole
Stalwart side. In Washington circles,
and as far as l can hear from current
American opinion, Mr.. Blaine's position
is sustained Among the timid, shop
keeping folks, the importing merchants,
and that numerous class having no
patriotism, the ridiculous attitude of
the country in having one policy under
one secretary and another policy under
his immediate successor meets with no
Indignation. Blaine, however, has a
good deal of ground yet to cover before
he can make a national party to sup
port himself however many Democrats
may adopt his views.
was talking yesterday with a gentle
man connected with the Pennsylvania
,IvN,I mhn SoId
other things: "Mr. Blaine will make
himself great deal happier if he puts
aside forever the idea of the presi-
dency. In Pennsylvania, where he
was born, have a good opportunity to
observe public opinion; and while he
has friends there they are not of the
class which concludes opinion. | will
not say that he is not trusted, but That
he is not considered safe. That is the
reason Grant, with all his errors, re-
tanned certain amount of confidence
among the steady classes. He was just
dull enough to be safe and Blaine Is
thought to be too bright to be steady"
Speaking yesterday to Senator Voor-
hees, of Indiana, he said; II have
cured myself of rheu matte govt by a
simple remedy-taking lemonade juice
in warm water twice or three times
per day. Consequently, | am able to
do what | have not done for years
walk from my lodgings to the capitol
and back, a matter of four miles, every
day, and outstrip the young fellows
who go with me-"
The star-route investigations are keep
ing on, apparently not giving much
trouble to the persons arraigned, ex-
cept by what wear and tear and petty
anxiety which always attend extreme
publicity and hue and cry in this coun-
try. Mr.. George Bliss is conducting
them. Witnesses are being sent for at
great expense from all parts of the
country. This is right, if the purpose
in it is raightforward to make such
operations impossible in the future.
But there is pretty general feeling in
Washington that good deal of black
mailing underlies portion of this
prosecution. Some days ago an emf
nent railroad man in New York, now
building 1000 miles of railroad, was
approached by person, who said:
"Mr. Cannon, connected with these
star-route prosecutions, sends his re-
scects to you, and the assurance that
if Senator Spike troubles you, and tries
to have your Immigrant repealed, that
he will have Spike where the dogs can't
bark at him, because he has got grip
on Spike for his connection with the
mail cases"
"My God p said the railroad man,
show many persons by the name OF
Cannon are there in Washington !?
You are the twentieth messenger who
has come to me with the assurance that
Cannon is my friend, and l never saw
Cannon in my life. Now you go and
tell Cannon that whole army of such
fellows as he can never stampede this
railroad. We stand on our railroad like
every continental railroad that exists,
with the same rights and protection
and we don't mean to pay any money
to Mr.. Cannon or any such detective,
wherever he may have his grip.
Nou, Sfories ike the above circulated