The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-02-25
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspor dent.l

are Mr.. Edmund's Mormon bill in
The Senate and the App0rtiOnment
bill in the House. The latter as
finally perfected is the fairest appOr-
tiOnment measure ever passed and is
as absolutely impartial as it Is pos
Fsible to make it. ANY Democrat
who complains of il would growl if
he were going to be hung. The only
States losing a member are three Re-
publican States-Maine, Vermont,
and New Hampshire, while the gains
are almost equally distributed. The
question of dividing Dakota and adj
hitting the souther part into the
Union is favorably settled so far as
the Committee is concerned and he
indications are that il will pass. Some
Democrats oppose it solely on puliti-
cal grounds. hut 1 haye not found
single opponent among the majority.
Talking politics day or two ago
with Democratic Senator who was
opposed to Tilden as Presidential
candidate two years ago made the
not unexpected discovery that the
Gramercy cipherer is the favorite of
his party for the nomination in 1884,
so tar as the preponleranc of Demo-
cratic sentiment can be gathered at
this political centre. Their Uncle
Samuel is taking the place so long
filled by Horatio Seymour as the
patriarchal candidate. While the Re-
publican party has so many favOrites
that choice is difficult, the hapless
Democrats are fain. when the time
for laying out campaign draws near.
to fix in despair upon The only man
in their ranks over whom extreme
old age has cast mantle of respect
ability. Mr.. Seymour had the re-
spectahility Ivy nature, and with the
added qualification of aye he was
quite the ideal candidate Of the an
tiquated Democracy. Mr.. Tilden is
not quite so well off, but even in his
case senectitude has s0ftened the
glare of notority into something like
the more pleasant lustre of fame.
So it now appears that the Demo-
Gratis of all the States turn their eyes
to him-and his barrel as the most
hopeful candidate for 1884 provided
that 'S4 does not find the sage of
Greystone tWanging an oroide harp
above the clouds. When Mr.. Hen.
bricks was here recently he asked if
the report were true that he had
consolidated" with Samuel Jones
upon the basis of 1.-THE old ticket"
and he did not deny. The under
standing is said to he that in case of
election Tilden is to do something
never done before-resign the Presi.
dency and let Hendricks act. That
is fine programme, hut It takes
majority of the American people to
carry it out, and it may fail in exc
cution somewhere.
Advices received here from Pana-
ma indicate that the DeLesseps canal
is not Undertaking. very successful
ly. The work has net really been
begun, although the formality of
"breaking ground" has heen gone
through with. The amount of mon
ey subscribed is almost insignificant
when the cost of the enterprise is con.
sidered. The available cash on hand
after paying interest to investors and
the purchase money for the Panama
railroad does not exceed S12.5OO, 900,
while the lowest estimate for the cost
of the undertaking is S16S. 900, 600.
Worst of all. the second assessment
has not been promptly met in Paris,
and the company bids fair to be left
without money. These things do
not promise the immense returns
which have been held out as the |
certain result of the distinguished
French engineers connection with
the canal enterprise. 1t is not inn
probable that the absence of the in
d0rsement of the United States has
to do with this failure.
Meanwhile Capt. Eads is here log
rolling fol his ship railway across the
Isthmus without much prospect of
The sum which he asks
Congress to guarantee is only $780,
OO0,0O0 and the railway be begun as
soon as he secures that trifle, pending
which he is on waiting" orders. So
are great many more people who
want few hundred millions.
President Arthur's first state din
ner was given Thursday evening and
in the elegance OF its appointments
equaled any like occasion under any
Administration of the past. The East
Room was transformed into a bower
of palms and other exOtics, and the
were bedded foot high in
beautiful flowers. The state dining
room, which was used for the frst
time during this Administration, was I