The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-06-25
WASHINGTON LETTER.
-[From onr Regqlar corfespondenl ]
WASHINGTON. d. q. Jnne %. 1885


Politics seem to be warming up to cor
respond with the weather There is much
interest here in the Ohio situation, and to
say that the republicans are exceedingly
nervous. but family expresses their feel
iugs. Key notes of "a are being sounded
in all directions, and the fine preliminary
work of that campaign, so far as the can
didates for nomination are concerned is
being quietly done. George Bliss. who
has retired from the star route cases with
handsome pile in fees is still about here
and it is said will alternate between Wash
ington and New York as the lieutenant of
President Arthur in his fight for the
republican nomination When Bliss was
private secretary to Governor Morgan, he
was the chief magistrate OF the, state to
all intents aud purposes, and it may be
noticed that in conventions, in eonsulta-
tons, and i'll all other places, Macgregor
Bliss is generally found at the head of the
table, as it were As the manipulation of
Arthurs campaign, he is good deal more
likely 10 succeed than he was at the head
of the star route trial He is inst ABOUT
tricky enough to run republican cam
paign in these latter days of that once
respectable party,
1t is said that President Arthur's natural
disposition to avoid trouble, To live quietly
and to ignore the strifes of the day, would
disincliue him from the excessive labor
entailed by fight for the nomination.
Don't let the other candidates make any
such mistake. Arthur is a quie', taciturn,
self-contained self-caring man, undoubt-
eddy, but there is a great deal of human
nature in Arthur. He wasn't elected
president, and it would be very proud
feather in his cap, if, at the expiration of
three years and half administration,
he could be honored by his party with a
nomination. That of itself would be an
intensely gratifying circumstance. The
election Is another thing. Ii doesn't
follow that if nominated lie would he
elected.
The chances are pretty strong the Other
way. But as matters now stand he has
the inside of the pole in the race for the
nomination. Blaine is considered out of
the way. Logan is very ambitious but
Dorsey says he can kill Logan off. There
is not strong man in the cabinet except
Folger, and the latter's defeat last fall dug
the pit into which his presidential aspira-
tions necessarially fell In the next re
publican convention there will be .S1S
delegates 1t will be necessary to secure,
for a nomination, 410 As things look
now, there is hardly any doubt that Ar
thur viii 60 into that convention with the
solid south at his back, and solid south
means that mysterious and significant
number 800. That leaves 104 only 10 be
obtained. with New England New York,
New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the bound
less west to CLEAN from. Let all the am
bilious republican statesmen look out for
Arthur,
On the democratic side there is great
er quantity of available timber, and the
probabilities cannot be so closely narrow
ed down, The republican organs are in
dulging in considerable chaff about the
possibility of the old ticket of Tilden and
Hendricks. but they would not laugh SO
loud if there really was certainty OF
Tilden being again in the field. TO show
the real feeling among honest re
publicans will quote the language of a
well known republican correspondent in
the Philadelphia Press, which though
republican is, under its present manage
ment, honest and outspoken Remember
all that was urged in favor of Mr.. Tilder
when he was elected before. He is now
older but he is stronger-and richer Ii
addition to all that was said of him during
his firS campaign, comes that vast senti
ment which lodges in the minds of repub-
licans as well as democrats. Estimable a
Mr.. Hayes may be in his private character
it would be supremest folly to argue, il
the light of the Louisiana frauds, tha
there is not very general conviction
throughout the country that Tllden was
not unfairly dealt with and, whether it i,
desirable to elect a republican candidate
at the next time or not-which is NJ
sense the question here there is NJ
doubt that thousands and thousands O
republicans felt at the last election tina
it would be their duty, in case Tilden wa
nominated. to vote for him and give thu
old man another chance. know fel
so, and | heard very, very many pro
nounced republicans, who had neve
voted anything but the straight republi
can ticket, say the same thing.
| pupNO