Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1883-06-27
From our regular correspondent.
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Washington, d. c., June %, '83.


are exceedingly nervous but family ex-
presses their feelings. Key-notes for
'84 are being sounded in all directions,
and the fine preliminary work of that
campaign, so far as the candidates 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 be-
tween Washington and New York as
the lieutenant of President Arthur in
his fight for the republican nomination.
When Bliss was secretary to Governor
Morgan, he was the chief magistrate
of the State to all intents and purposes,
and it NAV he noticed that in conven-
tons, IN consultations and in all other
places Macsregor Bliss is generally
found at the head of the table, as it
were. As the manipulation of Ar
thurs campaign he is good deal
more likely to succeed than he was at
the hea d of the star route trial. He
is just about tricky enough and I'M
scaupulous enough to run republican
campaign 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 dis-incline him from
the excessive labor .entailed by q fight
for the nomination. Don't let the
other candidates make any such mis-
take. Arthur is quiet, taciturn, self
contained, self-caring man, undoubted-
ly, but there is 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 expi-
ration of three years and half ad-
ministration, he could be honored by
his party with nomination. That of
itself would be an intensely gratifying
circumstance. The election is another
thing. 1t doesn't follow that if nomi-
mated he would be elected. The chanc-
es 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 ont
of the way. Logan is very ambitious
but Dorsey says he can kill Logan off.
There is not a strong man in the cab
met except Folger, and the latter's de-
feat last fall dug the pit into which his
presidential aspirations necessarily fell.
In the next Republican convention
there will be SlS delegates. 1t will
be necessary to secure, for npmina-
ton, 4l0. AS things look now, there is
hardly any doubt but what Arthur will
60 into that convention with the solid
South as his back, and solid South
means that mysterious and significant
number 500. That leaves 1O4 only to
be obtained, with New England, New
York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and
the boundless West to CLEAN from.
Let all the ambitious Republican states
men look out for Arthur.
On the Democratic side there is
greater quantity Of available timber,
and the probabilities cannot be so
closely narrowed down. The Repub-
lican organs are INDUCING in consider
able chatf 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 Republicans
will quote the language of ii we'll
known republican correspondent in the
Philadelphia Press, which though re-
publican is, under its present manage
ment, honest and outspoken. "Re-
member all that was urged in favor of
MIR. Tilden when he was elected before.
He is now older, but he is stronger
and richer. In addition to all that was
said of him during his first campaign,
comes that vast sentiment which lodg-
es in the minds of Republicans as well
as Democrats. Estimable as Mr..
Hayes may be in his private character,
it would be supremest folly to argue,
in, the light of the Louisiana frauds,
that there is not very general convic-
ton throughout the country that Tilden
was not unfairly dealt with and, wheth-
err it is desirable to elect Republican
candidate at the next time or not
which is no sense the question here
thousands and thousands of Republic
cans felt at the last election that it
would be their duty, in case Tilden
was renominated, to vote for him and
give the old man another chance.
know I felt so, and l heard very,
very many pronounced Republicans,
who had never voted anything but the
straight republican ticket, say the
same thing. PHoNo.
~ Miss Mutt says she is sorry her
brother shot Dukes because she had
intended to shoot him herself. 1t be-