The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-03-03
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspor dent

Jewell as chairman OF the Repuollcan
national committee. Gen. Logan has
been frequently mentioned in this
connection, but l do not think he
could be induced to accept 1t. Be
sides the sturdy Illinois senator is re-
garded by many as the most avail
able man for the convention to name
as its candidate for President. Mr..
Jewell was in Washington only
few days previous to his death. He
was apparently in the best of health
when here. There was always some
/ thing about him that suggested por-
celain. He was so white, and pink.
His hair, teeth, linen, and diamonds
fairly shone with a metallic light of
excessive absence of color. His eyes
were china blue. His laugh was a
resounding clatter, like the rattle of
spoons in a crockery jar. He was too
much of porcelain man when Post
master General, He was too frail to
struggle with the rings in his depart
ment. His greatest fame made in
Washington was at reception given
by him when he was a member of the
cabinet. He served champagne in
one room to the diplomatic and few
special guests, while sherry was serv-
ed in another to the mob. This gave
Dom Piatt, then the editor of the
Capital, chance to lampoon the por-
celain man. Piatt was merciless, and
Jewell fairly suffered from the ridi-
Guile and chaff showered upon him.
But his turn to laugh came few
years later, on that squally night
when Billy McGarrahan, the claim
ant, knocked Piatt out in one round
and wiped up the floor of the senate
corridors with him. A few hours
after this occurrence Mr.. Jewell over
heard some newspaper cOrrespOn-
dents talking about it at the Ebbitt
house supper table. Walking hastily
over to where they sat he asked eag
erly if it was true that Piatt had been
thrashed, and upon being assured it
was, he insisted on hearing the whole
story. When the point was reached
of Piatt's falling under the doughty
fist of the redoubtable McGarrahan.
JEWELS delight was excessive. He
would rub his white hands raptu-
rOusly, while his laugh would rattle
on, as if he could not restrain his de-
light. He said he never had heard
such delicious news in all his life.
There we're a good many other hon
est people in Washington whom the
news delighted quite as much as it
did the ex- Postmaster General.
The effort of sold Man Massey" to
establish crookedness on the part of
the Mahoneites in the last Virginia
election does not pan out very rich as
yet. The deposition of Secretary
Chandler was taken day or two
since, but it did not disclose what was
expected by the anti Malone party.
His evidence was to the effect that so
far as he knew the subject of the dis
position of the federal patronage in
Virginia was never alluded to at a
cabinet meeting. He said that he was
the author of the famous dispatch to
"Hayes, "You have 1856 votes and are
elected" but that he signed it with
Zach. Chandler's name, because that
old gentleman was little under the
weather that night and was not car
ring much who was elected. Mr..
Chandler, as the head of the Navy
department, resembles Gen. Grant in
many RESPECTS. He has little to say,
but what he says is to the point and
full of horse sense. He has exhibited
consummate ability in handling the
affairs of the alleged navy, and his
recent letter to the naval committee
of the house relative to the trouble at
the naval academy shows that he is
capable of properly managing diff
Sulty VI tildC ClldIdClGT. Ills
desire is 10 build up navy, to get rid
of the worthless hulks which are eat
ing up the annual appropriations in
constant repairs, and place upon the
ocean few cruisers at least that will
reflect some credit on the country.
Some of the rotten hulks of the navy
have been on the stocks in an I'M
finished state for a generation. The
line of battle ship New Orleans, at
Sackett's harbor, has been quietly
resting there since 1914, the year it
was begun, and it has actually cost
more to watch it and keep people
from running away with it piece
meal than it cost to build it. Con-
gress should either rebuild the shat
tered navy or wipe it out altogether.
The tariff question is as badly mix
ed as ever. The bill passed by the
senate is very unsatisfactory to the
extreme protectionists, and kilograms
are pouring in upon congressman
from Pennsylvania and other IRON
working localities. There is serious