The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-05-03
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER,

From our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON. D. c., April %, 1884.
Scarcely Republican Convention
thus far held for the selection of del
gates to Chicago has failed to adopt
resolutions commendatory of Mr.. Ar
thurs administration. While that
of Ohio esteems it as wise, patriotic
and eminently satisfactory manage
ment of our public affairs, Massach-
usetts, and indeed all New England,
endorse the administration in Ian
guage that cannot be surpassed in ex-
pressing admiration of both Mr.. Ar
thur and his methods. Such endorse
ments as these, coming from the rep
resentative gathering of the great Re-
publican party all over the country.
cannot but be source of qualification
to the President, whatever may be
the outcome of the effort on thu part
of his friends to secure the Chicago
nomination, From the character
and complexion of the delegations
that have already been selected. Mr..
Arthur's chances are certainly as
good as those of any other candidate.
and if, as some contend Will be the
principal and most sanguinary con-
test In convention will DE between
Edmunds and Blaine, it will hardly
be possible that those who have been
so lavish in their laudations of Mr..
Arthur and his administration, will
stuItify themselves by failing to take
advantage of the natural outcome of
the Blaine and Edmunds fight, by
turning the combatants over to the
man of their choice. The unanimity
with which Mr. Arthur has been en-.
dOrsed in these local conventions,
shows that their expressions of ap.
proyal cannot be meaningless or in
sinrere in convention, and this fact is
confirmed by the other fact that he
has decided majority of delegates
over any other single candidate. 1t
would therefore seem that his record
is all that can be or need be nyok-
ed, when the time comes for concen-
trated effort. In addition to the fore
going considerations, we have at this
Presidential contest the anomaly ola
condition of things by which the Sec
ond choice of candidates figures as a
most important element. To say
nothing of those delegates who enter
the convention uninstructed, there
are the strongest reasons for surnis.
ing that Mr.. Arthur is really second
choice of large majority of those
whose preference were for other can
didateS for first choice. Such is the
case in Connecticut where Gen. Haw-
ley is named as a contingent first
choice, in Ohio where Mr.. Sherman
is declared for, in a portion of Penn
sylvania which has Mr.. Blaine for
its Iavorite, as also in Iowa, WiscOn-
sin, Minnesota, and Kansas. Thus
it will be seen that the emergency of
~ second choice may present itself in
the early stages of the convention,
particularly when instructed dele
gates as a rule consider the force of
their instructions at an end after the
first balloting.
The irresistible impulse to blunder
for which the Democratic party can
always be relied upon in Presiden-
tial year, comes on apace with the
action of the majority of the House,
with Mr.. Randall at their head, upon
the Naval appropriation bill. The
Senate amendments, which provided
for an amount of expenditure neces.
sary to make our decrepit navy APP
pear something like respectable, were
all voted down. except the one to
complete the ordinance outfit of the
three new steel cruisers and the dis
patch boat, and that was fought by
Mr.. Randall until he and Mr.. Dor
sheimer nearly came to blows over 1t.
And then Mr.. Hewitt, of New York,
thought that he would put his foot in
it, too, by charging that Secretary
Chandler had been withholding some
$500. 600 received from salas of old
vessels which should have been paid
into the Treasury within thirty days.
an allegation that both Mr.. Cannon
and Mr.. Calkins nailed to the coun-
ter within the next hour by showing
from official reports that the money
was deposited with the Treasurer
upon the very day of its receipt by
the Secretary. JUNIUs,
Or.