The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1884-03-06
Our Washington Letter,
Special to the Democratic Press:

WASHINGTON, March /, 1884.
Mr.. Morrison, the pusher" of the
House, and the head of its most i'm
portant committee. is working dill
gently, and if he don't prove an ac'
ceptable feature in tariff reform, Il shall
be much disappointed. And of one of
the other House Committees, Mr..
Springer has fairer opportunity than
any other man in the House to supply
his party with campaign material. He
has his work we'll in hand for lasting
and ranging fire on Brewster, Attor-
ney General" If he does all that he
can do, and that is now promised, you
will hear of more unearthed official
imbecility and rascality than has been
turned up in Washington in the MEM
ory of man. The utter and incompre-
hensible incompetency exhibited and
practiced in the Department of Justice
for the last two years has been more
scandalous than any one will believe
till the very naked and homely truths
are dragged to light. This, you may
depend upon it, Mr.. Springer will do
most gracefully. And this leads me
to topic of general interest,
ARTHUR's PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDACY
The weakest of all weak points of
Mr., Arthur's administration is, un-
questionably, the inefficiency Tor worse)
of his Cabinet. This fact will bear
severely against him in his candidacy
for nomination at the Chicago June
Convention. He has but two MEN in
his Cabinet, Lincoln and Chandler.
The War and Navy are manned, only.
1 have only intimated point or two
about the Attorney General; much
more will be developed. But the State
Department, far more prominent, has
an equally snobbish, imbecile and far
more fossilized head. Secretary FIRE.
linghuysen seems to be simply and
only ambitious to be CALLED Secretary
of State; and the duties of his office
he seems to comprehend Only in about
the ssme degree that the wooden In
dian figure at the tobacco store door
understands the price and virtue OF a
Havana cigar. He takes England's
insults, Bismarck's snubs, and the
general run of foreign nations jeers
with as much agreeableness of manner
as though they were paying our nation
the highest compliments. He is per-
fectly satisfied if he can bob up once a
week at the Presidents or Mr.. Secre-
tary so.and-so's State dinner, and par
ticularly so if Mrs. Frelinghuysen can
be placed at the Presidents right hand
and then the Misses F. consecutively
distributed down the table in their
regular order. This to him is great
ness"
Secretary Teller's office may not be
so far gone in incompetency, but the
Congressional inquiries will find solid
meat there, if they get all the facts
Some of the most fragrant, but most
craftily hidden schemes will be un-
corked In the Interior Department il
all shall be made known, of Western
land operations, railroad connections
and the like. No doubt the Secretary
himself is sound business man, but
he has clerks and secretaries who have
led a wild dance for him in more re-
CARDS than one. But enough of Re-
publican rsmissness for one letter.
Chicago is the place, and July Stf
the time, where and when the Nation
al Democratic Convention will nomi
nate their candidate for the Presidency
Chicago won by vote of 2l to II ovel
st. Louis, and it is generally conceded
that the significance of the selection
is that Joe McDonald's friends have
scored victory. Randall, Payne anc
Morrison were known to be in favor O
st. Louis; hence of the other prospect
i've candidates Indiana's favorite sor
is thought to be little ahead in the
race for the nomination. Messrs. Bar
mum and Prince, who were supposed
to have favored st. Louis, cast the de
Gliding votes on the third ballot fol
Chicago.