Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-12-03
Washington Letter.
[rEoS OUR SPECIAL OoRREsroSDESrl
WASHINGTON, d. C.,
November 90, 1884

next March. Six yaars ago no thought
could have been more distant from
/ his mind than the one, that he will
become President OF the Republic in
! 1885.
None of the men that have been
elected TO the chief magistracy OF the
nation since James Buchanan's time
entertained the belief that they were
cut ont by the hand Of destiny for
the Presidency, and they all wonder
ed how they ever got there.
Who can explain satisfactorily the
turn of events that put men in and
out'
I said in a former letter that am
not surprised at anything that turns
up. Is it any wonder that l have
reached such a conclusion. While l
.m = student Of the past DO not
draw my conclusions from the histor
ic records OF by-gone days. 1 reach
conclusions from the events within
the time of ny days.
/ I was boy without a vote when
Buchanan was elected, which was y
years ago. Since tnen, revolution
has swept over the government OF
/ the United States, and changed the
political and business, aud social
status OF the whole people. Two
presidents have been as-assinatei,
aud thousands OF dramatic changes,
in the political, business and social
affairs of the people OF every state
could be mentioned. Lincoln, Grant,
johnson, Hayes. Garfield, Arthur,
and Cleveland have all been develop
Ell within that period OF time OF
the men named. whose place would
you choose if you had the power OF
choosing?
How nearly Blaine came to the
Presidency, and how, when he was
Garfeld's chief of state, the hidden
springs OF his own defeat was laid
by his hand is one of the wonderful
unseen workings that hoist men to,
or lower them from offices that they
seek,
Your readers doubtless remember
that when Conkling desired certain
appointments, Of the Garfield admin
istration for New York, that Blaine
AMI Garfield said no. The Senate
re echoed the no that came from the
White House, and Conkiing in dis
gust for the weak knees of the Sen
ate took his hat and bowed himself
out. II Blaine and Garfield had said
good by to the Withdrawing Senator
and left him alone, Cleveland would
never have reached the GovernorslIip
of York State, and Blaine today
would be President of the Republic
But instead of saying good by, they
followed lin to the State, and help
cd to defeat him for re election TO
the United States Senate, even that
did not satisfy them, for when Fol
ger was nominated for the Governor
ship by the Republican State Con
vention, they suspected that Z elect
ed lie would listen TO suggestions OF
ConklipC, ana for that reason they
turned IN and helped defeat Folger,
and elect Cleveland Governor. That
election defeated Blaine for the Pre-
sidency for it brought Cleveland for-
ward as .he Democratic candidate.
In your State, the political situa-
ton is a peculiar one. The men that
organized to defeat Beaver for Gov
ernor were ardent Blaine men, and 1
gather from information here that
they are no more Conkling or Cam
eron men to-day than they we're when
they determined to defeat Beaver,
but they have been shocked by the
defeat Of Blaine to silence. They
were for Blaine because they believed
John Stewart was to nave a Cabinet
position under Blaine, and through
him the Pennsylvania appointments
would all have been filed III the
Stewart interest.
The most notable event here with
in the week just closing has been the
unfurling Of the stars and stripes on
The top OF the Washington Monu-
ment. The cap stone has been put
in place, it looks like small point,
but it is six feet square. The corner
stone Of the monument was laid on
the 4th OF July, 1913. The shaft at
the base is fifty feet square. The
is built of blue granite and
marble and is five hundred and fifty
feet high, the highest tmonumentin the
world at the present time. The as
cent will be by elevator, and by a
spiral stair case, and from the top
one may look to the ocean, and to
the Allegheny Mountains that ira
verse the keystone State. 1t is a
wonderful structure, but then there
is nothing new under the sun, for it
as needle compared to the tower
OF Bable which was q half mile round
its base, and almost six hundred feet
hight and spiral wagon road ex-
tended to the top in the inside. The
WASHINGTON Monument. wonderful