The Portland daily press., 1884-01-12
Especial Correspondents Of the press.9

WASHINGTON, Jau ~.
There appears to be growing impression that
GEN Sherman may after all prove an available
presidential candidate, perhaps the me st avail
able that can be offered by the Chicago con-
vention. There is said to be amcng the mass
es a strong under current of feeling in his favor
and not few are predicting that he will be
found to be the man who can give the party
leaders the most positive and well founded as
snraLces of victory in 1884, Just how much OF
a Republica. the General is seems to be a lit
tie uncertain, but the impression prevails that
ne Is at last az much a member of the party as
was Grant at bis hrss election. 'There is no
use talking said prominent western politi-
c>an speaking of presidential prospes t.. he
toyed with bis after dinDer cigar. at one OF the
hotels last evening, there is no use talking,
there is a strong feeling among the people for
Sherman.I can't tell how it may develop at the
time of the convention, or before that ii me, bat
il the people were to select man now think
old 'Cump' would stand pretty good show
would in fact be the nominee"
"And would he VIM"
"Yes, sir Nothing could beat us with Te-
cumseh Sherman at the head of our ticket. H
DOluludttOh WUuiu JO tuu1fdl0ub " all oiCCetOA
He would carry all the States now counted as
doubtful. AS for New York-for know that
question naturally comes first-I don't think
there is any doubt about his carrying it,"
"What kind of President would he make2'
"Well," he answered with a laugh, as he
looked out of the corner of his eye to see if any
body was within earshot, "that is the question.
The General is little queer, cranky is might
be called, but have seen Instances where the
sense OF great responsibility would take the
kinks and cranky ways out of fellow within
almost no tlrSss Then the Sherman family is
noted for its great good sense anyway, and
don't think there need be sny fear about sher-
mans courss. 7->--->e
Wouldn't Logan answer the sans pGssFHSSse
so far as enthusiasm is concerned, and have
the additional quality of experience as a states
map?9
81 think not. Logan Is popular in the West,
but don't believe he would oe sufficiently 80
to carry New York. And of course if he
as presidential candidate"
"How about Arthur? Couldn't he carry
New York;"
'That do not know. II he could-if we
were sure that he could, he would be better
candidate than Sherman, for he has tie sd
vantage of experience in the position and has
not some of the questionable traits that
Sherman has. But do not know whether Al
thur can carry Now York. IT he cannot we
have no use for him any more than we have
for Logan. We can only determine as to his
= ! - r.
tisns of the New York delegation to the con-
vention when they come up there. II they come
upto the convention solid and en'husias tic for
Arthur believe he can be depended upon to
carry the State and will be our best candidate
If his nomination is, however, to awaken old
internal strife in the party, there is no use
thinking of him. He wouldn't do at all. And
that can only be determined by the sort of meu
that go to the convention, and the course they
pursue.
THE ALCOHOLIC LIQUOR COMMITTEE.
The friends Vt temperance are very much
inclined to erowl about the makeup of the
House committee on the alcoholic liquor trsf-
fic, which was authorized on motion of Mr..
Reed. They say, and with pretty good reason
that the Speaker has not given them fair
show in making up the committee. To begin
with, the chairman voted against the appoint
ment of any committee on this subject. So
did all his Democratic associates on the COM
mittee, and SO did one of his Republican asso-
ciates There are nine members of the COM
mittee. OF the nine, six voted against
the creation of such committee. OF .he three
who voted in favor of having such commit
tee, for appearance sake, two have record of
having opposed in the last Congress the adop-
tion OF bill for the appointment of commits
ion on the subject. Queer committee on alco-
holic liquor traffic, isn't il? The Speaker has
done his best to prevent any good result of
Mr.. Reeds successful effort to get such COM
mittee appointed.
cURIo tiles OF CONGRESS.
II anybody thinks it does not cost much to run
a Congress let him at once dismiss that idea.
At least he would be likely to do so should he
be permitted the opportunity of reading the
expense accounts of one. The annual report
Of the clerk Of the House, Mr.. Mcpherson,
has just been put into print 1t shows some
interesting facts about the cost of great ma
chine like the House of Representatives, and
some rather unexpected ones Who would
have supposed for instance, that it costs several
thousand dollars year to wash the towels that
are used in the bath and wash rooms?
Yet it does. according to this report Take
the month of July for instance. The clerk
certiies that in July, 1882, he paid for washing
S67 dozen towels for the House and its en-
ployes alone-over 10000 towels for the month
or 500 day during the days in which there
were sessions. The cost of this trifing service
was pretty nearly $500, the rate paid being
80 cents per dozen. Adding to this the Sem
ate list and 1t is easy to see that the figures
run well up into the thousands in the year.
Funerals, too. are very expensive 1t
costs, as appears from the report of Clerk
MCPHERSON, over $4,000 to bury a Congress
man; about $4,000 in some cases. Take for in
stance the funeral of Congressman Hawk Of
Illinois. 1t SO happened that among the
men chosen to attend his remsius, seversl
were at home and had to be sent for. 1t cost
%S6 to get them hera, ona itann nj this hill