Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1886-11-19
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER,
Regular Correspondent,

eXpllcablc are still the chief subject OF
discussion here. Indeed the elections
We're full OF small sized miracles.
When President Cleveland first formu-
lated his policy of civil service reform,
you heard good deal said about the
opposition it would meet with in the
North and the disposition of the South
ern people to approve oft. Yet North
Carolina lets Representative Cox be
defeated in convention, and develops a
sudden fancy for anti-Democratic pro-
clivities in her delegation. Kentucky
cuts Speaker Carlisles vote down to a
mere shadow of its former self, and
Virginia throws away her Democratic
seats in Congress with recklessncsS
On the other hand, Minnesota, the
old Republican stronghold, polls so
close vote as to leave the issue in
doubt for a time. Massachusetts
pushes Andrew almost to the front,
and New Hampshire almost breaks
her straight Republican record in the
House.
The news of Speaker Carlislc's pos
sible defeat caused profound surprise
here. That of Mr.. Morrison did not,
as it had been regarded among the
possibilities. He has always had a
more or less close contest, and his dis
trict is really Republican, although he
has repeatedly carried it by his per-
sonal popularity.
The question OF who is likely to sue
ceed Mr.. Morrison as Chairman of the
Committee on Ways and Means is one
about which little definite idea can be
formed at present. Mr.. S. S. Cox
will require to be placed, and there is
an impression that somehow he may
be Mr.. MOrrison's successor. He has
a longer Congressional record than
any other Democrat in the House, and
he has been very prominent in the
party.
Hardly anybody alludes to Mr..
Morrison but speaks of his conspicu-
Gus honesty. When Morrison, previ-
Gus to 1880, was spoken OF as possible
candidate for the Presidency, Gen.
Eppa Hunton, of Virginia, then a
member of the House, was said to have
struck the mark when he expressed
the opinion that if Morrison were
made President there would be more
honesty and less manners in the
White House than at any time since
General Jackson lived there.
The President did not go home to
vote last Tuesday but he sat in the
room adjoining the little telegraph Of
flee of the White House that evening,
and read the news direct from all
parts OF the country as fast as it came.
Of all the fiimsy reasons given why
the President did not go to Buffalo,
probably the silliest explanation was
| that he did not wish to vote for a GER
tain Democratic candidate for Con-
gress in the Buffalo district, that gen.
tleman having made a speech some
time ago in which it is alleged he ex-
pressed lack of sympathy with the Ad-
ministration. The whole thing about
which so much ado was made amounts
to nothing, but will state one good
reason why he was not there. He re-
moved from the district some time
ago, and although he is entitled to
registration in Buffalo, is at present
disfranchised like many other residents
of Washington.
have from good authority that Mr..
Blaine believes that President Cleve-
land will be re-nominated in 1888, and
that he will be reelected. That is
why he says he does not expect to be
nominated himself at that time, and
why he says he does not want to be.
He has said recently with great en-
phasis that he would never accept a
nomination for the Presidency unless
he felt certain of election. He will
work for some good Blaine man,
though, in the Republican convention
of 1883, and bide his time. He will
keep himself before the country, as no
| one knows better how to do than he,
for the nomination in 1892, Mr.. Blaine
will not be as old a man, even then,
as was Samuel Tilden when he was
elected in 1876.
Mr.. Blaine's recent attack in one of
his campaign speeches, upon the civil
service reform record of the Admins
tration, came with a very bad grace
from him, to say the least of it. He
has number of relatives and friends
in the employment of the Government
here, some of whom are retained in
their places because of a desire to
show courtesy to the Presidents late
opponent. His private secretary draws
a salary at the State Department while
he is still attending to Mr.. Blaine's
business here. His brother is still re-
Department museum, and his son re-
mained in the Court of Alabama claims
until that institution expired. Icould
cite other dependents of his who are
quartered on the Government. Yet
in the face Of this he has the effrontery
to abuse the Administration for turn
ing out more efficient old clerks and