Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-08-15
A SENSATION.
TEE srrL AND THE rAS-ELEcIkic
TELEPHONE confAEiEs.
Movements In Telephone stosk-omce'
Holders and Politics = fiaalea
Himself Into Congress.
,,,o.n nnr Regnlar correspcndent.l

-cdtC0f nho octb htes w. e-<~N
This gives him decided advantage, not
only in TIE telephone writs pending,
but in al proceedings at the Patent
Offee. Indeed, il is said that the step
indicates that Grsy's patent will be de-
cl,red valid and the Bell patent invalid.
Already the effect is felt in the sudden
topple Of Bell telephone stock, which
fell in sn honr sixteen points A cor
responding rise in the Pan-Electric stock
has taken place. One Of toe most pro-
minsnt men in that company said this
morning that they would DO able to
drive the Bell Company TO the wAu
now, and be predicted the most de-
cisive results from the action Of the
Patent Office, Of which it Is rea-
son.bIe to suppose be was ad-
yised before. The most eStrayAgant
claims are made in this connection.
The Bell people are very much de-
pressed. One Of the reports on the
street this afternoon is that the two
companies would consolidate. Ii is
certain that nothing which has recently
happened has excited such wide COM
nent in the city among all classes.
oFFIcE-HoLDERs AND POLITICS.
As the nominations in the different
States are made and the campaign any
where opens, the question Of the psrti-
cipation of Federal office-holders in
party work comes to be Of more and
more interest. The order Of the Presi-
dent was in the direct line Of his pre-
yious policy on this subject. II ought
not to have created surprise, whatever
other feeling it may have aroused. Men
view it as they do every question con-
peeted with civil.ssrvice reform. Those
who favor the course OF the President
as TO our civil service approve;
those who condemn that course
oppose. Many Democrats defend the
Administration who would not favor
!. the civil service act or anything like it
- an original proposition. To-day the
s chief point Of discussion in relation to
4 the matter turns on Tennessee politics
and what Mr.. Robert L. Taylor will do,
OF ought to do. He is pension agent st
knoxville. Before his recent nomina-
ton as a candidate for the Office Of
Governor be wrote to know il he
could properly attend the Convention.
He was informed that he could not
in accordance with Administration
ideas. lie stayed away. Now that
be has been nominated the ques-
ton arises. Can Mr.. Taylor hold
q Federal office and be q candidate
for State Office il he cannot even at
tend convention where that officer is
nominatedi Another case Of the same
kind, with q slight modification as to
the office sought, is presented in In
diana. Ex-CongreSsmsn Stoekslager,
who is Assistant Commissioner of the
Land Office, is running for Congress.
Most Democrats who believe in the
foolishness Of civil-service reform con-
tend that Messrs. Taylor and Stockslager
may, with perfect propriety, and without
violation of the reform statute, hold with
the hare while running with the
hounds-thst is to say, keep the office
that now is and strive for that which
NAV be, in accordance with numerous
and respectable Democratic presidents.
The stTicter sort Of thinkers, and those
who are civil-service rsformers per sc,
are Of contrary judgment.
AGoOD FIDDLER.
In this connection it is interesting to
know that Mr.. Taylor is the nephew
in.lsw Of Hons. Il. B. and R. B. Vance,
having married Miss Baird, Of West
ern North Carolina. This gentleman
was q member of the Forty-sixth Con-
gress, and literally elected himself by
his fine performances on the violin. l
do not know that Bob Taylor would
have been considered "boss fd-
der" by Ole Bull, but | do
know that the people of his dis
uict took TO him at once as soon
as they heard his music. Wheu he en-
tered public life be was comparatively
unknown, and any such assistance as
his fiddle brought to his caudidature
was regarded by him and bis friends as
q lawful strstsgem. But since then he
has become very popular. remember
him rs a young and bRld-headed mem
Der Of the House Of Representatives.
An unusual circumstance connected
with his present candidacy is the
fact that his own brother, Alfred Tay-
Tor, is running against him on the Re-
publican ticket. Alfred was first
nominated, but the Democrats believed
Bob their strongest man, and were not
to be deferred from nominating by ties
Of consequently.
CUTTINGS CASE.
The World bureau here contend that
their dispatches of yesterday and to-
day are borne out by sill that is known
concerning the Mexican business. Ii
is stated that the facts are as first
pIinted-thAt an envoy is TO be sent TO
Mexico to investigate the whole ques-
ton, and that the State Department has
practically admitted all that was
claimed. Per contra, it is denied at
the Department with as much emphasis
as on yesterday.
There is 4 report to-day that Secre-
tary Robert d. Graham, Of the Civil
Service Commission, will at an early
day tender his resignation, and that 1t
will be promptly accepted aud Steno-
grspber Doyle assigned to the position.
Mr.. Graham is from Charlotte, \. O.,
and is . son Of the late Governor Ora
ham and 8 brother Of the Democratic
candidate for Congress in the Fourth
district.
NOTES.
In regard to the suggestion OF the
Philadelphia Record, that be should be
dominated for Governor OF Pennsyi-
wanna on the Democratic ticket, Solicitor
General Jenkc says that he thinks 1t IS
impossible that he neither will nor
can accept The position. He feels that
be is doing better in retaining the place
be now holds, and TO which he was re-
Gently appointed. The leading candi-
dates are Lieutenant Governor ChAuncy
Black and ex-senator Wallace.
General John u. Gordon, Of Georgia,
40 hsra