Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-02-24
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Written and compiled tor the HERALD.


National Committee an.
nOuncing that his name would not
be presented to the Republican
nominating convention. The gun
was loaded with dynamite shell,
which exploded when the letter was
published, and although 1t was a
week ago, the reverberation may
still be heard and the echoes will
be heard for months to come from
all sections. The 6rst question
asked was, what will be the result
of the letter 7 The answer depend
ed entirely on whom you asked
If opposed to Blaine it would be
emphaticalIy insisted that the let.
ter had completely removed Mr..
Blaine from the field, but II You
asked a Blaine man, he wonld
promptly reply that the letter had
insured the nomination of Blaine by
reclamation, that his friends did
not propose to allow him TO have
any say whatever in the matter
They we're going night ahead to
nominate and elect him President,
as a small compensation for his ac.
cidental defeat In 1884.
SO there you are. These two
classes represent the opinions Of all
Republicans. You can take your
choice. But it is only fair to say
that the proportion Of opponents
to Blaine compared with his sup.
porters is only about one to ten.
One direct result o; the Blaine
letter is to show how much really
good Presidential material the Re.
publican party contains. There are
Allison, Sherman, Sheridan, Cul-
lon, ingalls,, Edmunds, Hawley,
Harrison, Gresham, Hlscock, Ev.
arts, Frye and others yet. Is it
not an imposing array Of brains
and abilityf Not man in the list
that would not make a good PIesi-
dent. Compare that showing with
the Democratic list. They have
only two, Cleveland and Hill, both
from the same state.
The House has instructed the
Committee on Manufactures to re-
port on Mr. Millikln's resolution,
directing the Secretary OF the
Treasury to investigate the sugar
trust In New York, on Friday next.
A lively fight is expected over this
matter.
1t seems as if the average Demo
cratic Congressman is always ready
to vote against any Hesitation that
Is likely to improve the moral con.
ditiOn of the country. An instance
of this was given by the adverse re.
port made on the bill to prohibit
the circulation through the mails
of newspapers containing lottery
advertisements, by a sub.commit-
tee of the House Post Office Com.
mittee, composed of two Democrats
and one Republican. The latter
voted for a favorable report on the
bill.
Having passed the Senate, the
Blair Educational bill is now be-
fore the House. where its fate is en-
veloped in much doubt.
The administration merry.gO-
round starts out tomorrow on
weeks hunt for Southern Cleveland
delegates to the Democratic nomi.
mating convention. The party will
consist OF the President and Mrs.
Cleveland, Secretary and Mrs.
Whitney, Col. and Mrs. Lamont
The special train is kindly donated
By the railroad, but owing to the
absence of the palace car with plate
glass sides, which was used on the
western trip last fall, the loungers
around the way stations will not
see so much of the occupants as
did their western fellow citizens
The enthusiasm which this trip is
depended upon to arouse, is ex.
pected to carry Cleveland along
with a rush until enough delegates
are secured to make his nomination
certaIH, an expectation that all
good Republicans hope will be re-
allied. II would take away half
OF the pleasure of defeating the
Democrats this year if Cleveland
should tail to get the nomination.
Saturday was given up by the
Senate Committee on the District
Of Columbia to hearing on the
Plat bill prohibiting the sale Of
intoxicating liquors in this Dis.
trict. There was quite large
crowd present, mostly ladies, and
the hearing OF the same old argu-
ments on both sides of the ques.
ton had grown somewhat monot-
OnOus when the slender figure ofDr.
Mary Walker arose from a back
seat. Wi.h six hat in hand she
made her way through the crowd
to the front OF the table around
which the committee sat, and asked
for five minutes time.
She started out by saying she was
opposed to the bill. This created
great surprise among the lady pro.
bibitiOnists present, as many OF
them remembered that many years
ago the doctor had asked Congress
to pass law almost identical with
this bill. She said her reason for