The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-03-24
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.


Less than three months from this
time the convention will meet, hence
all Republicans are getting interested
in the above question. 1t is a much
easier question to ask than to answer.
1t is doubtful if the best Informed
Republican in Washington would
attempt to say who the candidate will
be. He may be any one of the dozen
gentlemen mentioned or he may be
as yet unnamed. Let US consider
how the chances stand at present.
Senator Sherman is developing
considerable strength in the South,
but unless he can make some friends
in other states his nomination is ex-
tremely doubtful. Senator Harri-
son and Judge Gresham have both
shown themselves to possess much
strength in the Northwest, but the
ill-feeling that has already cropped
out between their followers disposes
the chances of both of them. Mr..
Chauncy Depew has considerable
following in the Eastern States and
just now he is credited with having
real boom in Pennsylvania. So far
no one of the other candidates APP
pears to be attempting to antagOnize
Mr.. Depew, but then his following
is perhaps too small as yet to make
that necessary. That's the situation
as it exists to-day. The gentlemen
mentioned are the only ones, whose
friends have, so far, attempted to
boom them for the nomination. All
the rest are apparently waiting for
that concentration OF sentiment that
has as yet refused to take place in
anyone's favor except Mr.. Blaine's.
The pension claim agents of this
city got scoring in the Senate on
Thursday. Senator Plumb had read
a letter received by an eX soldier in
Kansas and written by a Washing
ton pension agent. which intimated
that the writer had special facilities
for pushing private pension claims
through Congress. The letter asked
for fee of S25, $40 in advance and
balance upon passage of bill. Mr..
Plumb said he believed that large
sums Of money were being obtained
from ex-soldiers by men who render
them DO service whatever.
Senator Hale wanted to know the
name of the firm which sent the let
ter in view of the fact the rules of
the pension Committee prohibited all
attorneys or claim agents making any
arguments before the committee, it
was plain that they could render no
service to the ex.soldier, therefore
the letter was clearly intended to de-
ceive and defraud the man to whom
it was written. Mr.. Plum preferred
not to mention the name of the firm
until the whole matter had been
thoroughly investigated by the Pen
sion Committee. Senators Davis,
CockrelI, Plumb and Hale each took
this occasion to denounce the Wash
ington claim agents as 'sharks."
The Dependent Pension bill has
been under consideration by the
House Committee on Pensions, but
as yet no action has been taken on it.
Petitions have been presented in the
House from Pennsylvania and Ohio.
asking for the passage of service
pension bill and the per diem pen
sion bill.
Senator Teller. of Colorado, paid
his respects to the Presidents mes
sage in strong speech, on Thursday.
He dwelt upon the immense adyan-
tage of a protective tariff and con.
trasted the great prosperity of this
country with the poverty of free
trade England.
Senator Hale's resolution for the
appointment of a special Senate COM
mittee OF seven, to investigate the
many alleged violations, by federal
officials, of the civil service law, has
been passed by the Senate and the
committee appointed. They will be-
gin the investigation as soon as pos
sible. The subject is a large one and
includes officials from messengers to
Cabinet officers but the result will
pay for all the trouble. 1t will show
the people of the country that in
spite of the great professions and
promises of Administration, hypoc-
risy is its groundwork.
Senator Ingalls, will. it Is under
stood. write an open letter in reply
to one written by an ex.staff officer
of Gen. Hancock. 1t will also an
swer the charges made by some Dem
ocrats with accommodating memoir
les, that the language used by the
Senator In referring to the President
in his recent speech, was unprece-
| denied For its severity and ner-