San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-06-01
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, May, %, 1891,


ing out of the White House, "smiled
in & peculiar manner as he assured
me that the story of Secretary Blaine's
failing brain power was cruel hoax,
entirely without foundation; and 1
didn't wonder at the peculiar smile
after learned that at that very mo-
ment there was lying on the presi-
dents desk ar important ant lengthy
state paper dictated within forty eight
hours by Secretary Blaine and sent
to Washington, which demonstrated
as nothing else could that our great
secretary of state, in many respects
the greatest we have ever had, still
had his hand upon the lever which
has so elevated the United States in
the estimation of the rest of the
world. To slightly paraphrase the
language Of President Lincoln in
speaking of the charge of drinking
made against Gen. Grant. If Mr..
Blaine be suffering from softning
of the brain it would be well if it were
contagious and all our prominent men
could catch it,"
1t has been positively stated with
in the last two or three days that the
president would, and would not, ap-
point the new q. 5. circuit judges
before the assembling of congress,
but as neither statement was In any
sense official the matter IS just where
it was before the president went
away, SO far as can be authoritively
learned but have good reasons for
believing that the appointments are
to be made very shortly. l know that
the matter has been discussed at a con-
terence between the president and At
torney General Miller, and it is gener-
ally believed that the attorney gener-
al favors making the appointments at
once. There was rumor several
days ago that the president had said
to Virginia congressional delega-
ton, headed by Senator Bar bOur, that
it was his intention to appoint several
democrats, but the rumor is not cred
tied by republicans who can see no
good reasen why repu olican presi-
dent should give even one democrat
place upon the bench of United
States court.
Elk. Representative Owen, of In
diana, who is now here, is credited
with being ashrewd political observer.
He says of the presidents recent tour:
mo public man ever met with more
flattering reception or ever made
more friends through the line or his
travels. There was not q mistake
made by him and he grew in the es-
timation OF the public wherever he
went and through mis- speeches be-
came better known to the country at
large. He can no longer be called
small by any one. He has proven
that he is great enough for his posi-
ton and that he is possessed OF
those social qualities which are
looked for in q man in his position.
Men who once had doubts as TO bis
future no longer hold them. He is
certain TO be renominated. Blaine
will not oppose him and when the
convention meets il will be found
practically unanimous for him. l
think the democrats will nominate
Cleveland. 1t will be the old fight
Harrison against Cleveland. The
third party movement, il it be sane
toned by the Farmers Alliance,
will put an element of uncertainty
into the campaign for both parties,
but Harrison has grown in strength
wonderfully.
Hon. John w. Foster, whose recent
success in negotiating the reciprocity
trade agreement with Spain is fresh
in the public mind, has, it Is under
stood, been asked to take charge Of
all the reciprocity negotiations now
pending before the state department,
in case Mr.. Blaine shall decide to
take long rest before returning to
the duties of his position, and it is
probable that If he returns Mr.. Foster
will assist him for time, in order to
lighter his labors, which for many
months have been entirely too hard
for one man.
Secretary Foster spiked q good
many democratic guns when he an
nounced that there would not be the
slightest difficulty in meeting the
quarterly pension payments due IN
June. This lie a sad blow for the ca
lamity walters who have been pre-
dieting a treasury collapse. Not only
will the pension payments be prompt
ly made, but the treasury will besides
have money to spare for any eXigency
that may arise. One has only to
| talk to Secretary Foster five minutes
! to be convinced that the wonderful
"deficit", which has been given so
much space by democratic newspa-
pers is only an imaginary bugaboo
that will never materialiZe as long
as republicans control the finacies of
the country.
If the CINCINNATI third party has
not made any better immpression
anywhere else than it has here it will
| amount to very little. The party is
judged, whether right or wrong can
not say, by some of the mems charac-
tiers it has put prominently forward
as members of its national committee,
| Il r. =