The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1891-08-14
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent,


The meeting Of the Executive Com
mittee of the National Association of
Democratic clubs to be held in New
York City tomorrow is the most i'm.
portant meeting ever held by that
committee. The secretary will present
reports from nearly every state in the
Union showing that the Association
has far out-grown the most sangune
idea Of its originators, and plans will
be discussed whereby the association
can render the greatest service to the
party in those States holding elections
this year. All talk about the COM
mittee entering into personal politics
either to favor or oppose. any of the
gentlemen named for the democratic
nomination next year is bosh. Among
its members are friends of several OF
the candidates, and even allowing that
it were possible to use the committee
as an auxiliary to somebody's boom.
which i is not, no one candidate
could control majority Of it.
1t is difficult to keep political sec
rets in Washington, therefore it isn't
surprising that the fact should have
leaked out that candidate Mckinley
wrote Secretary Foster imploring his
aid to raise money for his campaign.
In this letter Mckinley was particu-
larly bitter against the Pittsburg glass
manufacturers, who he said, had
promised to contribute $4,000 but
had only given $I,3oo. Mr.. Fosters
own tongue gave this away. In spite
of the statement Of Chairman Clark
son that the republican national COM
mittee would take no part in any Of
the State campaigns this year, it is
known here that it has already sent a
large amount of money to Ohio, and
that it is now engaged in raising more,
intended for the same destination.
Republicans, near to the committee
have Doasted, also that they would
buy up the Peoples party of Ohio, as
they knew many Of the leaders to be
for sale.
While our new war ships are giving
their officers chance to do the agree
able to the bellies Of the fashionable
seaside resorts in this country, that
gallant old seaman, Rear Admiral Nc
Cam, the commander of the South
Atlantic Squadron, is in Washington
worrying because he has no flagship,
the Pensacola, which he had used un-
til recently as such, being now on her
way to Mare Island Navy Yard, where
it is expected she will be condemned.
The other vessels in the South At
lantic are the Essex and the Talla-
poosa, the latter, according to a re-
cent private letter from naval officer,
being in such bad condition that she
will have to be condemned and sold
where she is. This state OF affairs
isn't creditable to those responsible
for it; but as long as social influence
is the power that controls the Navy
department there is little probabilit,
of change for the better.
'It is just as well' said Pennsyl-
vania democrat, Ito accept with a
grain of allowance all the stories told
about what Quay is gong to do for or
against this or that presidential candi-
date. Mr.. Quay has the fight Of his
life on his hands to keep control of the
republican machine in Pennsylvania.
If he wins, then it will be time enough
for him to attempt to influence nation
al politics, but if he loses, as | now
think he will, there will be none so
humble as to do the ex-Doss reverence.
Col Conger; the man who may be
said to have originated the present
Blaine boom, by stating upon author
ity that Mr. Blaine would accept the
nomination, if it came to him without
an effort on his part is said to have
told several friends here of the diff
Guilty he had in prevailing upon Mr..
Blaine to see the matter as he did.
He says that after he had successfully
combatted all the arguments advanced
by Mr.. Blaine against accepting the
nomination that he had to go through
the same thing with Mrs. Blaine, who
finally gave her consent although she
at first said that Mr.. Blaine should
never become candidate. This may
be entirely so but if it is then COL
Conger is not the shrewd politician
he has been generally credited with
being or he never would have repeated
it.
Mr.. William Dickson, the District
of Columbia member Of the National
Democratic Committee, has inaugu-
rated a movement which is enthusias
tically endorsed by everybody here, to
get the National committee to vote in
favor of holding the national conven-
ton next year, and many well inform
ed democrats have expressed the opin-
ion that the convention would either
be held in Washington or in Ba'ti-
more,
mmissiOner of pensions Rauni