Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-10-04
FOLLY OF FLOPPERS.
Republicans in Washington Pair
Gresham's Vote With Sickles'.
BOTH MEN INFLUENCED BY SPITE
Instead Of Change of Heart or Belief in
Opponents Policy.
VETERANS STRANDED AT THE CAPITAL

Sn0 oiu pdItlcs, apparently, tudt deHcIdi
Sickles has gone over to the Republicans
and nothing is thought to be more likely t.
happen than that the famous one-legget
General, who has trained with the Demo
Gratis for long years, will take the STUMP
for Harrison before the end of the cam
paign. Whether it is to offset this impor
tant desertion from the Democrats that the
story Of the schism of Judge Walter @.
Gresham from the Republicans was started
is to some extent yet mooted question in
this city.
The proof of the asserted action of the
Judge in going over to the Democrats is moi
yet considered by very one to be intallible.
Republicans generally think that If Judge
Gresham had fully decided to ally himself
with the other side he would have said
so in set words and not have permitted the
news to be given out secondhand by an as
sociate on the bench. There are Republi.
that the reports in regard to the action OF
Judge are true.
A Hoosiers Size-Up of Gresham.
A Republican official who is q citizen of
Indiana, and who enjoys close association
with President Harrison, said to-day to
the correspondent of The DISPATCH:
81 do not like to impute to a gentleman
who has SO well deserved the admiration of
the public any petty or mean impulse. but
I am almost convinced that Judge Gresham
is guilty of feeling of personal spite
against President Harrison that is wholly
unworthy of him, and of which had not
supposed him capable. I do not know to a
certainty if it be true that Gresham has
definitely settled in his own mind what
complexion his opposition to the President
shall take, but that he is not adverse to the
defeat of Mr.. Harrison I am well assured
from private information given by persons
who ought to know the frame of mind in
which the Judge has been laboring for some
years.
"IfI wrong Judge Gresham in my estimate
of him I shall only be too glad to be con-
vinced Of my mistake, but I have been CON
vinced ever since the denomination of Bar-
rison that at some time prior to the cleo
tion the Judge would in some way antago-
nize the Republican ticket When it was
announced that he would vote for the nomi.
nees of the Peoples party I was quite
ready to believe the story to be true,
though it did not agree with my estimate Of
his disposition that he would take that
course best calculated to injure the chances
of the Republican candidates. Having
heard what had heard of him. I was con-
vinced that he would go over to the Demo-
Gratis, as that would possibly do Harrison
more damage, especially in Indiana, than
else the Judge could do.
The Most Recent of His Conversions.
ct have been told, however, by a very
good authority, that there are in existence
letters from Judge Gresham to leaders Of
the Peoples party which indicate an inten-
tion on his part Of supporting the candi-
dates of that party. His determination to
affiliate with the Democrats must have been
reached subsequent to the writing of those
letters
81 see it stated that the action of Judge
Gresham does not surprise many who know
him on account of his convictions in favor
of tariff REFORM Now, when did the Judge
become a convert to the vague propositions
of tariff reform?' Certainly not SO long
ago, as In 1888, when he
was fairly crazed with his
desire for the Republican nomination
for the Presidency. At any time during
these four years he could have formally
announced himself on the question of the
tariff if be had experienced any radical
change of heart, but he has chosen to re-
main silent until the arrival of that time
when the publication of his intention
would have the greatest power to injure the
political prospects of the man who was the
insurmountable obstacle in his way for the
nomination in 1888. If, therefore, the re-
port in regard to the action of Judge
Gresham be true, am fully convinced that
his conversion to the Democratic party is
not the result of his wrestling with and re-
ceiving new light on the tariff problem,
but that his inspiration is wholly due to his
desire, for purely personal and spiteful
reasons, to compass the defeat of Harrison"
Veterans Stranded at the Capital.
1t is to be regre tied that meeting so
grand in all respects and so successfully
as that of the Grand Army should
have an aftermath of vagrancy, but that is
the fact. The last of the visitors who can
get away have departed, but there remain
hundreds of the old soldiers who were i'm
provident, or who made a wide miscalcula-
tion of the amount necessary to put them
through their visit and get them safely
home. Many of these old boys in blue
have been succored in one way or another,
but appeals for assistance are still being
made tor them in the local press. It is in
sisted that the committee in charge of the
might we'll devote some of
the surplus cash left from the encampment
fund to sending home these stranded peo-
pie.
It is said that there is, or that there
should be, large surplus, but as no state
ment has been given out by the Finance
Committee up to this time, the assertion
,annot be verified. 1t is expected that as
loon as the returns are all in from the
auction sales of old material the committee
will give to the public of Washington,
which was taxed $50, 900 for the affair and
which subscribed 500, 900 more, an itemized
tatement of receipts and expenditures 1t
will be interesting to the people Of the
Whole country to learn the exact cost of
rec lodgings, entertainment, decoration, etc.
Mrs. Harrison Again Failing.
The physicians of the White House again |
eport symptoms more unfavorable in the
ase of Mrs. Harrison, and if the change |
continues for the worse for day or two it |
8 feared the patient will not be able to |
the attacks of her disease. The |
tar this evening says that all hope of re-
overy is abandoned. s'To assuage her |
'ain," says that paper, s'and to make her
eclining days as comfortable and a. CHEEKY
s possible is all that medical science or the
ender care of beloved ones can hope to do
or her. How long the life about which the
of this great nation have been
o touchingiy manifested may be prolonged
5 a question none may answer. That the
resident and family are. firmly convinced
+ this is best shown by the anxiety they
make no attempt to hide, for on every face,
specially that of the President, the terri
lie strain of the past five weeks, the loss of
leep and days Of anxious watching are
In oyi1apt |