Year: 1879

How the Presidency will be Captured


Next Year.


Times.


While SO much talk and rumor and
speculation are rife in regard to pos
sible trouble in the next electoral
count, there Is at least one definite
sign of a sinister purpose on the part
of the Radical leaders in the recent
proposition of Gen. Sherman to pro-
vide additional barrack accommoda-
tions at the arsenal in this city, and to
station here a permanent garrison of
regular artillery and infantry.


This proposition was made some
time ago, and the original design was
to use the late Thomas ceremonies as
an excuse for getting the troops here
might be brought here from various
stations without exciting much COM
ment. The Generals plan was to
order six batteries of artillery here and
as many companies of infantry as
could be camped on the arsenal grounds
in addition. Once here they were to
be retained, as could be easily done
upon one pretext or another, until after
the completion of the next electoral
count.


There is good authority-that of a
gentleman of eminent reputation, now
employed on special duty in the War
Department-for the statement that
this revolutionary scheme was frus-
trated by the chief of ordnance, Gen.
Benet.


This officer has charge of and Is re.
sponsible for all public property con-
tanned in the arsenals of the United
States, and is, moreover, absolute un-
der the Secretary of War in control of
the uses to which the arsenals may be
put. Besides, Gen. Benet is close
stickler for points of law, and entertains
a profound regard for the supremacy
of civil authority, having been trained
in the political school of Jeffersonian
Democracy.


He was therefore in position to
throw obstacles in the way of Sher-
mans scheme, even to the extent of
mentioning the matter with disappro-
baton in his report if he saw fit, so
that, in the event OF his active opposi-
ton, the scheme was bound to be fully
exposed.


He did oppose it, though he did not
find it necessary to base his opposition,
for the present at least, upon any other
grounds than those of the welfare of
the public property intrusted to his
keeping.


1t is, however, generally believed in
we'll informed circles that the plan has
been by no means abandoned, and that
the partisans of Grant will find some
means of garrisoning Washington with
a considerable force of regulars between
now and this time next year.


There is some talk among Democrats



preparation bill forbidding the presence
beyond q certain small number, to be
specified, and whose duties are to be
clearly defined.


No limit can be safely set, however,
to the schemes that may be hatched in
the fertile brains of those who are con-
spring to inaugurate Grant in 1881,
irrespective of the electoral vote. They
are mainly men of high civil or mill
tary position and backed as they are
by the ablest legal advice in the coun-
try, it will require all the vigilance
and ingenuity of Congress to frustrate
their plots.


It will be remembered that during
the last electoral count force of from
600 to 1900 regulars was kept constantly
within rifle shot of the Capitol build

mated that he only waited for a pre-
text to use them to coerce the Demo-
cratic House of Representatives.


That he would have used them to
seat Hayes or to hold the White House
himself, in the event of failure Of
Congress to declare any result through
continued disagreement of the two
houses, was an open secret, and was
the chief if not the only consideration
that impelled the majority of the
Southern Democrats to abandon the
filibustering programme and acquiesce
in the frauds of the electoral commits
sion.


Then, however, the troops were not
brought here at all until the middle of
January, when the dispute about the
Presidential count was just beginning
to wax warm. But now it is proposed
to garrison the town year in advance
of the Presidential election itself.
The natural inference is that the
Radical conspirators realize that the
task of seating non-elected President
in 1881 will be much more difficult
than it was in 1877, when they had, in
addition to the Executive power as a
lever, one house of Congress for their
f,,1 Rf,t NOW having noifhor