Year: 1876

OLYMPIA


OrR WASHINGTON LETTER.


Correspondence of the Washington Standard


WASHINGTON, Oct. 2, 1876.


EVIL TINES.


The grand farce, called the Babcock
trial, ended on Saturday. am neithe,
a prophet nor the son of a prophet, nor
do I make any pretensions to prophetic
lore as general thing, but in this in
stance my predictions have certainly
been verified. This is the last act in
the safe-burglary conspiracy, than
which q more diabolical outrage was
rever perpetrated in any community,
and multitudes of men hung upon much
less conclusive testimony than was ad-
duced against the parties accused in
this instance. If any wishes to COM
NIT a dastardly murder, a high-handed
robbery, q base forgery, OF in fact any
other crime, let Him eli his pockets
with money and hasten to Washington.
Here he may snap his fingers at the
gallows and laugh at the penitentiaries,
for it is here that jur les may be found
who will acquit in the face of any kind
OF evidence, and here we have the men
who know just when and where to find
such juries. I have said the would-be
criminal must hasten, because there is
a strong probability that this state of
things will, in all probability, cease
to exist after the 4th of March next.
Should the present party, however,
continue in power, the would-be Grim
inal need be in no particular hurry, as
he will have four years longer for the
exercise Of his evil inclinations.


THE DYNAMITE EXPLOSION. -:


The great dynamite explosion, which
was fixed to occur at ten minutes to
three o'clock. on the Oath ult., at He'll
Gate, created degree of interest here
that was really surprising. As the time
drew near, persons were consulting
their watches, having already made the
necessary calculation for the difference
in time, which is slight, between here
and New York, and when the telegraph
announced that it was all over, some
astonishment was manifested that not q
single quiver of the contemplated arti-
fetal earthquake was felt here. Forty
thousand pounds of dynamite, the most
powerful explosive known, had been
carefully stored among the rocks at
He'll Gate for the purpose of making
much nearer and more direct passage
to the sea from the harbor of New
York. Various and very conflicting
opinions were entertained and freely
expressed by skillful engineers as to
the probable effect upon the neighbor-
ing buildings, and some even so far
as to say that it would even shake the
taller houses in the city of New York,
quite number of the nervous part
of the populationileft the city, deeming
that distance, if it did not lend en-
chantment to the view that close prox-
unity might impart, would, at all events,
afford a feeling of security. Happily
the evil prognosticators were much mis-
taken, and the explosion took place
precisely at the time appointed and
with the desired effect. A slight jarring
of the strata or ledge of rocks in the
immediate vicinity and connected with
those acted upon was all that indicated
the work was completed. ~,


THE POLITICAL SITUATION.


All accounts go to show that the Rad
icals will make a desperate effort this
month to carry Ohio, for to lose the
home of Hayes would be loss of the
chance tho White House in November.
The people of Ohio are deeply interested
in all the great issues involved in this
contest, and they feel that if Governor
Hayes should be elected President, his
personal qualities being all that his
admirers say they are, the country's
hope of effecting a change during his
four years term, from the maladminis-
tration of the last eight years will hang
on the single thread of his ability to
resist the Republican pressure from the
men in the Senate who have ruined the
Administration of Grant. Everything
indicates that the number of these cor
rupt Republicans in Congress is not to
be diminished, but, on the contrary,
their popular power is to be increased.
Should the Republicans carry Indiana,
the forearm of Morton will be strength
ened podigiously. He will have pop
ular western clamor should he have oc-
casion to go to Hayes to dictate the
the choice of his Cabinet and other
matters. Blaine goes back to the Sen
ate with practically the whole power of
the Republican party east of New York
to demand that he be heard and heed
ed, and he will BE supplemented by all
the resources of Butler, who has shown
himself to be without doubt the most