The Monitor., 1884-11-14
what William Riley Thinks of 1t.

did not get to lay his opinions on the cleo
tion before our readers He returned, how
ever, in due season. and we fastened to call
upon him Immediately after supper on Sat
urday evening, and found him engaged in
| looking over the columns Of last week
| MONITOR.
The old gentleman was in a cheerful
mood, and his trip had evidently done him
good. ''Mr. Riley, said we, after short
Introductory chat what is your opinion
of the situation politically?" ?"
want to interview me, eh?' said the
old man. ''Well, don't mind giyin' you
few pointers, but you
NEWSPAPER MEN ARE so TRICKY
That like as not you will make me say III
print what | never thought of sayin'
| We assured our friend that our intentions
We're strictly honorable, and he proceeded.
st looks to me just now. . said he, ''as if
| Cleveland was elected president. I've been
through good many presidential elections,
and as general thing, the man who has
the start on election night, is very apt to
keep at the head of the procession. Still,
it's mighty close. New York seems to be
the only State in doubt, and both Blaine
and Cleveland want it-and want it power
full bad-and the one that gets it will be
the next president | think we can safely
set it down that Cleveland has got it. The
official count may make some changes in
| the figures. but there is as much chance of
change on one side as the other, and don't
| lay much weight on it.
''What do you think is the cause of the
change, assuming that Cleveland is elect
ed p we yentured to ask.
''Well, young man, said William look
ing at us over the top of his spectacles, Il
reckon the other fellows
DIDN'T GET VOTES ENOUGH.
That's about the way it sizes up accordin'
to my way of lookin' at it, and the old
gentleman chuckled to himself at having,
as he supposed, shut us off.
Certainly, certainly we replied, ''but
then there must be some reason why the
other fellows didn't. We have great re-
spect for your Judgment and would very
much like to know what you think of the
matter. We have heard a good many diff
ferent views, but they don't seem very sat
isfactory."
This little bit of taffy seemed to please
the old man, and he pushed his glasses up
on the top of his head, took a goodly quid
of tobacco, pulled the euspadore close to
him, crossed his legs and said:
''Well, | suppose the main fight laid be-
tween the Democrats and Republicans. The
other candidates, | reckon, didn't have
much hope of gettin' elected. Blaine made
good fight but somehow he didn't seem
to have the whole party at his back as Gar
field did. A good many of them kicked
out of the traces, and wouldn't help him,
and good many went over and helped the
other man. Blaine is a smart man, and he
has been at the front long while, and a
man like him is likely to make enemies.
He has fought the Democrats too hard to
expect any help from them and he has
made good many in his own party jealous
of him. The rank and file of his party
wanted him. but the leaders, good many
of 'em, soured on him; and faint much
use for the rank and file to expect to get
their man in without the leaders work the
machine for all it's worth. And the kickin
seemed to be mostly in the very State that
he needed most to carry-New 1ork-and
then Cleveland was New York man, and
bein' new man, and havin'
BIG BOOM,
In that State last year. it was to be expect
ed he'd make a good run there, and it
seems he did. He seems to have made a
pretty fair governor, and | hain't heerd
but what he done his duty. Its rather in
his favor that he 5 new man, for he hahn t
had time to be spoiled They do say (here
Mr.. Riley listened cautiously, until satisfied
by the snores that came down the stairway
,
him )-they do say that he had little on
pleasantness with female named Maria
up there in Buffalo, good many years
ago, but then Henry Ward Beecher says
that S nothin', and it don't seem to be made
much count of in New York"
do you think the Mulligan and Hook
ing Valley business had much to do with
Blaine's defeat?" we inquired, as the old
man paused for breath.
''Well | reckon them things was more
of an excuse for the men in his own party
who wanted to defeat him than anything
else" he replied, as he rose to let the cat
in. Resuming his seat, he said: You see,
as said before, they were jealous of him,
and these things answered as well as any
thing else for them to justify their opposi-
ton. If it hadn't been this it would have
been something else Bout the mount of
it is, if man wants to get along with his
party. he mustn't be
TOO SMART OR TOO INDEPENDENT
Blaine was too much of both for some of
the Republicans, and they laid themselves
out to let him down a button-hole or so.
What influence do You think the st.
John movement had on the result?" we
ventured to inquire.
Mr.. Riley gave us n sharp look.
What are you tryin to get through you
HON, Sdlti Ht.
"We only wanted to know what you
thought of it, we replied.
Look here, young feller, said he,
'"pears to me your mighty hard to salts
fly; hows'ever, | don't mind tellin' you that
| think some folks is maxim fools of them
selves about this st. John business. |
reckon if any number of men happen to
think alike about any subject, and take a
notion to form a party, and agree to vote
for the opinions they agree on, and for the
candidate who ketches ON with 'em, they
have right to do it. This is a free country,
and always thought that the ballot box
and election day was about the only way
the people had of givin' any weight to their
opinions to make 'em count The st. John
men looked at it that way, and | reckon
they had right to if they wanted to.
heerd a man say they butted their heads
AGAINST \ STONE WALL.
Their heads must be pretty sore, or the wall
had good racketin', for they butted pow
fnl hard. If they made a mistake, that's
their lookout, not mine. Whether they
beat Blaine or not | don't know. OF course
if all the St. John vote in New York had
gone to Blaine, he would have carried the
State. If he had got the Butler vote, he
would have done the same thing; and if he
had got all the Cleveland vote, he would