Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1886-11-13
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 0, 1886.

Although the election was over
week ago, the demoralized Demo-
Gratis have been busy ever since
cous ting in and counting out, in an
effort to save a remnant of their
almost vanished majority in the
House of Representatives. They
have suffered so substantial de-
feat all along the line, that the
repalse win be sorely felt in the
Presidential battle of 'SS. 1t is
true the Republicans did not sue
coed in gaming control OF the
House, but they SO weakened the
Democratic control of it as to
render it useless.
The Democratic majority in Con-
gress will be whitfield down from
fortyfve to about fifteen, and some
of these are Labor candidates,
Greenbackers, and Knights OF
Labor who may not vote with them.
And then the solid South has been
broken. In Virginia alone there
was Democratic loss of five Con
gressmen, and the Republicans
gained in the State more than
10000 votes.
Without attempting to disguise
or ignore their defeat, the Demo
Gratis account for 1T in different
ways. Some say it was the division
of the offices, others, that 1T was
free trade doctrines, or the failure of
free trade legislation, and others
still hold that the unpopularity of
the Administration Civil Service
policy did the mischief.
Gossip had it that if Speaker
Carlisle aad failed of election, the
President would have been asked to
appoint Mr.. Breckenridge of Ken
lucky to the Turkish mission, so
that vacancy might have been
created for the distinguished Speak
er of the House. But now that the
great revenue reformer was one who
got left, he is mentioned as the man
to be Minister Plenipotentiary and
Envoy Extraordinary to Turkey, in
the place of Mr.. S. S. Cox, who
comes back to Congress, possibly to
succeed Mr.. Morrison as leader of
the Democratic party in the House.
Some exceptions may be taken ~
the assertion that Washington will
be set apart for the rich. 1t does
seem as if there we're no places here
now for the poor. The cost of the
houses being erected indicates that
those who build for speculation have
come to the conclusion that land is
too valuable for small structures,
and that only the rich are building
residences. Land is too high for
the poor man to purchase, and he is
compelled to pay an enormous rent
for the few small houses provided
for him by the Capitalist. A real
estate dealer expresses the opinion
that the coming generation will see
the Capital turned into a great
winter resort for the wealthy OF all
sections.
Washington has an opportunity
now to double its population for a
time, and probably to increase its
wealth. / allude to what may be
accomplished through the great
exposition project. The governors,
mayors, and business men through
out the States and Territories have
written their consent to serve on
committee, the duty of which shall
be to secure favorable legislation
from Congress. They seem enthu.
siastic over the enterprise, and the
time for them to meet here is the
18th of December. The programme
to be considered at this convention
is, first. centennial celebration at
the National Capital on March 4,
1889, by the sixteen American
sister republics and the United
States. Secondly, a worlds exposi-
ton from May 1, 1892, to the end of
October, in honor of the 400th
anniversary of the discovery of
America, by Columbus. And third.
ily, permanent exposition at Wash
ington of the antiquities, arts,
history and industries of the three
Americas, to be the outgrowth of
the worlds exposition of 1892 and
to remain under government con
troll, on plan similar to the present
National Museum, but on a much
larger scale.