Chariton courier. (Keytesville, Chariton County, Mo.) 1878-current, 1886-11-18
WASHINGTON LETTER.
IFEUH OUT Regular cOrfespohdeHtJ
WASHINGTON Nov. Is. 1886.

washington. IL VIII be necessary {
go back to the year 1874 to find any
; thing comparparable in interest t
, the upheayal in congressional dis
tricts in many of the states this year
The control of the Riftieth eongres
should have been secured by the par
ty opposed to the administration, &C
cording to the law of political forces
and following the almost unbrokeI
line of precedent In our political his
. tory. But the fact is that the Dem
ocrats, in spite of losses sufficient t
have given the Republicans the ma
jority have yet made gains in such
unlocked for places, as to retain con.
troll of the house.
The orderly and peaceful manner,
too, in which the elections were con-
Quoted in the Southern states, with
here and there Republican gains in
congressman in that section, ought
Co bury forever the last tattered rem
nant of the bloody shirt. Not sin-
gle complaint of intimidation or vio-
lence has come from any district and
Messrs. Blaine's and Sherman's oc-
cupation is consequently gone.
Politicians here are still talking
about the result of the elections, and
it is interesting to hear their various
comments. They all agree that poll
ties are uncertain. Some attribute
Democratic losses to the fact that
Democrats have not enough offices
under the administration, while
others hold that if they had gotten
fewer offices they would have elect
ed more congressman. This last
idea IS upon the ground that it is i'm
possibleto dispense patronage to the
satisfaction of every body The only
way TO be without enemies is to be
without power. The man who has
no fayors to give makes no enemies
but he cannot bestow patronage on
the few without making enemies of
the many who expect and are disap-
pointed.
Another common explanation of
the apathy among Democratic voters
is that they thought they had SO sure
athing of it that they abstained from
voting. The latter IS Speaker Car
isles opinion with regard to his own
case. He says he has frequently
warned his constituents that they
would waken up some fine morning
and find some one else elected to
congress in his place all on account |
of their staying away from the polls. |
"They seem to think" be added,
"that / am sure to be elected wheth-
er anybody votes for me or not"
1t must be gratifying to the speaker |
to know of the sentiments expressed |
by Republicans as well as Democrats
when it was believed that he had
been defeated. Even ultra Republi-
cans here acknowledged that his loss
to congress would be national CO.
Iamity. He is such broad, high
minded statesman that his political |
enemies cannot fail to respect and re- |
we're him as an exemplaT. While he
IS straIghtoHt consistent party man,
le deals honestly and fairly with his
opponents and all they have even
dared to charge against him was the /
crime of beings q Democrat. 5q e3c I
Although aspeaker for the Fiftieth
congress will not be chosen for more |
han year, the canvass for. it, will I
actively begin at the approaching
session and consequentlyiit it IS a sub
ieet Of immediate interest. AS the
Democrats will have a safe working
in that congress it is certain
Eom Reed, the Republican leader
from Maine, will not name its COM
nittees as was predicted before the
official counts came in.
Amid their losses the friends of
'free trade take some consolation
from the fact that one Of the most
eminent of all the revenue reformers
aas received an endorsement at the
hands of the people of New York of
which any man has reason to feel
proud. 1t is to be regretted that
such man as Abram s. Hewitt
should be lost to the house of rep
He was especially dis
for his clear and practical
views and for his readiness to accept
concessions from eppo-
nents. 'ua
Mr.. Hewitt will not resign his seat
in congress until some time in Jan
lary, and he eopes even before that
time to accomplish something towards
much needed legislation. The result
Of the election in New York, he says,
imposes upon the Democratic party !
to talk up the subject of labor
grievances and inaugurate such re-
forms as will relieve The working [
people of the unjust burdens that re-
suit from reduction in their earnings.
He proposes to do all he can to bring |
about an amelioration of these evils, /
before he resigns. 1t lis large |
contract for him to undertake in q