The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-11-17
Washington Correspondence.
WAsHINeroN, Nov. l9, 1885,

{ " A5AlALADA, NOV. To- Aoous
EDITOR CLARION: The recent cleo
tions have caused great surprise IN polit-
! ical circles In Washington. 1t viii be
necessary to 20 back TO the year 1874 70
/ find anything comparable in interest to
/ the uphesyal in Congressional districts
/ in many of the States this year. The
/ control Of the fftieth Congress should
/ have been secured by the party opposed
i to the administration, according 10 the
/ law of political forces, and following the
almost unbroken line Of precedent IN
our political history. But the fact Is,
/ that the Democrats, In spite of losses
sufficient to have given the Republicans
/ the majority, have yet made gains in
such unlocked for places, as to retain
control Of the House.
The orderly and peaceful manner, too,
/ in which the elections were conducted
in the Southern States, with here and
there Republican gains in Congressman
in that section, ought to bury forever
the last tattered remnant of the bloody
shirt. Not q single complaint of intim-
idation or violence has come from any
district, and Messrs. Blaine's and Sher-
mans occupation is consequently gone.
Politicians here are still talking about
the result Of the elections, and II is in
teresting to hear their various com
ments. They all agree that politics are
uncertain Some attribute Democratic
losses 70 the fact that Democrats have
not enough offices under the admins
tration, while others hold if they had
gotten fewer offices they would have
elected more Congressman. This last
idea is upon the ground that it is inn
possible to dispense patronage to the
satisfaction of everybody. The only
way to be without enemies Is TO be
without power. The man who has no
favors to give makes no enemies; but
he cannot bestow patronage on the few
without making enemies of the many
who expect and are disappointed.
Another common explanation of the
apathy among Democratic voters Is that
they thought they had so sure thing
of it that they abstained from voting.
The latter is Speaker Carlisle's opinion
with regard to his own case. He says
he has frequently warned his cOnstitu-
ents that they would wake 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" he added, that
! I ana sure to be elected, whether any
body 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 IL was believed
that he had been defeated. Even ultra
Republicans here acknowledged that
his loss to Congress would be a national
calamity He is such a broad, high
minded statesman that his political enc
mics cannot fail TO respect and revere
him as an examplar. While he is
straight-out, consistent party man, he
deals honestly and fairly with his oppo-
nents, and all they have even dared to
charge against him was the crime of be-
ing Democrat.
Although a Speaker for the fiftieth
Congress viii not be chosen for more
than a year, the canvass for 1t will
actively begin at the approaching session,
and consequently it is a subject of i'm
mediate interest. As the Democrats
will have a safe working majority in
that Congress it Is certain Tom Reed,
the Republican leader from Maine, will
not name its committees as was pre-
dicted 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 has 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 re-
GREETED that such man as Abram ;.
Hewitt should be lost to the House Of
Representatives He was especially dis
tinguished for his clear and practical
views and for his readiness to accept
reasonable concessions from opponents.
Mr.. Hewitt will not resign his seat in
| Congress until some time in January,
and he hopes 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
| linaugurate such reforms as will relieve
the working people of the unjust bur
dens that result from reduction in their
earnings. He proposes to do all he can
to bring about an amelioration of these
evils, before he resigns. 1t is a large
contract for him to undertake in a little
less than month, but if Mr.. Hewitt
can SOW some healthy seed where it will
| take root and induce Congress to deal
with the labor question without allow
ing the methods of the demagogue to
prevail in what it does, he will have
] :