San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1886-11-18
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent

great surprise in political circles in
Washington. 1t will be necessary to
90 back to the year 1874 to find any
thing comparable in interest to the
upheaval in congressional districts in
many OF the states this year. The
control of the Fiftieth Congress
should have been secured by the par
ty opposed to the administration, ac-
cording TO the law of political forces,
and following the almost unbroken
line of precedent in our political his
tory. But the fact is that the Demo
Gratis, in spite of losses sufficient to
have given tho republicans the ma
jority, have yet made gains in such
unlooked-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
to bury forever the last tattered rem
nant of the bloody shirt. Not SIN
gle complaint Of intimidation or VIC
lence has come from any district and
Messrs. BIaine's and Shcrn ans occu-
patton is consequently gone.
Politicians here are still talking
about the result of tue elections, and
it is interesting to hear their various
comments. They all agree that poll
tics are uncertain. Some attribute
democratic loses to the fact that DEM
ocrats have not enough offices under
the administration, while others hold
that if they had gotten fewer offices
they would have elected more con-
gressmen. This last idea is upon the
ground that it is impossible to dis
pense 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 can
not 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
q thing of it that they abstained from
voting. The latter is Speaker Car
isles opinion with regard to his own
case. He says lie has frequently
warned his constituents that they
would walen up some fine morning
and find some one else elected to Con
gress in his place all on account of
their staying away from the polls.
They seem to think" he added,
.'that am sure to be elected whether
anybody votes for me or not" 1t
must be gratifying to the Speaker to
know of the sentiments expressed by
republicans us we'll as democrats when
it was believed that he had been de-
featel. Even ultra republicans here
acknowledged that his loss to con-
gress would be national calamity.
He is such n broad, high-minded
Statesman that his political enemies
cannot fail to respect and revere him
as an exemplar. While he is straight
out, consistent party man, he deals
honestly and fairly with his oppo-
nents, and Ill they have ever dared
to charge against him was the crime
of being democrat.
Although Speaker for the Fiftieth
Congress will not be chosen for more
than year, the canvass for it will
actively begin ut the approaching
session and consequently it is a sub
iect of immediate interest. AS the
democrats will have safe working
majority in that congress it is certain
Tom Reed, the Republican leader
from Maine, will not name its COM
mittees as was predicted before the
official counts cnme 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 IN 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 a man as Abram S. Hewitt
should be lost to the House of Rep
resentatives. He was especially dis.
tinguished for his clear and practical
views aud for his readiness to accept
reasonable concessions from oppo-
nents.
Nj. Hewitt will not resign his seat
in Congress until some time in Janu-
airy, and he hopes even before that
time to accomplish something towards
much needed legislation. The result