The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1888-11-09
Friday, Nov. 8, ISSS.
THE ELECTION.

strange eventful history"
We will not add the concluding
clause Of this text, although part of it
would not he Inappropriate. The great
quadrennial contest was ended on
Tuesday evening at six o'clock. and at
to 10 the telegraph began to tick the
news from distant points. New York
pretty soon commenced to give out
Harrison figures which piled up higher
and higher indicating that Cleveland's
proverbial luck was of that kind which
deserts its patron at the greatest pinch.
To say that the Democrats were dis
appointed, heart broken almost, is to
put it lightly. They believed in their
chief. He had nobly led the attacking
column, like Napoleon at the bridge of
Lodi, but not with that success which
peIched on the banners of the 'Petit
Corporal"
AS the news came in the irrepressible
Republicans began to shout and the
sound of their own voices added to
their excitement as runaway horse
frightens at his own speed. That New
York had declared for Harrison and
Morton was about all the real news
that could be obtained. That was
enough to confirm the fears of one
party and hopes of the other, The
county news was encouraging and the
result of the home poll-a majority of
2 in the old Sixth-was only, second in
delight to the assurance that the coon
had the roo ter by the neck and was
heading toward the White House. The
Republicans consequently shouted
themselves hoarse by ten or eleven
O'Clock and as no further news of i'm
portance was likely to be gained till
morning the most of thestown retired
to bed, where the sorely disappointed
Cleveland men had gone early in the
evening.
But why was 'this thusly?" is the
question. Cleveland was told leader
whom his party persuaded themselves
they about idolized. He had stiffened
up the weak kneed; he had thrown
down the gauntlet to the Republicans
in his policy of tariff reduction,
measure that Grant, Garfield, Arthur,
Republican tariff commission, and
other leading men in that party had
recommended. Such policy as this
could surely not be antagonized sue
cessfully by the Republican party.
But Thousand orators speaking
nightly for the last three months
showed too plainly that they were
ready to take issue with the President
and his party. We need not pass in
review the clamor of the last months
which this tariff discussion provoked.
"Good, bad and Indifferent. arguments
were nightly hurled at the listening
crowds from the platform, and while
the tariff did duty to keep the political
orators employed talking, there was
skeleton in the Presidential closet
WAICA cAOlCASeu tAO CuiCitaIH luCh
more than the open question that
filled every paper and was the theme
of every orator. Mr.. Cleveland gave an
undue preference in selecting his lieu
tenants, to gentlemen of the extreme
Southern type. He went to the South
ern end of the country for one of the
most important officers of his CAM
paign. Mr.. Roger @. Mills was select
cd as chairman ofthe committee which
was TO introduce the tariff bill on
which Mr.. Cleveland .staked his all in
public life; and the men who were
chosen to .act with him were of the
same type. This committee, it is true
brought forward bill which is high
ly protective measure, but the Repub
licans pointed to the men who were
behind that bill, who were lifelong
fTee-traders pure and simple. AS the
parent so is the offspring they asserted,
and never ceased 10 denounce the
whole as free-trade party and free
trade measure in disguise. Whether
the charge was justly or unjustly made
it had the desired effect. The North
ern men again remembered the strug-
gle they had with the men who were
IN control and dominating the party,
while the Northern wing of the Presi-
dents party occupied asecondary place
l., tba .,o,,no;ls Of tho Drosidanf Thio
favoritism, or at least apparent favorit-
ism of the President, though not APP
pearing OH the surface, together with
the persistent solid South was more
potent in turning the scale against
Cleveland than the flood of tariff talk
which spread over the land. '"The
bloody shirt" which had proved SO sue
cessfu! in creating degree ofsympathy