The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-09-19
HIGHLY ENTERTAINING
Observations on the Present
Political Situation
BY A FAMOUS FREE TRADER.
Don Platt Comments upon the Con.
,dttlon of Affairs About the Ma.
tIonal Democratic Headquar-
ters--Intcrcsting Interview.


CINCINNATI, Sept. 1s.-Colonel Dom
Piatt, who is at the Grand Hotel, was
corralled by Commercial Ga:ette re-
porter yesterday afternoon, after the fol.
lowing fashion:
Colonel, you are lately from Wash.
ington and New York. What is the re-
suit Of your political observation us to
the result?"
"The conditions OF the canvass are so
novel that 1t is extremely difficult to
draw any conclusions?"
"What do you mean by novel condi-
tionsY
~ mean that for the first time in
Twenty-Five years We have au election
turning on a question purely Of policy,
or IL you will, principle. Our Presi-
dental elections that appealed hereto
fore to the two political camps in hos
tility to each other had nothing to offer
from either side but a personal follow
ing OF candidates. Our great and intelli-
gent people were aroused TO point OF
excitement difficult now to realize, And
Cleveland won, mainly through the
Solid South thus solid for him, not be-
cause OF his Democracy, but for that the
South was anti-Republicah."
"Now, Colonel, what do you mean by
that"
II mean that the men who did the re-
construction after the war were not the
men who did the fighting. They were
animated by q SECTIONAL prejudice, or
hate, the fighting men did not feel, and
in time reconstruction appealed to the
Ignorance OF the South, instead OF the
growing element found in itsl intelli-
gence. The plantation negroes were
suddenly elevated to citizenship, aud to
strengthen them in their new duties
they were furnished bayonets and car
pet-baggeIs. This meant not only polit-
ical revolution, but social as well. Il was
an attempt to make San Domingo out
of THO Sopth. Against this the whites
were forced to fight, aud are fighting
yet"
"Do you mean to say that having ex-
tended the suffrage to the blacks, it is
not fair and Just TO give them all the
rights andI privileges citizenship in
suresp"
II mean to say what the same men
said in Congress the other day, in pass
ing the bill excluding the Chinese. This
they did on the ground that the
Cclestials, as n race, were not fitted te be
citizens. Why draw the line on Chinese
and not on negroes? 1t is on this ac-
count that the South votes the Demo-
cratic ticket, and none other. Owing to
his adherence OF civil service reform
President Cleveland has no personal fol-
lowing at the South, ifbe has anywhere,
The fact is, there is hut one indn more
unpopular In that locality than Grover
Cleveland, and that man is Ben Harri-
son. So you see, it is only necessary to
carry New York and Indiana to continue
this administration"
"And you think that will be done?"
" think so. lie may count on the
Democracy voting the Democratic ticket
when the fgh! gets hot. The Republic
cans vote their ticket ii they feel like it.
If the situation remains in Sew Fork
and Indiana "a in the last Presidential
election, why, OF course, the result will
be the same. However, il this comes
about, the Democracy will not be called
on to thank the National Democratic
Committee. Ithas ior its head MIR. Bar
mum, OF Connecticut. Mr.. b. says open.
ly that he isa Protectionist. He shakes
in his shoes at the sight OF Free Trader.
OF course this is not encouraging TO- his
party. Calvin S. Bricc, head Of the
National Executive Committee, is an
able nan, full OF resource and energy,
but his business life has been passed In
Wall street, and all he learns OF politics
is filtered through the amiNble corpus OF
Ben LeFever. Ii had any faith in the
potency OF a National Committee should
throw up the sponge. But the iGct is
that the element at work are too much
for these leaders. They are but flies on
the wheel, and are being whirled, instead
OF doing the whirling. tits really anus
ing to see how nicely our headquar-
tiers as it is called adjusts this econQmic
question. There ia no tr6e trade in
it-oh mott is only slight reduction
OF the tariff, leaving the principle OF pro-
lection untouched. OF course this is the
Presidents message, and the Mills bill,
but back OF them lie the awakening in
telligence OF the people, and tho friend
OF DemoOratio pFogress Is in the direc-
ton OF the same freedom in trade that
exists in our Government in all else.
Whether Cleveland is elected or not, the
fight is on, and will be fought out to a
finish. The best EVIDENCE I have OF
this Is in the sucGess OF Beliord's Md9a-
sinc. Its circulation jumped up in the
July number to $4,000, and this because
tlIe people were eager to read what such
men as Carlisle, Hurd, Mills and others
had to say on this vital question. The
headquarters are elegant vases OF How
cts about the broad marble entrance
steps scent the autumn mir, and the in
terror is early English. Solemn looking
men sit about in armchairs, smoking
and tanning, while Barnum walks noise.
lessly to and fro, like a fashionable In-
dertaker at a tirstsGlass funeral. When
iree trader appears the combination is
as. comical as that Of a convoCation OF
crows ut the sight Of gun in the hands
OF a sportsman. AS for the documents
sent out by the millions, thsy win for
the headquarters the noble title OF Ma
tional Purveyors OF Waste Paper for the
Great Democracy"
Prisoners OF War,