Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-08-24
THE DEMOCRATS INACTIVE.
OUARELLING OVER THE Tariff
ISSUE.
THE WHOLE CAMPAIGN RAPIDLY
RECKONING DEMORALIZED


THE WHOLE CAMPAIGN RAPIDLY
BECOMING DEMORALIZED.
The anxiety of the Democratic
leadefs who have gathered at their
National Headquarters in the past
two days has been so deep as to
be commonly observed. Mr.. Brce
has had there in consultation with
him John S. Barbour, OF Virginia,
Arthur Sewell. of Maine. ex Senator
Barnum, OF Connecticut, William
r. Morrison, of Illinois, Colonel
Bradley b. Smalley, of Vermont,
Henry Watterson, OF Kentucky,
Il. b. Henderson, of Indiana, and
q number of other leading workers
of the party. The only agreement
between them has been that it is
necessary to make a strong fight
IN Maine to reduce the Republican
majority at the September election,
and for this purpose Mr.. Sewell Is
said to have received authority to
expend any amount of money he
may deem necessary, up to $780, 600.
There is an immense amount OF
money at the command Of the com
mittee, and this sum is n mere
bagatelle ont of the large fund that
has been raised and that has been
promised before the end OF the
campaign.
Senator Barbour is known to be
exceedingly anxious about Vir-
GINA. The committee is disposed,
on account of the differences there
between the Republican factions,
to- believe that there Is no necessity
for expanding any money or labor
to keep the State Democratic.
Mr.. Barbour has labored rneflec-
tually to convince them that Nir'
ginia has only gone Republican
when the Republican forces have
been divided, in campaigns in
which the opposing factions have
come together at the last hours OF
the canvass. lie has pointed ont
to the committee the danger that,
while General Malone and the
Anti. Mahoneites are both drawing
a large number of voters from the
Democratic party, through Oppo-
silon to each other, they will effect
q union later IN the campaign and
sweep the State.
There have been some bitter dis
cussions oyer the tariff question.
"Horizontal Reduction" Morrison
and the Star. Eyed Henry Waiter
son are Disguised because Mr..
Brice and Senator Barnum, who
are tariff men, will not flood the
country with Free Trade literature.
On the other hand, both Brice and
Barnnm have been insisting that
these gentlemen shall unite IN de
handing that the President shall
so far modify his Free Trade views
and declarations when he comes
to issue his letter of acceptance
that it will be acceptable to the
Protective Tariff Democrats. Mr..
Brlce persists in telling them that
unless the free trade label can he
taken off the Democratic party 1t
is doomed to defeat. These diff.
ferences of opinion are so marked
that the employee about Democrat
ic quarters begin to talk outside
and express their opinions on one
side or the other in the corridors
of uptown hotels, taking sides ac-
cording to their personal relations
to the different leaders.
SO far as can be ascertalned, 1t
is Chairman Brice's intention to
run hide.and.seek campaign.
His idea is to send free trade doc
uments into the rural districts and
protective tariff literature into the
manufacturing towns. The Pres
idenrs message and the Mills bill
will be used to satisfy the free
traders, and he has demanded that
President Cleveland shall so word
his letter of acceptance that 1t can
be used to satisfy protective tarlil
Democrats. This sort OF thlmble-
rigging is far from satisfactory to
the gentlemen who have been in
conference with him, and some
pretty tall swearing has been done,
not only about the headquarters,
but about the hotel corridors.
The differences mentioned are
coupled III conversation uptown
with reports that President Cleve.
land and Chairman Brice have had
a war of words, in which the chair
man was @orsted, and that, as a
consequence, Senator German, OF
Maryland, Is coming here to run
the campaign, while Colonel Brlce
takes a back seat. Members of the
committee who were asked about
this subject last night refused to
discuss it, and Chairman Barnum,
when approached about 1t was as
sour as that famous bear with a
sore head. The apathy in the Dem
ocratic ranks is paralyzing and ter
rifyIng to all the leaders. Presl'
dent Cleveland is said to charge 1t
on the inactiOn of the committee,
while Chairman Brice places the
responsibility on the party leaders,
who, he declares, say that the
trouble is with the Administration,
from which they can get neither
recognition, satisfaction nor offices.
1t is the offices about which they
complain most. The President has
ignored Civil Service reform, they
say, to reward personal friends and
Mugwumps, but whenever party
leader wants any thing he Is snu0-
bed. Besides, many of them as
sert that the President Is all wrong
in forcing the free trade issue.
The ordinations and recrlmlna'
tons growing out of this condition
we're presented to the Presidents
consideration at his recent confer
ence at Washington with Colonel
Brice. The President simply re-
fused to do anything. 81 am nom
mated. You must elect me or be
defeated was the sentiment OF his
talk.
Four years ago Chairman Cor
man felt empowered to "promise
the earthp to working Democrats,
who we're looking forward to the