Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-11-02
WASHINGTON LITTER
Written and Compiled for the HERALD.
WASHINGTON, Oct. %, 1888.

campaign has come IN the Shape Oh
letter from Lord Sackville West,
the British Minister to the United
States, advising an American cltl-
zen to vote for Cleveland because
he is the friend of England, and
believes in free trade. The letter
then goes on to say that Cleveland's
celebrated Canadian retaliation
message was only a bit OF clap-trap
intended to influence the Irish vote;
also, til at the rejection of the fish
cries treaty by the Republican
Senate was for the same purpose.
When confronted with the letter
Lord Sackyille at once acknowl-
edged it, and to add Insult to in.
suit, reiterated the sentiments ex-
pressed therein, and added "A lot
more of the same sort. OF course
Lord Sackville wanted to help the
Democratic party to win, and in
writing the letter was in all prob
ability only carrying out the IN
structlons of the English Foreign
Office in London, but the publica'
ton of the letter has brought
about an effect directly contrary to
that intended by the author. 1t
will defeat Cleveland. The voters
of this country will very naturally
resist the dlctatlon of the British
Minister as to who they shall vote
for.
But aside from party consldera-
tons, the studied insult to the
President, House and Senate. and
through them to the whole Ameri-
can people, has raised a storm OF
vlrtuous Indignation that in any
other country on earth would have
caused the British Minister to have
been mobbed. Nothing else is
talked of in the hotels, stores,
government departments and fam
lily circles of Washington. What
has Cleveland done to resent this
outrageous insult to himself and
to the whole country? Virtually
nothing. The letter was made
public OH Tuesday, and up to Fri
day the adj mInistratlOn had taken
no action whatever, but on that
day the facts were cabled to the
American Minister IN London, and
he was directed to lay them before
the English Foreign Office. Think
of such child's play. When every
manly and patriotic American was
expecting that Lord Sackville
would have his passport sent to
him, and that peremptOry de.
mand would be made upon the
English Government for his imme-
date recall, the administration
lays the facts before the English
Foreign Office, and leaves that
Office to take such action az it may
see fit. The action that Office will
take will probably be to transfer
Lord Sackville to higher diplo-
matte position in the diplomatic
corps; meanwhile the United
States will become the laughing
stock of the entire world on ac-
count OF the cowardice of Cleveland.
Here was the opportunity to have
carried into effect some Of the
'Jingoism" which tho administra-
ton Senators were continually
talking about during the cOnsid-
Grafton of the fisheries treaty by
the Senate. Nothing has so
strlkingly shown the incapacity OF
the Democratic party to govern
this country as this episode. A
man who has shown himself to be
a coward will never be elected
President of the United States,
and Cleveland's timid action in this
case is likely to make more votes
for Harrison than the British Min
listers letter. In Washington
Cleveland's chances of being elected
If he ever had any, are now consid-
cred to be gone glimmering
Few prominent politicians OF
either party are seen IN Washing
ton these days. They are all on
the stump, consequently there is
very little political news origina'
ting here just now, but in lanother
week Washington will again be-
come the political headquarters of
the Nation.
Senator Morgan came to the city
last week for the express purpose
of having himself interviewed, so
that he could tell the people what
a thoroughly intense American
Grover Cleveland is. In view of
the action, or rather want of ac-
ton of Cleveland in the British
Minister'S case, the words of the
Alabama Senator proved but emp.
ty sounds. When robust action is
wanted words will not suffice to
satisfy the people.
General Sheridan will shortly
have two monuments erected TO
his memory, one by his wife over
his grave in Arlington cemetery,
and the other by the Loyal Legion,
of which he was commander, in
Sheridan circle in this city.
The Parrot and the Rubber Worker.
Tho Rowerv DarrOt was atandinp