Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1888-06-22
THE OREGON ELECTION.
Its Chilling Eject at st. Louis and In
Washington--The Administrations In
cfrcctnal Efforts to Carry Ii.

WAshINGToN, June 10.
Had a cyclone struck the St. Louis
Convention it could not have caused
greater surprise in Democratic circles
here in Washington than did the re-
suit Of the Oregon election. The ad-
.ministration had counted confidently
upon carrying the State, and the date
Of the St. Louis Convention was
really fixed for the 9th Of June be-
cause twas hoped to have the news
read there that Oregon had gone
Democratic, and that the adminlstra-
ton had thus been indorsed. Inter
views were printed III Democratic
papers in which Oregon's Delegates
to the Convention gave utterance to
their belief that the Republican party
would be snowed under on Monday
last, and the first gun of the cam
pagn sound the death-knel OF the
opposition to the present "reform'
administration. Tho Democrats in
Congress, too, were looking anxiously
forward to the receipt of dispatches
from the Pacific Coast, aud it was
intended that the tariff debate should
give place to Democratic jolliica-
ton. Instead, the free trade ma
jnri,y were depressed by series Of
dispatches, each succeeding one
showing that the Democratic disaster
was more widespread than it had
been even dreamed of by the Re-
pubiicans. Wh,n the business be-
came rather monotonous, the house
having listened to much discussion ON
the subject Of the election, the Demo
Gratis tried to turn aside the force of
the Republican victory by saying
that it was all due to railroad ana
other Interior influence. They had
forgotten how the New York custom.
house had been squeezed for contribu
tons; they had forgotten Smith
Weeds vsi, and John !,sh's mission,
aud ali the money he had carried and
dsburscd as the special agent Of the
administration, whose sole object was
TO carry the election. 1t is needless
to add that they will during the com
ing campaign try to forget about this
Northwestern cyclone, but its dis
couraging effects will follow them tt
the polls in November next.
The we'll known journalist J. r.
Young writes the following letter to
the Philadelphia Star from Washing
ton:
Singular as it may seem the Demo
Gratis are not as enthusiastic over their
prospects of success as they were be
fore the Convention met. AS inter
pref the meaning of this it comes from
two thin2s-tirst, the peculiar &C
ton of the Convention in the matte,
OF the tariff plank in the platform
and second, the victory Of the Re
publcans at tie el, ct on in Oregon
which was fought on the tariff issue
direct. Before the Convention mel
the Democrats had been led to be
lieve by the action of their Represent
tatiyes in Congress in voting for the
Mills bill to reduce the tariff, by the
message of President Cleveland cali
ing for such reduction, and by the
endorsement given to the Mills
bin and the Presidents anti-tarif
views by all Of the State Democrati,
Conventions save one or two, and
especially by a protective State like
Pennsylvania, that their Convention
would come out with the Mills bill
aud the Presidents message as the
tariff plank of their platform. The
leading Democrats in Congress are
no, saying much, but you can not
fail to notice that they are doing a
heap of thinking. | have heard
more than dozen of them express
their disappointment tina: the tariff
plank was hot made explicit.
|. is the general belief here that
had not the returns from the Oregon
election struck the ST. Louis Conven-
ton there would have been little or
10 trouble over the platform. He
result in Oregon was astonishing to
Rcpuhl'cans and Democrats alike.
The Democrats had put their best
foot forward TO carry the State
Smith NJ. Weed Of New York, who
always figures in the money transact
ms in Democratic campaigns Of a
national character, was sent from
here by the Democratic Conyressiona
Committee to San Francisco to report
what was needed to carry Oregon
The Prob bitioniSts had tickle. i.
the field aid St. Jchn went all tn
way olt there to impress upon th'
Oregon Ptoh!hi;ionists how necessar,
j, was to beat the Republicans il
order to make Prohibition u success
The nlec:i,n Involved thu choosin
Of the first member to be elected t