Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-02

which is dignifed by the name of power"
But it was not to be, and so Grover will
merely figure in history among the other
Might Have Beens.''
10! THE POOR DEMOCRATS.
And the poor Democratic party, betrayed,
torn byinternal strife, stands in the position
OF the "Culprit of Calaveras. Prisoner"
said the prosecutor, "you are charged with
gambling" ''Gamblingl What is gam
bling?" "Playing cards for money" "But
l did not play cards for money! played
for chips" "Well, you got money for your
chips at the end of the game, didn't you?"
"No; didn't have any chips at the end of
the game" And so Mr.. Brice's party got
all the education" they wanted, and Mr.
Quay's party got all the chips" In all
seriousness, did the grand old party
deserve anything better? For "a years
every member of that party was prescribed
from holding ofice-trom the position OF
Judge of the Supreme Bench down to the
humblest foor-scrubber in atwo-penny post
Office, and then when the party got chance
they were ashamed or afraid to administer
on the estate, and practically admitted the
taunting Republican accusation that they
were unfit to rule. Was it any wonder that
q party could not hold its vote on such
policy, and that on the first decisive test it
met its Waterloo?
There is a vague impression here in Re
publican circles that the President-in the
few remaining days of his term-will in
dulge in some freak of temper. as he did in
Edgerton's case, or make some "break" that
will mar the dignity of his going out, and
the refusal of the administration "set" to
participate in the inaugural ball is consid-
cred justification for these supicions. Now
that the President is about to take tumble,
1 cannot recall any role he could study
with more effect that that of Fanny Daven-
port In "La Tosca" In the art of falling
down gracefully, Fanny is a bewildering
success, and if Grover can "fall" as grace
fully as Fanny he will be doing pretty well
for a magistrate who seems to think it
sign of greatness to do things differently
from other people.
Alter his term expires he will be in de-
mand as figure head for speculative "syn-
dicates" and legal firms, but even these will
pass away, and as Congressman Butter
worth said to me to-day: 1.-The condition
and not theory that Mr.. Cleveland will
have to face shortly will be-can a man who
has ruled 60, 900, 900 of people and wrecked
a great political estate, submit to the des-
potic will of a janitor on the top floor of
nine-story New York fiat.
HARRISoN's BREAKERS.
On the other hand, the bed of the incoming
administration may not be strewn with
roses. Cleveland failed to please three par
ties-the Democrats, Republicans and Mug
wumps. What will Harrison do with these
and the "Hold-overs, who are now quite
formidable fourth estate of the realm. The
secret of craftsmanship these days seems to
be to do nothing and make capital out of
IL, L. s 4l. 4, - l.
tor, Harrison has trimmed" occasionally
or seemed to ''trim''-and as Mr.. Cleveland
has done many things in positive way
positively right or positively wrong" as
Civil Service Commissioner Edgerton we'll
says, regardless of their effect on his own or
mis- party's prospects, he seems entitled to
credit at least for his devotion to his "idee."
1t is not entirely clear that any of our
Presidents get S50,0 900 worth of fun out of
the Office. They have regular grind of
official and social duties to perform which
they cannot disregard. Mr.. Harrison must
receive all the "boys" who have organized
Harrison clubs or he will be considered an
migrate. He must treat all the big chiefs
with distinguished consideration, or there
will be trouble in the family. He must en-
tertain all the visiting statesmen from Po-
dunk and elsewhere. He must give "taffy"-
and colored delegations He must attend
balls, diplomatic and other receptions, shoot
ing and fishing parties; visit cattle shows,
Sunday schools, blind asylums, college
openings and closings, "divide time" with
all the "sovereigns" who call; divide up
the political estate among the victors; study
to please all, knowing full we'll that at the
end of his term he will measureabIy fail
that he must disappoint thousands, and may
not feel altogether pleased with himself-in
short, he may have to put up the sign on
your back: "Unredeemed pledges for sale
here" as conspicuously as his predecessors;
and, taking one thing with another, we may
say with Longfeilow that things are not al
ways what they seem.
WASHINGTON A VAST CAMP.
On leaving PIttsburg, my esteemed co
partner of other days, Judge" Ramsey, re-
marked that the present was about the mos
unpropitious time possible to see this city of
magnificent distances" and L am here to
concur in the above. Essentially a busy
city take it almost any time, Washington
to-day is almost camp-although the crush
and rush have not yet fully set in, and to-
day looking down East Capital street toward
the grand Inauguration stand crowds are
patrolling the streets in the rain, while
other crowds also in the rain are putting the
finishing touches to the monster platforms
being erected for the sight-seers. The note
of preparation is heard everywhere, and
soon the city will be given over to pageantry,
hustle and blare and bunting, and to the
Republican inaugurators.
The President-elect and his family arrived
here Tuesday, and are quietly awaiting the
"big eventful day." and judging from the
modest and thoughtful tone of his farewell
address to his neighbors at indianapolis, he
fully realizes the measure OF his great re-
sponsibilities.
There be visitors here who do seem to
have been dug up by some antiquarian
from the Silurian period or the red sand
stone era of our politics. but the most nict-
uresque "relic" of them all-not even ex-
cepting Cassius M. Clay-is ex-Speaker
Banks, of Massachusetts. Were 1 in a
mood to debate on the vicissitudes of Ameri-
can politics, know not where 1 could Sc
lect filter subject to illustrate my theme.
Go back over the list of eI-Speakers since
James L. Orr laid down the gavel % years
ago, and Banks, Pennington, Colfax,
Blaine, Kerr, Randall, Carlisle have fol-
lowed each other, till the cycle of Republi-
can conservatism, as represented in Benja-
min Harrison, comes round again. And
here is Banks once more to the front, and
with true popular enthusiasm behind him.
In the long and dastardly fight waged
against Charles Sumner by Grant and his
lackeys Banks was "semper fdelis''-al-
ways stood stoutly at whatever risk by the
great Senator from Massachusetts,, and went
down with him in the dirty freshet of Grant
ism in 1872. Gooch, Butler, Williams and
the other time servers are "broken on the
wheel" and 1 feel like saying of Banks
with all his foibles:
As thou vert steadfast in one woe,
Be foremost in one Joy,
For cold and stiff and still are they
That wrought thy friend aunoy