Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-11-13
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

The republican defeat has been SO
sweeping that representatives of the ad-
ministration, and republicans generally,
have nothing to say. In fact they don't
know what to say. The democrats just
look happy-they are speechless with
Joy. They regard the result as repu-
diation by the people of the Mckinley
tariff bill, that being the chief issue; of
the Lodge federal election bill, and of
the conduct of the majority in this con-
gress generally. The democrats ex-
pected that victory for them would
mean a call for an extra session, but
now they believe that the proportion of
that victory VIII discourage any attempt
to pass the federal election bill, and
they are ready for fight if the attempt
be made. In fact, there is very good
authority for the declaration that the
attempt will not be made.
McKinleyism and Reedism are con-
demned. The man from Maine will not
have the satisfaction of welding the
gavel in the next house, but will be COM
PEELED to take his seat with the minority.
Also, the lesson conveyed by the cleo
ton in Pennsylvania cannot be misun-
derstood. 1t means that the bossism,
of the sort which has SO long domi-
neered the state, had become SO fragrant
and intolerable as to provoke the just
wrath of the people. 1t means that
bossism of the same brand, wherever it
may exist, is sooner or later certain to
be visited with similar retribution. it
is the most severe and impressive lesson
of the kind that was ever administered
by the people at the polls to betrayers
of public trust and dehers of public
opinion.
In the opinion of some the large ma
jority of democrats in the house is dis
advantage, because it is difficult to man.
age and makes the organization subject
to factional divisions However in this
case, where victory at the polls be-
comes so pronounced as to give such
an overwhelming majority as the demo-
Gratis now have, it is regarded as. an in
dication of popular approval and gives
to the majority power which is not
dependent upon party organization and
discipline, and not necessarily confined
to party lines. An effective majority is
a small one or one of extraordinary pro-
portions. The gains made by the dem
ocrats in the senate are nearly as i'm
portant to them as their victory in the
house. They had no chance in that
body of getting a majority at this time,
and the situation was generally regarded
as such that they could not hope fol
control there for a number of years.
The gains they have made at this elec
ton, however, give them some hope:
that if they elect the president in 'o2
they may 40 the same time gain the
senate and get control of the govern
ment.
The most sanguine member of the
democratic party could not have expect
ed such wide spread victory. Tha
most of the chief strongholds of tb'
republicans sho,Sd have been wresteo
from them and democratic maJorit..
in the popular house of more than
hundred should have been returned is
result % sweeping that it cannot b
fully graspeGe 1t sequires great men
tai effore to conceive the loss to tn
republican party Of such states a
Massachusetts, Michigan, Kansas, Wis
consin, not to speak of the great stat
of Pennsylvania, whose course is NOR
easily understood than that of some c
the others. Nothing short of a popula
.upheaval could have taken them tror
the republican column where they hav
been so long the chief reliance.
The contest for the speakership c
the next house was a subject much dis
cussed in adsance of the election whe
is was understood that the democrat
would almost certainly prevail. A
that stage there was considerable spec
ulation as to the control the farmer
alliance would have in the organizatio
Of the house, on the supposition ths
the democratic majority would rang
between twenty and thirty. Under tn
conditions hat were expected to preva
it was natural that the southern cand
dates for speaker were regarded as ha'
ing the advantage. The overwhelmiI
victory gives the democrats majorii
of at least 13I in the house, puts a
entirely new face on the matter. AS
factor in the election of speaker tt
farmers alliance will not have tt
weight expected. In fact the member
elected by that organization are sma
minority compared with the great m;
jority the democrats will have anyhow
AS the gains made by the democra
were mainly in the north. the democra
- I. Il