Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1890-01-18
MEN ANDTHINGs AT WASHINGTON.

the president with being a beneficial
ry of the famous Dudley Blocks Of
Five" letter. 1t may be that the
Indiana democrats are as angelic as
! the Senator represents them to be,
but the history of Indiana elections
leaves a person in grave doubt
whether the politics of Indiana as
represented by the politicians OF
either party are to be emulated by
the other sections of the country.
The truth about the Dudley mat
ter is that the Dudley letter was a
forgery, and this fact is pretty well
known to those persons who have
taken the trouble to investigate the
matter. AT all events the democrat
ic officials in Indiana must have
satisfied themselves of this or else
they would not have abandoned the
prosecution OF Dudley. If this let.
ter was really written as charged the
power to bring Dudley to punish
ment rested in democratic hands,
and their failure to push the matter
can only be explained on the ground
that they discovered that no case
could be made.
The location of the Worlds Fair
has engaged the attention Of Con-
gress during the past week Large
delegations from New York, Chicago
and st. Louis having been present
to represent the interests of those
cities. Washington bases her claim
upon the broad ground that this city
is the capital of the nation, and If
the location should be made upon
the banks of the Potomac it must be
done wholly at the public expense.
The other three cities each propose
to raise enough money to hold the
Fair and to an impartial observer it
would seem that New York stands
the best chance. There are many
persons who maintain that the time
necessary for preparation is too short
aud consequently no successful
exhibition can be held in the year
1892.
The little kingdom of Belgium,
which is the paradise of the free
trader, should according to the dem
ocratic idea, be in state of great
prosperity because it is the ideal
free,trade country, but SO far from
this being the state of affairs we are
told that so much discomfort prevails
that there is well-grounded fear for
the over throw of the monarchy it,
self. The artisans and laboring men
are parading the streets in great
numbers and in defiance of the
police authorities are covering the
galls with huge handbills denonnc.
ing monopolists and the monied
power. According to the democrat
ic theory there ought to be no monop-
olists except in country where a
protective tariff prevails, but, unfort
unately for their argument, trusts
and combination prevail more abso
lutely in free-trade countries than
they do anywhere else. AS a mat.
ter of fact there is no ground for a
comparison between the United
States and any foreign country for
the reason that the location, sur.
roundings and internal conditions
are so widely different. England
has grown rich by granting immense
subsidies to steamship lines where
by she has absorbed the cream OF
the carrying trade of the world,
while on the other hand it has been
to her interest to establish free trade
because she must necessarily import
vast quantities of raw material. The
true policy for America is to look
out for Americans as against the
balance of the world, and so long as
this continues to be the policy of the
republican party it will be entitled
to public confidence.
Some of the democrats are very
much troubled over the election OF
Mr.. Brlce to the United States Sen.
ate from the state of Ohio. This
gentleman is charged by a portion
of his party with being a railroad
wrecker of the Jay Gould type, and
is classed by them among the bloat
ed bondbolders of the country. Mr.,
Brice's predecessor represented the
Standard Oil Company and it was
alleged on all sides that his election
was due solely to the use of money.
To have this incident repeated in
the person of Mr.. Brice is really
embarrassing to the democratic
newspapers which have spent so
many long and weary years denounc
ing the republicans for what now
seems to be their own settled policy.
Mr.. Brlce may be very good man
or he may be nearly as bad as some
of his own party journals have paint
ed him, but the fact that he was the
well-nlgh unanimous choice of the
democrats of Ohio would indicate
that the democratic party is not
quite as much afraid of Doodle as it
would have the country believe.
The West Virginia contested
cases are now on and their consider
alton will be continued until the
cases are disposed of by Congress.
There are always more or less delays
incident to such matters, but from
present indications it would seem
that final action would be reached
during the coming month.
The West Virginia politicians have
not put in an appearance in force
since the holidays. In fact the pre-
vailing epidemic has to a greater or
less degree Frustrated large part
of the population and has seriously
interfered with business.
Much interest is felt here over the
outcome of the gubernatorial con.
test in West Virginia. The attempt
to overthrow the popular will by
means of a rowing committee of the
legislature is looked upon with alarm
by the republicans and is discount,
enanced by many conservative dem
ocrats. The country is rapidly
awakening to the fact that greater
safeguards must be thrown around
our elections and this sentiment will
move onward with increased volume
until this great reform is accomplish.
ed. There ought to be but one feel
ing among intelligent men on this
subject, and that sentiment should
bring about fair elections every