Morris tribune., 1890-01-08
Letter From Washington.
To the Editor of the TRIBUNE.

10 tuG VI IhS 41NAhS-'H'
WASHINGTON, Jan. 6.-Frank Hurd
of Ohio, is alive again. He dropped
into the consomme III 1884, and has
been under the surface so long that
his friends IN this city had presumed
that his political corpse had gone un-
der the dissecting knife, long ago.
But Free-Trade Frank has recently
been in Washington, visiting the
scenes of his former greatness.
What, you never heard of Hurd?
Well, well, you must be only casual
reader of the papers. Prior to 1884,
Frank Hurd was the exponent of free
trade III Ohio, and was spreading
himself around rather promiscuously
all over the country. He was we'll
known bralny debater whom every
one respected for his abilities; but
Frank couldn't stand prosperity. In
one of his indiscreet moments, moved
to vanity by the adulation of party
fatterers, Mr.. Hurd imagined him
self to be a big enough man 10 tackle
James G. Blaine; and he didit. He
made several speeches, using Blaine
as text.
You've heard of the bull which
tried to butt a train off the track,
haven't you? You remember that
the locomotive went right along
but,
''The bull, oh! where was he?
Ask of the winds that far around
With fragments strcw the sea-"
There was a national campaign i'll
1884, and James G.. Blaine was run
ming for the presidency. He was
booked for several speeches in Ohio,
and made them. He devoted the
better portion Of his time to speeches
IN Frank Hurd's district. He didn't
stoop to attacks upon Hurd; for that
would be small game for Blaine. He
merely spoke on the tariff, and
showed the people how necessary it
would be for their interests, to elect a
protection republican instead of a
free-trade democrat. The result was,
that Mr.. Romels was elected to con-
gress, and Frank Hurd was elected to
private life. Mr.. Blaine swept oyer
his district like political cyclone
and twisted poor Hurd and his the
cries as the cyclone twists oaks and
scatters houses. The air was full OF
fragments of Hurd, and he has never
gotten his political body entirely to-
gether since that disastrous time.
The election of democratic legis-
lature in Ohio has raised Robbery
among the spirits, and many OF them
haye materialized; Hurd among them.
His materialized form recently ap-
peared in the lobby of the House, and
was heard to utter:
cleveland will be the next nomi-
nee of the democratic party for tho
Presidency. In his celebrated mes
sage, he raised the only live issue
now before the people; and he is en-
titled to consideration on that &C.
count. We can elect him, too"
In the first place, those ofeus who
understand politics, are pretty well
satisfied that Cleveland never was
elected to the Presidency; but that il
was bought for him on the night after
election. over in Kings county, New
York. Those of us who were neal
there have always felt that certain
distinguished United States Senator
went over from New York, and
bought the presidency for Cleveland
but we can't bring witnesses into
court, and we don't want to be sued
for libel; but we have good reason fol-
our belief all the same. There is no
doubt in my mind that Blaine was
elected, despite the purchased as
sinlnity OF Burchard. / DO not be-
lieve that Cleveland ever was elected
to the presidency. The people have,
in fact, not elected democratic pres
ident since 1856. One thing Is abso-
lutely certain and cannot be gam
SAID, AID that is: The people re-
pudiated Grover Cleveland and his
free-trade message in November, 1888.
Frank Hurd is making spectacle of
himself. However, we republicans
in Washington, and all over the
country, would be very glad to have
another whack at the man who bold
lily announces himself as the cham