Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-11-14
WASHINGTON CITY.
REPUBLICAN LEADERS IGNORING THE
CAUSES OF DEFEAT.
Vote the Party Ticket, and They
Will Carry Everything In 1898.
Iron Our Regular Correspondent

lFrom Our Regular Correspondent
WAmIsoTos. November 1s.-The Repub-
cans, from Mckinley down 10 the most OBJ
scure men in the grand old party" in
trying 70 account for the terrible drub-
bing received on the 4th instant, keep in
sistlng that things other than the real
things were responsible for the reverses.
As II by some common understanding, they
are harping about The disastrous effect
that patronage" had in the campaign.
and try their best 20 make IL appear that
disappointed office-scekers largely caused
the Republican defeat. Before the
election even Mr.. Blaine told the Philadel,
pbia Republicans that his party would
hardly carry the election for congressman,
and cited the fact that almost every cleo
tion during the past fifty years had gone
against The party in power two years sue
ceeding the Inauguration of the President.
Mr. Blaine had sense enough 10 know that
with such men as Reed, Mckinley. Rowel,
Lodge and fellows Of that ilk debating
the policy Of the party in Congress the
Democrats were bound to win q substan-
tial victory this year.
A GLANCE At THE GASP.
All Of tho Republicans in giving their
reasons for the great landslide have been
careful 20 ignore many things that will
prove their theories 20 be very question
able. Mr. Cleveland was inaugurated Presi-
don't in 1885. The Democrats had been out
Of power in national affairs for about
quarter Of n century, there was q mighty
rush for the offices, and so anxious were
the Democrats 30 capture the Offices that
the CRY all over the land was: Turn the
rascals out" The Republican papers made
allmanner of fun Of the army of Democrats
who sought places under Cleveland, and
because so many had to be disappointed 1t
was predicted by Republicans-andth the be-
lief was shared by many Democrats-that
the elections in 1885 and 1886 would cer-
tainly 90 against the party then IN power.
But they were badly mistaken. In 1885 the
most important State elections were held
in New York, Virginia. and Ohio. The Demo
Gratis carried New York and Virginia. Gene
raj FitZ Lee was elected Governor OF the
Old Dominion over John $. Wise by nearly
5000 majority. and Governor Hill carried
New York by nearly 1900 majority. ONO
was the only important State we lost that
year.
AGAIN THEY FAILED.
Thene1t year the congressional elections
took place. The Republicans felt confident
of capturing the House In 1856, but they
failed. The Democratic plurality in the
Fiftleth Congress was fifteen. The disap-
pointed Democratic ofiice-seekers came
to the polls like men and voted tho ticket
as usual. Now the Republicans are trying
to make tho country believe that their
disappointed ofiicc-scekers had more to
do with their defeat than anything
else. The fact of the matter is
the Mckinley tariff and the Reed-Lodge-
well-Johnny- Davenport force bill, to-
gcther with Reeds outrageous rules and
the robbery of congressional seats. laid the
Republicans ont colder than wedge. \
few of the more liberal ones have admitted
these frozen truths, notably Congress
man ButterwOrth, who says that the
tariff did il, and Congressman Bayne,
who confesses that the people look
cd upon the election bill as a mea-
sure that would carry force. Men like
McComas, who lost his scalp because
me favored the Infamous force bill, are
slow to concede that that disreputable bill
had much to DO with the result. but all
the same the country would not stand any
such attempt to tramp upon the rights OF
a free people.
THE SENATE AND PRESIDENCY II '93.
The Dcmocratsnot only have carried the
next House by an overwhelming majority,
but they will carry the next one after this,
and IN 1898 the chances are that we will
have control Of both the Senate and the
presidency. The farmers and the laboring
people are apparently drifting further and
further away from the Republicans.
The alliance movement has benefited the
Democrats. The bloody-shirt papers of
Bleeding Kansas" tried their best 20
make the Kansas farmers believe that the
alliance agitation was rebel" scheme
20 wrest control Of the Government from
the Republicans, but the Kansas farmers
did not scare worth n cent. A prominent
alliance man informed your CORE
spondent month in advance of the
election that his organization was
fast sending the bloody shirt" TO the
demnitlon bow-wows even If nothing more
should be accomplished in the campaign.
There is hardly a doubt that every man
elected 10 Congress on the Alliance ticket
will act with the Democrats, The farmers
had nothing TO expect from the Republl-
cans. and the Democratic party was made
up of their friends, as the whole ten
dency Of the Democratic policy has been
10 lessen the burdens of the farmer and
the labOrer.
THE sPTAKERsHTP.
There is a good deal of silly stuff being
written at present about the alleged CON-
binations being formed in regard TO the
that Hill and German are fixing up plan
TO give the prize to some man in tho West
who viii be friendly to their aspira--
tions and hopes was oil started
by Republicans, who imagine that
they can get the worshippers of
Cleveland stirred up and then
create discord in the Democratic ranks.
II is too soon yet TO begin any manipula-
ton for the speakership, and about all that
has been done so far has been confined TO
the mere announcement on the part of
several gentlemen that they are in the race
for this high honor. The combinations
will not be formed until some time next
year.
pOsTMAsTEns.
Postmastors appointed Virginia: c.
w. jackson. Birch, Dickinson county. rice
ID. +. Mellins, removed; G. S. Fenson,
Paynes. Fluvanna county. rice J.. Burks,
resigned; Virginia j. Mosby, Thaxton's,
Bedford county. rice Eliza j. Mostly, de-
ceased. For North Carolina, i. Lewery,
Pennington. Davie county, otce f. w. john
SON. removed.