The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-11-08
RANDOM SHOTS.

In his veracious chronicle relating the his
tory OF our sour Mutual Friend" Dickens
tells us how Silas Wegg was wont upon occa-
sion to drop into poetry. So yielding to the
spirit of the hour. propose to drop into
politics. l do not, however, intend to discuss
the principles or prejudices which divide men
into political parties. Not that have not
strong convictions upon those matters, for l
have, as any one who knows me will attest.
What propose doing is something different.
1t is to set down certain post-election refec-
tions, keeping them as free from PARTISAN bias
as possible. And that that is not so easy
am perfectly willingly to leave t o my friend,
the editor, who is free to hide his personal
identity under the impersonal ''we." Even he,
just man that he Is, finds the task OF holding
the scales level at times difficult.
Now, though partisan, 1 am not so pure
blind as not to believe that God will continue
to reign and the Government at Washington
to live, even though the other party should
come into power. 1 am free to admit that
the Government is In vastly better hands
when my party is In power than when the
other fellows fill the offices. II l didn't
would belong to the other party. On the
other hand am not so purblind as not to be
able to see why Others differ with me and be-
long to the other party. know some gentle
men, bright men, and good fellows, but hot
partisaus, who assert that they are unable to
see how anybody can belong to the other
party. These gentlemen have my deepest
sympathies At the same time am very glad
they cannot have their own way, otherwise
there would be no other party; for their in
ability to understand why another differs with
you as to the meaning of the same condition
of affairs set of facts is at the bottom of all
the intolerance, all the bigotry, oil the fanati-
cism, and all the persecution for opinions
sake the world has ever seen or is ever likely
to see 1t comes from deficiency of imagin-
alton, an inability to put yourself in his place.
So far as the elections of last Tuesday and
their direct effects are concerned the plain
people have nothing to fear, and now that the
smoke and din of battle have vanished no one
is reader to acknowledge 1t than the very
men who were the hardest workers and the
loudest shouters on the side which lost, that
the country would have been equally safe had
the other side won is as readily admitted by
the winners Both political parties are striv-
ing toward the same goal, but by different
routes. l think my road the best, but do
not believe the country will go to the demni-
tion bow-wows simply because majority pre-
fers another road. III am not indulging in rose
colored optimism in thus believing. But tho
contrary view Is the darkest -hued pesslmism
So far as next year is concerned last Tues
days contest was q drawn battle. II the
Democrats carried New York. the Republicans
redeemed" Ohio. If the Democrats re e-elected
Governor Russell, the Republicans got the
rest of the State officers and the Legislature.
Ii Governor Boies was reelected in Iowa, 1t
was due, bis opponents say, to local causes.
1t Maryland went Democratic by an increased
vote, the Republican vote of PENNSYLVANIA
ehnwp1 fallipn off Tn ba
has practically disappeared, the people ap-
parenty coming to the conclusion that sock
less feet do not necessarily indicate states
manship. Now that the shouting is over and
the writing of congratulatory kilograms is at
an end, 1t is easy to see that the battle of next
year Will be fought upon the same ground and
over substantially the same issues which have
dominated each campaign since 1876.
y
The news which has pleased me the most
this week is the horsewhipping administered
TO Tim Healy by kinsman IF the late Charles
Stewart Parnell. Healy is simply cowardly
and foul-mouthed blackguard who is only to
be answered by blow. He now stands dis
graced before the world. In using the names
of Mrs. Parnell, the widow of the dead
leader, and OF Miss Parnell, his sister, in the
way he did in his harangues he deserved the
disgraceful punishment meted out to him. and
should receive it every time he repeats his
offense.
The influence of ''great" paper is seen in
the case of George P. Webster, Democratic
candidate for Assemblyman In New York
City (Harlem) district. The New York lSu,a
opposed him unqualifedly. Webster was
elected by the regular vote of his party.
So there is state of Siege declared in the
Federal Capitol of Brazil, The erstwhtle i'm
perial city of Rio Janero. state of siege
means that the civil law has been suspended
and that martial law has taken its place.
Martial law is simply the will OF the com
mander. The commander In this case is Gen
eral Da Fonseca, President of the Republic.
This very unpleasant state Of affairs should
surprise no one who is at all acquainted with
the South American character. Our South
ern brethren are very nervous and excitable
people and the governments they set up are
amongst the most unstable on earth The
fact is that the only stable government they
haVetn the so-called republics south of us are
those in which the presidents are virtually
dctators Such is the Mexican Government
under Diaz He rules his country more abso-
lutely than any European monarch, save only
the Car. The consequence is that, Diaz be-
ing an able and enlightened man, Mexico un-
der his rule is more peaceful, prosperous and
| progressive than at any other period In her
history since she shook off the yoke Of Spain.
The same thing holds good In all the Central
! and South American countries Brazil unfor-
tunateiy, is not giving promise of being any
| better adapted to republican institutions than
the Spanish-American countries.
| 1t is intimated that England is sedulously
fOmenting civil strife i'm Brazil That Ia aaau