Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1892-11-24
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent

From Our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON. Nov. II, 1892.
The president stands up manfully
amid the storm OF defeat as he would
have done had he been crowned with
the laurel wreath ofvictory, as he and
every other Republican in Washing
ton had confidently expected that he
would be. 1t is the trials ofadversity
that brings out the best there is in
every man, and after trials greater
than which have seldom been placed
upon any man, Benjamin Harrison
stands erect and calm, conscious of
having given the American people an
| administration that will occupy a
place in the history OF his country
second to that OF no man who has
| served the nation in times of peace.
He has uttered no word of complaint,
although he knows full well that the
means by which his defeat was accom-
plished were such as to constitute q
real menace to the republic which he
loves so well; he has not criticised
the men who managed his campaign
for he firmly believes that they did
their utmost for him and his party.
Mistakes were made, and he knows it,
but he also knows that it would do no
good to point them out at this time.
In short, he has done what it behooves
every patriotic citizen to odo-accepted
the verdict of the majority. 1t would
be nonsense to say that he is not dis
appointed with the result. He is disa-
pointed and most deeply, but he is
too great a man to voice the disa-
pointment. No Republican can make
a mistake who follows the example
of the president in philosophically ac-
cepting theresult ofthe election. "Let
us not please our opponents by abus-
ing members of our own party for
what was done or left undone," are
the words of a prominent Republican,
near to the presidedt; and they are
worthy OF being remembered and lived
up to by every Republican.
There is still an element of doubt as
to the control of the senate after the
fourth of next March, and the indica-
tions now are that it will be Republi-
can on very small margin. A ma
jority of Republicans with whom
your correspondent has talked on the
subject express the wish that they
may get control of that too, in order
that they may be in position to as
| sumo the full responsibility for the
conduct OF the government, and to
give the country some specimens of
simon-pure Democratic legislation.
The idea of these gentlemen reducedto
homely phraseology is that "the tail
should go with the hide"
The Democratic majority in then next
house will not be quite as large as it
is now, but as it will be in the neigh
borhood OF 100 it may be said to be
quite large enough for all practical
purposes, in fact very much too large
for the dispensers of federal patronage
under the new administration, as
every Democratic congressman will
come here bowling for some of the
pap"
Members of the cabinet refuse to be
interviewed on the result of the cleo
ton. and Mr.. Blaine had the telephone
taken out of his residence to avoid the
annoyance OF being ngconstantly SCALED
up" and asked for his opinion. To a
persistent newspaper man who insisted
upon Attorncy-General Miller giving
him an answer to his questionable
what do you attribute the unexpected
landslide?" Mr.. Miller replied, "When
a man has the smallpox he doesn't
care much how he got it,"
Mr.. Cleveland having absolutely sur
rendered to Tammany Hall, in order
| to get the support of that corrupt or
ganization in New York City, it is pre-
sumed that Tammany methods will
be striking feature OF the next ad-
ministration. No newspaper reader
in this country needs to be told what
Tammany methods are. They are
everything that is vicious in politics;
they have made the municipal govern
ment of New York City stencil in the
nostrils OF honest men everywhere,
and if they get a foothold in the Ma
tional government the result will
eventually be the same. 1t may or
may not be true, but the Democrats
around Washington are already say
ing that the civil service law is to be
a dead letter under Cleveland. They
say that Mr.. Cleveland attributed his
defeat in 1888 to his observance of
that law, and that he proposes to lay
the foundation for what he hopes will
be long lease of power for the Demo
cratic party by clearing the Office of
Republicans and putting Democrats
of the Tammany stripe men whose
motto is that anything is justifable
to win-in their places. Understand
that this talk comes from Democrats,
not Republicans.
To deserve to win is all that men
can do, and that Benjamin Harrison
did, notwithstanding his defeat.