Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-09-22
: Now York World.

Two big political engines which are
driving the national Democratic and the
national Republican campaigns have
got limbered up and have settled down
TO steady work, but they have not yet
struck anything like their full running
speed. 1t will be a matter Of several
weeks yet before they begin to get in
their fast PAGES. From that time il will
be for both of them, a steady accclera-
ton of impetus until the early days Of
November, when they will crash head
on into each other and one Of them will
have the fun of wading out of the ruins
of the other.
There will be days Of sweaty toil for
both engineers apd stokers prior to that
moment of general smash. just at
present the days are, comparatively
speaking, days of elegant leisure. If
you take look into the Republican
national headquarters, at No. BIS Fifth
avenue, or into the Democratic national
headquarters, at No. 1870 in the same
street, the impression conveyed is one
of peaceful composure. The clash Of
the typewriter is heard in each, to be
sure, and there are vistas through iron
cage doors Of open desks and men in
shirt sleeves. From away up aloft there
comes down to you the faint click of
telegraph instruments. But the general
atmosphere is one of dreamful rest.
The reception rooms are, for the most
part, used as club rooms by the profess
sional political sitters, who are a shade
too naughty to take to park benches and
who seem to have the impression that
veading newspapers with an air Of poll
teal keenness is laboring for the cause.
When they are not at their daily toll in
this way there is q general suggestion
about them of hours of recuperation
passed in the intellectual atmosphere of
beer. The headquarters opens at s
o'clock in the morning. The sitters
turn up for the days labor between 8
and 10. With brief adjournments for
mid. day beer and on the Joyous occa-
sions when they have opportunities to
accept liquid hospitality from some en-
thusiastic casual visitor, they remain
conscientiously on duty until closing
time in the early hours of the evening
They are modest, silent and unobstru-
sive, these poor old back numbers of
politicians, run to seed They furtiyely
size up all other callers, and seem to
abor under a constant apprehension
nat the fact that they are occupying
pace and chairs will become a subject
If official attention. The heaviest DAYS
yhen the reception rooms will be
crowded, when there will be hurried
coming and going of busy feet, and
when there will be in air q frequent
aroma as of imbibed alcohol, bringing
with it the rainbow promise of being in
vited to "Come out and Join us"-thcse
golden days are still, for the sitters,
among the bright dreams of the future.
When those times come they will! no
longer have to basely grovcl in the
supercilious presence Of the office boy,
nor bestow sycophantic beams upon his
artless diversions and smile approyingly
upon him when he unbendS TO a face.
tious mood.
They are only maintaining precau.
tious hold upon chair room now, In
those bright, busy days to come they
will rise up to the lofty plane of being
overlooked in the multitude, and even,
oerchance, in the increased demand for
nenial services, of being called upon To
DO something and of having a few
:rumbs from the Doodle table tossed In
hem. The great political lottery turns
up many dazzling prizes and lives
devoted 70 il gather in many such as
have failed to men like these. The
pcssessors of them are so numerous as
TO have formed almost distinct tyne Of
American citizen. They NAV be seen
by hundreds about the cheap hotels and
In the corridors Of the Capitol Mt Wash.
ington during Congress time. They
swarm about all great centres of politi.
cal activity in seasons when great cleo.
tons are pending.
You must not trust 10 your frs
impression on entering either of Tho
great party headquarters in Fiftt
avenue that nothing, or next to nothing
is being done. The total stranger 10 M,
ways and methods and men of rreat
American political power-station woulC
indeed fall into many other errors thar
this. For instance, if he came auit
from abroad, from the planet Mars sav
ne would probably select the office b6,
rs the party's candidate for President 81
the United States, and note down Nh,
memorandum that even candidates 70,
that lofty place We're laughter tia,
monarchs in actual possession of thei
thrones. Starting with that as basis
his mind would soar in vain 10 CRASH il
imagination what an awful person
President after being duly elected mus
be. The easy, affable bearing of silperi
ority OF the office boy in even humble
walks OF life is constant source %
admiration to the observer hit elm
pared to the political headquarters ba,
the article ofour everyday acguaingauc,
Is as worm Of the earth
Then, again, the gentleman froE
Nars would probably note viii. sur
prise the obvious fact tAat the dccora
ton OF the reception rooms had fa
some curious reason been placed in th
hands of corps Of peculiarly fantastic
maniacs. On no other basis, for in
stance, provided he were ignorant O
their tremendous weight in securing
sound administration Of government
could he explain the array Of rautlf
feather-dusters, yariegated by ur1tcslq
white hats, which adOrn the ratings o
the Republican headquarters reception
room. Unless 1t were explained TO him
that the late OF the country hum o.
having plenty of feathers and hats AM
tin horns around during time
he might fall into the error Of thinkin.
that it was the curious manifestation o.
the lengths TO which congonital idiort
would carry otherwise able-b0died citi
zens. This only shows how unsafe i
is to draw conclusions from impprfuctll
studied data. For instance, if JimmJ
Oliver happened to bc absent from til
Democratic headquarters, the stranger
would get the impression that the ron
in which visitors are received was n,
tally devoid of decoration. IL is plaif
even to degree Of sombrcucss. IN,
tDnn Of the trp lie IL ,f :. I4ll J. ,i 1, 4