Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1892-11-24
fFrom our regular Correspondent
Washington Letter.

Explanations cannot explain away de-
feat. Let Republicans take their enc from
level-headed Benjamin Harrison, who, not
withstsnding publications to the contrary,
your correspondent knows to an absolute
certainty has made no attempt at public
| explanation Of his unexpected defeat; it is
enough for him to know, and it should be
enough for the rank and file of the party,
that the majority of the votes of his fel-
wcitizens have been cast against the
principles defended by the Republican
party. and that it was done after careful
and after the wide awake Republican press
aided by the National committee had pre-
sented the questions at issue In manner
that should have made them plain as day
to every man of ordinary intelligence.
The proper policy now is to wait. Just as
certain as the sun shines time will vind-
cate the position of the Republican party
on every question that was factor in the
late campaign. Just give the victorious
Democrats plenty of rope and they will
have tied themselves hand and foot long
before 1896
The question to be considered now is
not the future of the Republican party
that will take care of tself-but what the
Democratic party will do with the govern
ment, now that 1t has so unexpectedly to
itself as well as to the Republicans. for the
first time in thirty-two years secured con
troll OF the presidency and both branches
of Congress. 1t rests with that party to
say whether the country shall be thrown
into an absolute panic or whether it shall
merely be temporarily halted in its pros
porous career. If the advice of the hot
heads in that party be taken and an extra
session Of the Democratic Congress be
called as soon as Mr.. Cleveland Is inaugu-
rated, for the purpose of supplanting the
present tariff laws with others without
protective features. 4 panic will almost
certainly follow. By waiting for the reg
ular session of Congress to take up the
tariff they will give those whose capital is
invested in what are known as the pro
tected industries" an opportunity TO pre-
pare for the change by working up the ma
terial now on hand and Withdrawing their
capital, or by reducing the wages of their
employees to standard that will enable
them to compete with foreign goods under
low tariff, and a panic will be avoided.
But In either event it will be hard times
and lower wages. Mark this prediction.
The real estate spectators of Washing
ton are rejoicing over Mr.. Cleveand's cleo
ton as they have good reasons, in the
shape of millions of dollars which he
helped them TO make, for doing. They
expect that he will buy" another subur-
ban residence in the same way he did
"Redtop," which he afterwards sold for
something like SIPS 900. after having lived
there for several years, and that it will,
as 1t did before, enable them to sell land
too poor TO grow broom straw, at fancy
are always ready to follow any fashion set
by the President of the United States.
They have not forgotten, either. that the
two men who negotiated the deal by which
Mr.. Cleveland came into possession of
"Redtop" received two of the best paying
offices In the District of Columbia as a
sort of reward for selling" him the land
A little incident occurred in one OF
Washington's big dry good stores last Sat
nrday which speaks for itself. A Mary
land farmer had come into the city to buy
winter clothing for his family, and after
going from one counter to the other in the
store pricing goods, he asked for the pro-
prietor with whom he had slight acquain
tance, and after shaking hands the follow
ing conversation took place;
Farmer: Your prices are just as high
as they were this time year ago on wool
en- goods, and a little higher on cotton
good"
Proprietor; Yes, prices on sll lines Of
goods have been practically at standstill
for year until the election of Cleveland;
since that We have been notified by the
manufacturers of small increase in the
price of cotton goods. and warned that it
would probably be followed by another
very soon
Farmer: Then it looks like | have
been buncoed by Democratic speakers and
newspapers. They told me so often that If
Cleveland was elected | could buy the
clothing used by my family at one half of
what have been paying for it, that my
self and a number of Republicans in my
neighborhood voted and worked for the
Democratic ticket this year, and now
find the election of Cleveland given as
reason why am required to pay an in
crease Of one cent yard for cotton
goods"