The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1894-03-09
A DEMOCRATIC HOODOO.
Markley Returns After an Alb
Sence of Months.

J. R. Markley, the Oregon DEM
ocfatic leader, returned to Corval-
lis last Monday after an absence of
several weeks in Washington,
whittier he went to urge the
I appointment of certain Markley-
Murphy favorites. On reaching
the capitol city 1t is said that he
was in fairly good financial circum-
stances, and put up at the Arling-
ton, one of the best houses in the
city. He visited those high in
authority each day, but failed to
impress u,on them the importance
OF his business, and, as time rolled
on and as the Oregon appointments
were one by one doled out to per-
sons other than those whom he
was the ambassador of, he changed
his place of abode every few days
to one of lesser pretentions and
one more in harmony with his fast
depicting exchequer, until the last
few days he is said to have spent
In a very unpretentious boarding
house In that part of the city
known as Georgetown, where the
principal fare is hoecake and
'lasses, hot con and fresh CLANS,
only six for a nickel. His extend
ed visit, however, did not prove
altogether unsuccessful, as one or
two land office appointments were
secured to persons whose interests
he represented, although it is not
definitely known that his influence
had any weight with the admins
tratlon in securing them. How he
became possessed Of the erroneous
idea that he could control the dem
ocratic patronage of this state, is a
mystery. His success in this
regard has proven conclusively
that he controls very small por-
ton OF it, while his endorsement
proves hoodoo rather than a ben
eft to those seeking appointments.
Mr.. Markley comes back here
with the startling information, that
not a single republican would be
elected at the coming election in
June. This remarkable inteiIi-
ice, however, will probably not
err the republican party O.
kacing ticket in the field. There
is an old saying ''that prophet is
NOT without bopor cove - *:
country which seems especially
true in this instance, and to no one
in Oregon has it been proved that
this Nebraska grasshopper sufferer
has patent right on all the polit-
ical information, past, present and
future, although he may make such
a claim. 1t is possible that the
gods who have control of elections
here on earth are in direct COM
munication with Markley and have
delegated to him the power of
prognosticating the result of elec-
tions some months in advance of
their occurrence. These deities
may prove no more capable of
foretelling the result of elections
than the weather bureau is in its
representations of storms, in
which event the story told by
Markley would be gwen little Gre
dence. The signs of the times
indicate that the republicans,
especially those on the state and
legislative ticket, will have walk
over, although by fusing with the
populists the democrats may save
something from the wreck. The
GAZETTE is of the opinion that
Brother Markley is as much at sea
in regard to the result of the June
election as he was in supposing he
could control the patronage of the
state.
The Sunday Oregonian's Wash
ington correspondent says: "Since
Markley left for home it has been
said by a number of Oregonians
left behind that shortly after his
arrival here he thrust into the
department of justice the batch of
endorsements he had in his grip,
and made the fight for the mar
shalship OF Alaska, but while he
was here another man was named
for the place. John Markley is
not likely to receive an appoint
ment for anything at the hands of
this administration. Somehow
they do not want him to have any
thing. He saw the cabinet off.
GERS, and while he was here on
one or two occasions he was able
to see the president. But he was
not able to convince any of them
that he ought to be appointed to
office. Murphy had the backing
Of Harrity. Nearly every other
man in Oregon selected for place
good for anything at all has bad to
get backing outside the state. 1t
seems that when Cleveland finds
a man recommended only by Ore
gon democrats he gets suspicious
OF them at once. He wants en-
dorsements from outsiders. Cleye-
land has had some experience with