The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1894-09-12
WASHINGTON LETTER.
[From Our Regular Correspondent

QC.l
WASHINGTON, D. G., September Z. 1894.
Senator Faulkner, of West Virginia, Chair
man of the Democratic Congressional Campaign
Committee, who is almost constantly at the
committee headquarters, smiles significantly
every time his attention is called to new yer-
sion OF the dissension which the Republican
newspaper correspondents profess to have dis
covered in the committee. He says that those
for whose benefit the committee exists have the
best of reasons for knowing that there is no dis
seAsion and that it will be beneficial rather than
otherwise to the Democratic party if those cor
respondents can convince the Republican man.
ayers that the committee is not in condition to
render effective service to the Democratic can
didates. As a matter of fact, all of these dis
sension fairy tales are based upon misappre-
hension of the duties of the committee. With
the exception of the Campaign Text Book
which is prepared by the committee, and which
is not for general distribution but for speakers
and editors, the committee does not decide what
sort of documents are to be sent into a congress
sional district. 1t merely sends what is asked
for by the candidate or those authorized to
speak fer him. So it is simply impossible that
members of the committee should dispute over
what documents shall be sent out The COM
mittee is filling all the orders sent to it, and will
continue IN do so. Senator Faulkner says the
information he is receiving from all over the
the Democrats will retain control of the House,
and he thinks that the greater the improvement
in business, now becoming apparent in all sec
tions, the larger the Democratic majority will
be, as the only thing that ever made the issue
doubtful was The business depression and the
disposition of many voters TO hold the party in
power responsible for the hard times.
Representative John T. Drum, of New Jersey,
has some very strong ideas on political economy,
and they are thoroughly practical, as is the man.
Speaking of the effect OF the Republican party
upon farmers, he said: :" If there is any class
of people under the sun who ought to vote the
Democratic ticket it is the farmers. Since 1860
farm values have decreased fully 40 per cent. in
the United States, as shown by the census fig
ures. There isn't a country place in New Jer-
sey today that is worth over $50 per acre for
farming purposes. happen to own the old
Doty homestead, on the outskirts of Elizabeth,
on which the celebrated Ben Wade was born
1t contains eighty-four acres, and in 1860 was
held at $4,000 l am now negotiating to sell
| it for $1,000. Land is the only thing in this
country that has not kept pace with the increase
of population. Protected industries have ab-
sorbed the increase of value that, in the absence
| of laws favoring a special class, would have
gone to land owners. AS legitimate conse-
quence of this beautiful protection doctrine,
Egyptian cotton and Indian grain haYe been
| brought into competition with the products of
our soil, forcing down prices of both to the
lowest point ever recorded"
In order that the matter should be dealt with
by experts, Se cretary Carlisle has designated a
/ number of U. S. Customs Inspectors and off
cials of the Customs Bureau of the Treasury
Department, TO act as commission to draw up
| the regulations necessary for the enforcement
| of the sugar schedule of the new tariff This
commission will be under the immediate direc-
| ton of Assistant Secretary Hamlin.
Senator Jones, of Nevada, isn't much of a
Populist, Notwithstanding his sesational letter
announcing his abandonment of the Republi-
can party and his intention to act with the Pop
ulists in the future but he is firm believer in
the free coinage of silver at a ratio of 10 to I,
| and very shrewd politician; hence the publi-
cation of that letter. His sole object. in the
opinion of your correspondent, was to endeavor
to force the silver question to the front in the
Congressional campaign, because he thereby
hopes to lessen the number of Democrats elect
ed to the next House, owing to the known diff
ferences of opinion in the party on the subject
i do not hesitate to predict that upon all poti-
cal questions Senator Jones will continue to vote
with the Republicans he has always done.
Mark the prediction. In other words. the move
is Republican trick.
Secretary Carlisle is wearing broad smile
these days, in spite of the hard work he is hav-
ing tc do in connection with the new tariff
Cause why? The cash receipts OF the Treasury
are steadily increasing, and it is no longer nee
essary for him to sit up o nights to study out
how to meet the obligations of the Government.