The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1894-11-14
I31I91472 1913 I744I2906 NU3N6l
WASHINGTON LETTER.
[From Our Regular Correspondent

WASHINGTON, ID. e.. November 8, 1884,
President Cleveland is quietly attending to
his official duties just as though there had
never been such a thing as an election. He
hasn't said word on the subject to anyone
who had any authority to make it public, but
it is certain thau he has been doing a lot of
thinking, and those able to read between the
lines will be able to form pretty good idea
OF the trend of his thoughts when, in few
weeks, his annual message to Congress shall
be made public. While he has said nothing
publicly, his closest personal friends have
left the impression upon those with whom
they have talked that the President does not
consider himself in any way responsible for
the unexpected democratic defeat.
While few democrats of any prominence
care to be personally quoted on the subject
OF the elections, everyone with whom your
correspondent has come in contact agrees
that the greatest single source of democratic
troubles has been the lack of harmony with
in the party, which was made so painfully
apparent during the last session of Congress-
The result of the election is merely an ap-
plication of the proverb, United we stand,
divided We fall, and the lesson must be
taken to heart and profted by if the party
calculates to go into the campaign of 80 with
a reasonable chance to win. "a house di-
vided against itself must fall"
Senator Faulkner, Chairman of the Dem
oc-atic Congressional Campaign committee.
rises from the wreck to say few words,
which are both explanatory and wise. He
says: "The history of politics will show that
every landslide ls the result of dissatisfaction
and discomfort, and want of confidence of
the members of the majority party, whose
action produces the result that surprises and
astonishes the people-not by voting the op-
posing ticket, but simply by remaining away
from the polls. The results of this election
when ascertained will. am sure verify this
conclusion. We have as many voters in the
country as we had in '92. who believe in the
principles of the democratic party, but the
recent business paralysis, financial stringen-
cy, economic legislation-the benefits of
which have not been developed, party dis
Senslons, examinations and re-criminatione
resulted in such apathy as to cause the stay
at-homevote to produce the surprising result.
This is my honest judgment. If we hope for
success in '96 we should maintain with fear
lessness and determination the attitude we
assumed in '92; let personal and party bick-
erings OF the past bury their dead, unite in
ences which have SO seriously affected our
organization"
The returns from the elections were gall
ing enough to democrats in Washington. but
there was another thing connected Herewith
that was even more CALLING to democrats
That was that some of the loudest cheers
from the crowds which surrounded the news
paper bulletins with all the eagerness of
Presidential election. when the news was
favorable to the republicans came from the |
the democratic administration.
The friends of Reed, Harrison and Nc |
kinley are very much alarmed at the prom |
lnence of Morton as a aPresidential candidate. |
They know that Tom Platt intended when he |
nominated Morton for Governor of New
Y York TO push him for the Presidential nom
lnation of his party if he succeeded in getting |
him elected governor, and they know that /
Morton's barrel will be on tap at the next re- /
publican an national convention, and they fear it |
The Washington democrats, who all belong
to the never-say-die family, think they are |
playing in hard luck indeed this week. They |
stood up under the election returns with all |
the stoicism with which they have in the past |
received long string of national defeats,
comforting themselves with the reflection.
. we IL lick 'em next time" but they have
heard something since that has caused not a
few of them to use language not at all ap-
propriate for Sunday School class. A few
lays ago a man born in Washington, and
who has been democrat all his life, was ap-
pointed postmaster, the term of the republi-
can incumbent having expired. AS he will
De the frst postmaster the local democrats
have had since the war, it was perfectly nat.
lral that some of his democratic friends
should entertain the hope of succeeding some
If the numerous republican employees of the
oostotlce after the democratic postmaster L
axes hold, and just as natural that he should
ook forward with pleasure to appointing
hem. 1t may be imagined then, how they
elt when informed that new order, filtered
through the republican adjunct known as the
'lVll service commission, limited the patron
ge OF the postmaster TO the appointment of
bout ten men.