Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-11-19
DEMOCRACY'S DOWNFALL
Some Causes That Led to It in the State of
Missouri.
Dissatisfac tiOn With Mr.. Cleveland's
Policies and With the Rule of
the COckrell-Vcst Dynasty.


press certain localities, are lost sight of Ivy
| the country at large. Any other year the
election Of a republican legislature and
state ticket in Missouri would have been
| considered almost miracle, and the re-
| turn Of ten Congressman out of fifteen by
| that party an accomplishment of the i'm
| possible. This has been one of the rock
| ribbed states about whose democracy doubt
| was never expressed. Virginia, Tennessee,
/ Alabama, South Carolina and other states
| farther south have become involved in
| local disputes and wavered. Not so Mis-
| souri,; it has been only a question of ma
| jorities since the election of B. Gratz
Brown in 1870 for governor, at the ac-
| couc hement of the liberal republican move
| ment.
| Causes of DcmOcracy's DethrOnement.
| In view of this fact 1t is interesting to
| trace the causes Of demOcracy's dethrone-
ment. On the whole, that party has honest
| ly administered the affairs of the state
There have been one or two scandals and a
| defalcation in the state treasurers office
but the scandals were reformed and the
| defaulters sent to the penitentiary. The
| faint Of old fogyism has been too much in
| evidence at the capitol, but this very fOgy-
| ism has perhaps been a restraint, the effect
Of which WAS eminently respectable II
| a voter complain that pubic servants were
| extravagant. Indeed, the other extreme
has been the rule, and the lawmakers have
| at times been d1sgusungiy sttngy III app
propriating money for public The
| cause Of the upheaval therefore, lies deep
| er than mere dissatisfaction with the party
| In power.
DissntisfactiOn With CIeveland's POli-
cies.
Here in the west there Is widespread dis
| satisfaction with Mr.. Clevelands policies,
| and by this assertion the correspon lent
| does not wish to convey the idea that all
| the shouting democrats here have been free
silver men, or even ardent tariff reforners.
| There Is q very large mining population In
| the state that is almost solidly opposed to
| tariff reform at all. Justly or unjustly.
there is belief that the President is an
| migrate. 1t would sound better to use the
adjective ungrateful instead of the noun
| migrate, but this is the expression most
often heard here when Mr.. Clevela1ds
| character is being discussed. The orthodox
in the party lost faith in him when he ap-
| pointed Gresham Secretary of State and
| surrounded himself with the Olneys and
! Bssells for executive advisers. 1t Is said
that but one man in Missouri had heard Of
| Olney when he was appointed, and that
| man. like the Attorney General himself, is
| a corporation lawyer, being general attor-
| ney of railroad. Nobody In or out Of Mis-
souri, knew BiSSell, the democrats declare,
| and they poke fun at Hoke Smith because
| of his grotesque name.
The failure to call an extra session Of
Congress to deal with tariff right after the
| Inauguration, and the crOw0ing of the
| tariff question to the background when the
| extra session was finally called. of course,
| had as much effect, and, perhaps no more
in angering democrats in Missouri as IL did
| in angering democrats all over the country
| The issuing of bonds was more severely
| condemned here than it was In a great
! many communities, for, as has been al
/ fNllr h.r
| sentative and violently opposed to official
debt. The Hawaiian incident did not in
| f1uence the vote one way or another. An
inland people did not take as much inter-
| est in such affairs as a seagoing population
| on the coast. 1t is doubtful If any COLI
siderable number of democratic voters in
the state know which ocean Hawaii IS in,
| or whether that country or Cuba Is far
thest from the mainland Of North America.
| The reasons cited account for the demo-
4 cratic stay-at-home vote, which, by the
way. was neither 80 large nor SO inactive
| as democratic papers say 1t was. There
| remains then, to be examined the con-
siderable acquisition to the republican
party from sources hitherto democratic.
Acquisition to the Republican Party.
This acquisition was drawn mainly. II
| not altogether, from the kid element of
the dominant party The Cockrell-Vest
| dynasty has been irritating the young men
| for years. They have felt that they were
|
| that the long lane would at last turn. 1t
didn't, so they jumped the fence and be-
| gan to browse in republican, PASTURES.
| Whether they will continue to do this de-
ponds first on the quality of the feed they
| find there, and second, on the induce ment
| given them by their late associates to
| again get in the middle Of the road. This
| View of the case is strengthened by re-
ports that come from all over the state to
| the effect that court house rings called,
| have been smashed right and left. In
| nearly every county men have been turned
| out who have held the offices for twenty
| years.
| Another element that has left the demo-
| cratic party, and in this case perhaps for
| good, is found in the southwestern part of
| the state, where the mining interests are
great. AS far back as 1876 the tariff was
| an issue more sharply defined there than
! in any other community of this common
| wealth. The county in which this industry
| Is most extensive has always been repub-
| lican and the adjoining counties are rap
| idly becoming
| The wool growers in central Missouri are
not satisfied with the Wilson bill, and as
| the industry is growing yearly the demo-
| cratic majorities may continue to shrink.
| The section has always been one Of the
| paIty's Gibraltars
nothing. Its hands tied by demo-
| cratic senate and governor, and there Is
| no United States senator to elect. The
| fact, however, that it is in session this
!
state offices. will inspire the party with
| hope and keep them In line for battle in
| 1886, when it Is believed a battle royal
| will be fought on Missouri Soil, a battle
| that will determine who is to take care of
| the offices for some years to come.
| 1t may be said to the credit of the re-
| publcans that they have not gone daft
| over their unexpected victory. nor are they
| glodting with unseemly arrogance above the
| fern of their PROSTATE foe. Nor are DEM
| ocrats ready to believe that the country
| I-, 49, 1911 l.
| cause of the general result. 1t is signifi-
| cant that four-fifths of the Congressman
| and two of the three state officers-elect
| are natives Of this commonwealth. Most
| of them are young men and their respect
] i've trusts will be safe in their several
| hands.
Real Estate Transfers.
Deeds in fee have been filed as follows.
| Mahlon Ashford, trustee, to District of CO.
/ - l.,4. ~