Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-01-17
FROM BAD TO WORSE.
Pat Domains Pessimistic View of the
Country's Future.
4 Hard Luck Stoy-1hs Graveyard Of Hope
Brighter Outlook.

WAsHIxGToS, D. C., Jan. 16-{Specia!. J.
Among the interesting Characters noTy IL
Washington is Colonel Pat DOMAIN. Just
where Colonel Donan halls from Or what
he does for Il living no one seems to know.
but every one does know that be Is one OF
the brightest and best informed mea n the
country. with characteristics all his own
Colonel DOMAIN. usually AN optimis', is now
in the slough of despond He says the coun-
try is going to the demnition bowwows,
whatever they are He was at the capitol
today telling members Of congress and sen
ators that, If they only knew the truth, the
country WAS starving while they were lei
surely spending their days In vain efforts to
egislate for the country's good. " ny,
SIR exclaimed Colonel DOMAIN, the people
Of this country are getting down to the
level Of the souphonse brigade. We are be-
coming nation Of paupers. III matters
keep on going from bad to worse, and
fear they will we shall soon have to send
our paupers to the old world IN order to
have them taken care OF.
4 Sorry Occupation.
It must he admitted that Colonel DOMAIN
il rather extreme in the views which he
takes. But the point with him is that he
predicted the hard times which have come
upon the country, and he is now in the po-
sition of the woman who never missed an
opportunity to say, Il told you So" One
of the hard luck stories which the colonel
has to tell. rs he only can tell them, is OF
letter which he recently received from the
general passenger agent of one of the great
transcontinental lines with headquarters
at San Francisco. II have nothing to do
from morning till night" wrote this gen
eral passenger agent, but sit i'll my office
and listen to the appeals Of people who ara
starving to death in the west. and who
want to get back east to sponge off relatives
or friends who are nearly as bad off as they
IRE. II we were to furnish transportation
for all the people who ask us for free rides
to the east, we should be sending u dozen
special trains across the country every day"
Colonel Donan adds to this n sentiment
which docs credit to his heart, even if he is
somewhat too doleful in his general views
of the prosperity and future of the country.
He SAYS these are times in which no man
has a right to save money, in which every
surplus dollar should be given to the help
of men who are less fortunate, and who are
suffering for the necessities OF life. The
west. from the Missouri river to the Pacif
ic." SAYS Colonel Donan, is graveyard OF
fortunes, of expectations, almost of hope.
fear tina. it will be 20 years before we rally
from this paralysis"
Signs OF Improvement.
This extreme view MS TO the future of the
country is not Endorsed by many of the well
informed public men to be found here. r.
respective of what congress does with the
tariff or with the merits of that nucl, dis
:,ssed question, they say we have reached
.he darkest hour of the Industrial night.
Already there are signs of improvement.
There il no real good reason fora prolonged
period of industrial stagnatiou II was Il
wave of lack of confidence which swept
over the country last summer, and from
which we have not recovered. Manuiac
turing has been suspended on account OF
the lack of confidence in II market and by
reduced earnings has led to smaller con
sumption But the period of enforced Idle
ness must soon come to an end.
The amount of reduction in the consump-
ton of various manufactured articles and
products cannot be very great compared to
the whole output, and the time will soon
be here when consumption will have over
taken production. Then the mills will have
TO start in order to catch up Moreover,
the tariff question Will be at least tom
porarily settled one way or the other, and
that will give feeling Of relief and OF
greater confidence. These are the views one
hears expressed by Il large number of the
more conservative men-men who are,
through their correspondence and acqualnt
ance, in close touch with the people of the
country.
a Clearing House of Feeling.
perhons there is no bettcr place in the
y-nitad St,tes to catch the temner of the
neonIe Of this entire country than the house
If reprasant,tives There are 35l men who
h., ,r,Jit;n, and actually renresent tho
nsonle Tbev arc in close touch with tho
nao,lo ,rboy cot eyerv d,v tbou.and. nj
- - o". aNn - ,,,'t MI,
hear from the capi,alists the men of LARGE
interests rs well as from the merchants. the