Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-02-21
oh, Myi

On Myt
II is only now and then In history
that any man congresses into few ex-
pressive words the thought and feeling
of the whole people. The man who
does tits apt to be one who feels in his
inmost soul the true condition of affairs
and appreciates their bearing in every
direction. AT a critical moment tho
whole thing flashes from him in short
sentence, and such sentences linger long
Ia the memory of the people.
Speaker II. H. McMulen has said II.
When he arose to vote on the forty
NTH ballot for United States Senator, 1t
is reported that he heaved sigh and
said "oh, myp There you have the
whole situation. In those words the
thought and feeling of the people Of
Delaware are expressed.
When Pinckney, representing the
young republic, said to the corrupt and
arrogant Frenchman, millions for de-
fonce but not penny for tribute" he
breathed the spirit OF his countrymen
and gave that spirit appropriate expires.
sion. They have remembered the SEN
tence.
When Jackson trlumphed in bitter
political struggle, and was elected to
the presidency by our first thoroughly
organized political party. he expressed
the prevailing sentiment of that fiercoly
partisan period by saying, "To the
victors belong the spoils." That sen.
tence has been the slogan of party
workers ever since.
When Grant reported his bloody and
bootless conflict in the Wilderness, he
shared the well-seasoned determination
of the people and the government to
force the fighting. in storms as well as
in sunshine, and expressed it in the
words II propose to fight it out on this
line if it takes all summer" That ssuti-
ment took the place in the public heart
of the victory which Grant had failed
TO win.
When Cleveland was elected to the
presidency by people weary of cor
ruption and extravaganza in the public
service, he entered the ranks of the
authors of immortal sayings by his
sentence, "Public office is public
trust"
When McMullen arose to vote for the
forty-fifth time and looked around at
the men who have vainly wranglcd over
the election of a United States Senator
for month, wasting the peoples money
and disgusting everybody by the futility
and selfishness of their quarrels, he
heaved a sigh and said "oh, myr' He then
and there expressed with precision and
Force the popular sentiment
Think Of the reforms those Republi-
can members of the Legislature were
pledged to accomplish. ooh, myv
Think of the money which was spent
to buy their election. ooh, myp
Think of the disgrace they have
brought upon Delaware, the shame
which has for the first time touched
and chung to her name. "Oh, my!"
Think of the men they are striving to
send to the United States Senate. Ad-
dicks, the boodler-the man with the
gripsack, with lots of stuff in it. Hig-
gins, the trickster-the man who met
Wootten in the middle of the night and
winked his eye. "Oh, myn'
Think of Delaware Republicans SPLIT
ting their throats with joy when they
received the election returns, and then
think of them hanging their heads with
shame when they daily hear the news
from Dover. ooh, my p
Think Of the people when they next
get an opportunity to vote their senti-
ments concerning the Republican party
of Delaware. "oh, my! Oh, mym
Mr.. McMullen understands it all.
The iron has entered his soul. He
realizes how long the ears of his political
associates have grown As their presld-
ing officer, he knows that they have de.
monstrated that they are incompetent
aud unworthy to elect Senators or make
laws for Delaware. He appreciates that
they are exposing to every eye the
inward rottenuess of the party they
represent. AS he stood and looked at
hem, disgust and grief mingled together
ind bubbled up like copious spring in
his breast. Memory of what they have
done broke forth in a sigh which prob
ably started in the bottom of his boots
and despair Of what they are doing and
may yet do found expression in the
weary and plaintive words, "Oh my"
AS he sat down, If he had fixed his
cyes on the wall above the speakers
chair, he might have observed hand
writing the words "Mene, Meme, tckel
uPharsin," and as he is well versed In
Oriental languages he doubtless would
have readily understood what the words
tacan concerning the party IN whose
counsels he stands 80 high.
Hon. George Gray made a manly and
able speech in the United States Senate
Monday. President Cleveland in is.
suing the latest bonds was protecting