The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1896-07-17

From our regular correspondent.1

Republicans don't care continen
tai whether the populists swallow the
democrats, or the democrats the popu.
lists, at Chicago this week. They can.
not see how any ticket on any plat.
form that could be gotten up by the
Chicago convention can prevent the
triumphant election of Mckinley and
Hobart. Consequently the worrying
and fretting which the democrats and
populists are going through on ac-
count of what the Chicago convention
may do or not do merely furnishes re-
publicans amusement, as they fan
themselves and try to keep down the
humidity which accompanies the
present warm weather. This is repub-
lican year. Nearly four years of de-
ficits, bond issues and hard times gen.
orally have caused majority-an
overwhelming majority, as will be seen
in November of the people to defin-
itely decide that the party which gave
the country twenty-eight years of the
greatest continuous prosperity ever ex-
perienced by any country on earth is
the proper party to have charge of
this government, and nothing that the
conglomeration of isms and sore heads
which meets this week in Chicago can
do will change that decision. The
asses may bray, but that will change
nothing. People prefer capacity to
incapacity.
Secretary Olney has slipped away
from Washington, and all inquiries at
the State Department as to his where
abouts are met with the mysterious
reticence which officials of that de-
partment have invariably assumed
since this administration has been in
power. 1t is a good guess, however,
that he is at Gray Gables, and that he
carried with him the much-written-
about report of General Fitzhugh Lee,
on Cuban affairs. It is not probable
that Mr.. Cleveland is as much interest
ed in that report as he expected he
would be when he nominated General
Lee to be Consul General to Cuba.
Then he expected that the nominee of
The Chicago conventions would be
Grover Cleveland, and hoped that the
nature of the report would be such
that he could use it as a basis for ac-
ton that would result in arousing such
a tidal wave of patriotic enthusiasm
throughout the country as might re-
elect him. Now he knows that the
nominee of that convention will be
man who holds views directly opposite
to his, and that his administration
will be condemned by the convention,
bv implication, if not in direct words.
Knowing this he has lost interest in
the report, and will probably make no
use of it until he writes his last annual
message to Congress. 1t is reasonably
certain that he will not use it, or any
thing else, to help make votes for the
Chicago ticket, even if he does not
publicly bolt that ticket. It is gener-
ally believed in Washington that Mr..
Cleveland and a majority, if not all OF
his cabinet, will refuse to support the
ticket nominated at Chicago. Mr..
Cleveland is said to personally favor
the nomination of democratic gold
ticket, but that is something which
will be determined later. At least one
prominent democrat who is now at
Chicago has suggested that Mr.. Cleve-
land lead the forlorn hope by accept
ing the nomination of the gold demo-
Gratis.
While Governor Mckinley is q
strong and convincing public speaker,
there is general disposition among
republicans to rejoice because OF the
announcement that it has practically
been decided that neither Gov. Nc
Kinley nor Mr.. Hobart would make
any stumping tours during the CAM
paign. There wouldn't be the slight
est improperly in either of these
gentlemen or both making speeches
during the campaign, but somehow
most people cannot get rid of the idea
that it is lowering of the dignity
which should naturally belong to the
candidates for the high Offices OF Presi-
dent and Vice President for gentlemen
who are nominated for those positions,
to take the stump for themselves.
The republican party has plenty OF
orators to do the talking, and in
November it will have plenty of voters
to elect Mckinley and Hobart, and
there is no occasion for their going on
the stump.
There is at least one Louisiana DEM
ocrat in Washington who doubts the
ability of the democrats to carry that
state this year. He is Mr.. ii. Dugas,
and he says: Louisiana is by no
means certain to go democratic this
wear. although the nomination of the