The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1897-10-14
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WAsn1NaroN. Do. Oct. d3, Is

WASHINGTON, DC, Oct. As, 1897.
The people of Washington are I'M
fortunate in q sense of being outside
of the world of strife and removed
from the political arena. Even in ma
tional elections they have no direct
voice or interest in who may or may |
not be elected to Office, and yet on |
the other hand they have the advan-
tage of living in city in which there |
is no counterpart in the land, and one,
while not a political center itself, sees |
the reflections political from all over
the country. Especially is this SO
when Congress is in session and repre-
sentatives from all quarters congre-
gate to make laws for the people and
also to engage in ardent and eloquent
championships of principles and poll
tics. Even when Congress is not IN
session there are of necessity many
distinguished and reputable men
stopping at the capital, for more or
less patronage is being at all times
distributed and wires are always be-
ing pulled by the initiated and eXper-
fenced. There is 90 national cam
paign this fall, but there are cam
paigrs which are OF national impor-
lance. The Senate Of the United
States is now very closely divided, it
being considered that it was by only
the most cOnsumate generalship that
the tariff Dill was passed as advanta-
geously as it was, in the fsct4N II
direct majority opposed to the Repub-
lican party, and now, in Maryland
and Ohio, Senators are to be elected
and it remains with the citizens of
those States to say whether the com
plectiOn of the upper house OF the
National Legislature shall be Repub-
lean and progressive or Democratic
and obstructive. So that consider
able interest is felt here in watching
the progress which the campaigns are
making in those States. Interest cen
ters especially in Ohio, the home of
the President, and in the candidacy
there of Senator Hanna, the chair
man of the Republican National
Committee of 1886, who led the party
to the greatest victory within the rec
election Of its members. The party
has gotten well together in Ohio and
is pulling along a good stroke, while
on the other hand the Democrats of
the state are divided into factions and
pulling in various directions. The
gold Democrats are working vigor-
ously against the success of the silver
ties, and the Populists have placed a
regular ticket in the field and are
fighting the Democrats at every
point. And last the silver Republi-
cans are sore on the Democrats and
refusing to cooperate with them in
the election of free-silver John Nc
Lean TO The Senate The free-silver
proposition seems to be steadily los
ing ground and none know it better
than does Mclean. This would seem
to account for his silence as well as
that of other Ohioans on the silver
subject, nor is this gradual dropping
of silver the ease in.Ohio alone. 1t is
perfectly apparent that the silver is
sue is a child of hard times and that it
cannot thrive under the prosperity
which seems to be returning to the
country and which it is useless longer
to deny. it is the general expressed
opinion among all classes of politicians
visiting the capital from various sec
tions of the country that the free-sil
yer sentiment is gradually contract
ing and losing ground.
High prices and plenty of work
are knocking it out" said a proIni-
nent statesman the other day. |
come myself from a rural district
and l own a farm myself, and |
can say that | know of lots of old
time Democrats who voted for free
silver and Bryan who will never do so
again, no matter how regular the
ticket is They never believed in it
as q principle and they see the mis-
take it would have been if Bryan had
been elected. They see that all the
representation that he made as to
low prices and ruin. etc, in case of
McKiniey's election have proven false,
and that on the contrary the prom
Uses Of the Republican party have
been and are being fulfilled as rapidly
as possible and satisfactorily too, and
the result is that though they may
still be Democrats they will never be
free-silver Democrats again. And
many of them would vote with the
Republicans rather than be forced
onto free silver ticket. The silver
cause has irrevocably lost its hold Up
on the agricultural classes of the
} country, and will in future find nc
sympathy among them. Last veal