The silver star., 1897-11-11
WASHINGTON
LETTER.

FGfV.
From our Yashington Correspondent,
wAsHTNGTos, Nov; s, 1897.
Today's cabinet meeting was a
somewhat gloomy gathering and
Mr.. Mckinley was cheif mourner.
Secretary Sherman looked as
mournful as the rest of them, but if
he felt so it was probably because he
feared that the official count in Ohio
would not. meet democratic expec-
tations by making Boss Harna's re-
turn to the Senate impossible, and
not because of the genral rebuke
administered to the administration
by the increase in the democratic
vote and the decrease in the repub.
lican vote in every State in which
an election was held. When speak
ing for publication, the republicans
try to make light of the results and
to claim that such is always the
case at the first off year elections held
under new administration, but
they do not talk tina. sort of rot
among themselves, They know
the extraordinary efforts made by
their National Committee to hold to-
gether the vote given to Mckinley
last year and the enormous amount
Of money apent in these efforts, and
they see. the results for just what
they area popular rebpke to Mr..
Mckinley and his administration.
They see. too, that it is a. fore-run-
ner of the election Of democratic
majority of the House of Repre-
sentatives, next year, WHICH will in
turn pave the way for the election
Of a democratic president in 1900.
With the exception of New York,
where disgust with the alleged "re-
formers" Of the republican munich
pal administration brought about
the cyclone which restored Tam
many to power by an unexpectedly
large plurality and Maryland, where
the silver question was dodged and
the anti= Gorman democrats, headed
by the Baltimore Sun, acted with
the republicans, the democrats made
their largest gains in those states
where they pushed the free coinage
Of silver to the front as the leading
issue Of the campaign. This fact
shows very plainly that those who
pronounced the "silyer craze" dead
last year were not well informed.
It also shows that not a few Of the
republicans who voted to put the
Mckinley administration in power
resent the continuation of the Cleve.
land Carlisle financial policy by the
present administration.
Democratic in Washington are dis
posed to give Mr.. Bryan a large
share Of the credit for the splendid
Allowing made by the party in Ohio,
and the rgsnark has been made many
times, that II the entire campaign
in that state had been made along
the same aggressive line as the
speeches made in the closing days
by Mr.. Bryan. the democrats would
have elected their entire state tick.
ct a well.as have assured the de-
feat Of Boss Hanna. Of course
those who make these remarks know
that Il II much easier to say after a
campaign il over what would have
been the winning policy than it is
to make the choice in the midst Of
. campaign. but the knowledge may
be useful ell the same, as it may be
used to prevent similar mistakes in
the future.
The only depressing feature about
the elections. from democratic
point Of view. was the election Of a
sepubiican majority ofthe Maryland
legislature, which means that Sem
ator OoemAn's successor will be q
Republican.
Delegations Of get tlemen repre-
senting communities which would
like to have that proposed govern
suent armor plate factory continue