The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1897-10-15

WASHINGTON. ID. c., Oct. IL. 1897
The people of Washington are unforIu-
nate in sense IN being outside Of the world
of strife and removed from the political
arena. Even In national 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 advantage OF
living In city to which there is no coun-
terpart In the land, and one, while not a
political center itself, sees the reflections of
things political from all over the country.
Especially is this so when Congress is IN
session and representatives from all quar-
tiers congregate to make laws for the people
and also to engage in ardent and eloquent
championships of principles and politics.
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 being pulled
by the initiated and experienced. There is
no national campaign this fall, but there are
campaigns which are of national impor-
lance. The senate of the United States Is
now very closely divided, 1t being consid-
cred that it was by only the most consnm-
mate generalship that the tariff bill was
passed as advantageously as 1t was, in the
face of direct majority opposed to the
republican party, and now, in Maryland
and Ohio, senators are to be elected, and
1t remains with the citizens of those states
to say whether the complexion of the
upper house of the national legislature
shall be republican and progressive. or
democratic and obstructive. So that con-
siderable interest is felt here in watching
the progress which the campaigns are maxi
ing in those states. Interest centers
specially in Ohio, the home of the Presi-
dent, and in the candidacy there of
Senator Hanna, the chairman of the re-
publican national committee of 1896,
who lead the party to the greatest vic
tory within the recollection of its members.
The party has gotten we'll together in
Ohio and is pulling along good stroke,
the state are divided into factions and
pulling in various directions. The gold
democrats are working vigorously against
the success of the siverites, and the popu-
lists have placed a regular ticket in the
field and are fighting the democrats at
every point. And last the silver repub-
licans are sore on the democrats and re-
fusing to cooperate with them in the cleo
ton of free silver John Mclean to the
senate. The free silver proposition seems
to be steadily losing ground and none
know 1t 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 case in Ohio alone. 1t is per-
fectly apparent that the silver issue is a
child Of hard times and that it cannot
thrive under the prosperity which seems
10 be returning to the country and which
it is useless longer to deny. 1t is the
generally expressed opinion among all
classes Of politicians visiting the capita
from various sections of the country that
the free silver sentiment is gradually con-
tracing and losing ground.
''High prices and plenty of work are
knocking 1t out" said prominent states
man the other day.. VI come myself from
a rural district and L own farm myself
and can say that know of lots of old
t;poa danonorats who votad for from o;Iyar
and Bryan who will never do so again, no
matter how regular the ticket is. They
never believed in it as principle and they
see the mistake 1t would have been if
Bryan had been elected. They see that all
the representations that he made as to
low prices and ruin, etc., in case of Nc
Kinley's election have proven false, and
that on the contrary the promises of the
republican party have been and are being
fulfilled as rapidly as possible and satisfac-
torily too, and the result is that though they
may still always be democrats they will never
be free silver democrats again. And many
of them would vote with the republicans
rather than be forced onto the silver ticket
The silver cause has irrevocably lost its
hold upon the agricultural classes of the
country, and will in the future find no SYM
pathy among them. Last year was he.best
time the silverites could have selected for
the 'springing' of their issue. Prices were
low, and the people were dissatisfied with
the condition of the country, resulting
from low tariff, destructive of American
labor, and by deal of sophistry and lay
ing of the trouble at the hands of the
gold power they won over many people
to their cause. 1t was the most ingeniously
conceived and executed political scheme of
many years, and 1t is startling to think how
many honest men 1t fooled. But free silver
has gone where the woodbine twineth."