Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1897-11-12
UNDER A CLOUD.
UNEASY LIES THE HEAD WHICH
WEARS A CROWN.

WASIIINGTON, Nov. 9TH, 1897.
To-day's Cabinet meeting was a
somewhat gloomy gathering and Mr..
Mckinley was chief mourner. Secre-
tary 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 expectations by max
ing Boss Hanna's return to the Senate
impossible, and not because of the
general rebuke administered to the
administration by the increase in the
Democratic vote and the decrease in
the Republican vote in every State in
which an election was held. When
speaking for publication, the Republic
cans try to make light Of the results
and to claim that such is always the
case at the first otf-year elections held
under new administration, but they
do not talk that sort of rot among
themselves. They know the extra
ordinary efforts made by their National
Committee to hold together the vote
given to Mckinley last year and the
enormous amount OF money spent in |
those efforts, and they see the results |
for just what they area popular re-
buke to Mr.. Mckinley and his adj
ministration. They see, too, that it is |
a forerunner of the election of Dem
ocratic majority of the House of
Representatives, next year, which will |
in turn pave the way for the election
Of Democratic President in 1900.
With the exception of New York,
where disgust with the alleged ere
formers" of the Republican municipal
administration brought about by the
cyclone which restored Tammany to
power by an unexpectedly large
plurality, and Maryland, where the
silver question was lodged and the
anti-Gorman Democrats, headed by
the Baltimore Sun, acted with the Re-
publicans, 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 silver craze" dead last year were
not well-informed. 1t also shows that
not a few OF the Republicans who
voted to put the Mckinley administra-
ton in power resent the continuation
of the Cleveland Carlisle financial
policy by the present administration.
Democrats in Washington are dis
posed to give Mr.. Bryan share of the
credit for the splendid showing made
by the party in Ohio, and the remark
has been made many times, that if
the entire campaign in that State had
been made along the same aggressive
line as the speeches made.in the clos
ing days by Mr.. Bryan, the Democrats
would have elected their entire State
ticket as we'll as have assured the de-
feat OF Boss Hanna. OF course those
who make these remarks know that it
is much easier to say after campaign
is over what would have been the
winning policy than it is to make the
choice in the midst OF a campaign, but
the knowledge may be useful all 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 Republi- |
can majority of the Maryland legisla- |
ture, which means that Senator Cor |
mans successor will be Republican. |
Delegations of gentlemen represent
ing communities which would like to
have that proposed government armor-
plate factory continue to present
themselves and their able arguments
before the Board of Naval Officers hav-
ing charge of the investigation to as
certain the best location for such a |
plant, which indicates either lack of
knowledge of the attitude of the adj |
ministration towards the project or a
belief that Congress will act in the |
matter regardless Of the opposition of
the administration.
Hon. Hannis Taylor, who was U. S. |
Minister to Spain under the last adj |
ministration and until the arrival of
Gen. Woodford, the present minister, at |
Madrid, several months ago, and who is
at present staying in Washington, fails
to preceive how occupying position
as diploma should operate to deprive
him of the right to have and express
an opinion OF his own after his return
to private life, and is therefore not
inclined to bother his head about the
absurd talk that some of the friends
of Spain and of the administration
have INDUCED in since the publication
of very strong and truthful magazine
article written by Mr.. Taylor and deal
ing with Spain and its relations with
Cuba. These critics charge that Mr..
Taylo1's article was published for it's
effect upon Congress, but. unless those
who are in positions to know the
sentiment OF Congress are much mis-
taken, nothing of the sort will be
needed to bring about prompt action
by the House on that joint resolution.
already adopted by the Senate, direct
ing the recognition OF the belligerency
OF tie Cubans. Dem.