The times., 1898-11-07
GENERAL. POLITICAL GOSSIP.

| \
| 1t has beenl made manifest within the
past few days that the thick-and-thin
supporters of President Mckinley do not
| intend to accept Democratic victory at
| the ballot box tomorrow as a specific re-
pudiation Of ehe present Administration.
| While they are fully prepared to claim the
credit for Republican success, they have
| reserved~the privilege OF disclaiming all
responsibility TOR defeat. However incon-
| sistent this may appear does not matter;
1t is fact. 1t is interesting to note the
| peculiar mental process by which Mr.. Nc
Kinley's friends have been able to arrive
at this comfortable state of mind. Re-
duced to plain English. 1t runs something
like this: We know that ordinarily the
loss of Congress In the middle of Presi-
dents term should be taken as a verdict
| against the party in power, but this year
| an exception must be made to the rule,
| Tor the reason that the congressional con-
tests have not been conducted on national
lines In only one of the Eastern States
(Massachusetts) have our Democratic
friends had the courage to come out
form of 1896. In New York, Connecticut,
| New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the other
Eastern States they have lodged national
| issues and have made no reference to the
Chicago platform except indirectly. They
nave sacrificed principle to expediency,
and therefore II they are successful their
victory Will have no Significance from a
national point of view. The battle of 1900
| VIII have TO be fought out on the same
| lines that were drawn in 1896. The real
battle-ground will be right In the States
| where the Democrats have lodged DEM
| ocratic success in those States this year
can have no bearing on the Presidential
| hight of 1900. The Democrats have elected
| 10 conduct their campaign for the most
| part on local issues and they are there
lore debarred from claiming a national
victory even II they win. Mr.. Mckinley S
friends can still claim that his Admins
tration has not been repudiated and that
he Is still the logical candidate of his par
! ty for President in 1900
On the other hand, If the Republicans
succeed in electing a majority of the rep
resentatives of the next House, Senator
hanna and other close friends of the
President will say that the Administra-
| ton has been '.gloriously vindicated." and
| tnat silver has received another black
| eye Senator Hanna, like many other
eminent Republican statesmen in the past
has found 1t convenient TO have an anchor
| to windward
The campaign for the denomination OF
William Mckinley for President In 1906
| will begin on Wednesday next, no mat.
ter what the official returns may disclose
| Ihere are great many Democratic
| statesmen who view with some apprehen-
sion the prospect of the Democratic par
tvs gaining control of the next House
Of Representatives.. They think that i,
may imperil Democratic success In the
Presidential struggle two years hence
Speaking on this point a leading Demo-
| crat said yesterday: 'If we get tie
House. as now seems likely, We will b.
in very dangerous position. We will
| be poweriess TO do anything except in a
negative way, and at the same time we
| viii have to share some of the response
bility for the conduct of the Government
during the next two years. II the Re-
publicans have possession OF both
branches of Congress. they must tax.
the sole responsibility for their mistake.
| and rnismanagement. Our chances oil
| electing a Democratic President in l99
1 Will be much better, II seems to me il
| we do not get control of the Fifty-sixth b
| Congress.
But ii is no use borrowing trouble, "
he added. The chances are that W. shall
be successful in a majority of the con-
| sressional contests. and we must prepare
TO make the best of it, The first duty
| OF the hour will be, it seems to me. to rel
eeate to the rear some OF the youthful
| statesmen in our party who have bSer
| posing as would-be leaders. We vii
most of all, need to have a strong man
| in the speakers chair. man Of Iipe ex-
| perience, firmness, discretion and sound
| Judgment. Such a man. l am sure, can
| be found and with such a man in the
| speakers chair thsNelement of danger /
our prospects in 1850 in having ID, mo-
cratic House of Representatives would b
| practically eliminated
Roorbacks always make their appearance
on the eve of every political campaign
AS a rule they are harmless and hav'
been discounted in advance. One that wa'
put out in New York yesterday however. L
the effect that Richard Croker had decid
ed to retire Senator Edward Murphy il
the event of the Democrats getting pos
| session of the New York Legislature an,
don the senatorial toga himself is calcu
lated to make mischief. There is a well
defined impression abroad that Mr.. Crok
er has injected altogether too much o
his own personality in the New Yorl
canvass; that 1t would have been bette
for the Democratic party If ne had KEEP
more in the background Friends o
former Senator David 3. Hill hav
strong convictions on this point, and tn
report that Mr.. Croker has senatoria
aspirations will not be pleasing to tn
friends of Senator Murphy. The mer
circulation of the rumor serves to empha
size the feeling that New York is having
too much Croker" The day that "Sena
tor Croker becomes a reality probabl,
all of the mugwumps will commit suicide
It is conceded that Mr.. Croker is max
ing the fight of his life in New York thi
year. Tomorrows election will meal
everything to him. He has PRACTICAL,
had sole charge of the Democratic cam
paign from the start. He nominated Judg
Van Wyck single handed and over tn
protest of Mr.. Hill. The battle has beel
| fought on lines laid down by himsel