Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1898-12-15
.houla talI upon tAe RspubIIcan ohiet.

A whale swallowed Jonah senior,
''and Jonah was in the belly Of the fish
three days and three nights"
Now, ihould there be a convenient
whale swimming round the distressed
Republican ship and should he swallow
Jonah junior. let Us fondiy and fsrventiy
hope that this modern whale will sud
denly contract an iucurable case Of lock
jaw and that he will retain Jonah junior
in his belly
Forever and forever,
As long as the river flows.
As long as the heart has passion,
As long as life has woes
Downward Growth.
After great battle which he won al
the cost Of the lives Of a large proper
tion of his veteran army Pyrrhus, king
of Epirus, was wandering over the
bloody field, and sorrowfully remarked,
"Another such victory and we are
undonap' Il seems to me that Repub-
loan thought must run in the same
line the more the recent victory at the
polls Is examined.
In the present congress the Republic
ans have 81 majority over all. In the
one just elected they pull through with
a paltry 1S, which proves conolusively
that they are growing like a COWS tail
---downward. Il does not require a
mathematician 90 renowned as a light.
ming calculator to cipher them into the
hole at the next election. Any tyro can
do that The problem, stated according
TO the formula Of mental arithmetic,
would be as follows: with 81 MAORI
ty to start ON, II the Republicans in
two years lose 8e, how long will II take
them to become the minorityf' At this
rate Of loss, II an election were held as
early as next July, the Republicans
would be in a minority by 1. At the
same rate Of loss by November, 1900,
we will have a majority Of "a or 2b.
But the Republican rate Of loss will be
greater in the next two years than In
the past two. Everybody knows that 10
was the war excitement and the CRY Of
"Stand by the administrationP' that en-
abled them to save themselves by the skin
Of their teeth this time, notwithstanding
that IL Is historic truth susceptible OF
demonstration from the record that we
took the administration and the Repub-
licans by the scruff Of the neck and
dragged them into the war. However
unjustly, the McHannaites were the
benefioiaries politically. The war gave
the president several thousand fat places
to use as poultioes for the Republican
heads made sore in the distribution Of
the ordinary presidential pap.
That the war helped the Republicans
is fully illustrated in the mixed results
in New York. While the Democrats
elected the greatest per cent Of congress-
men which they have had since the civil
war, Colonel Theodore Roosevelt, hero
Of Santiago. pulls in by close shave.
IL ia absolutely safe to say that except
for Roosevelt's martial fame Van Wyck
would have had 80. coo majority.
Fought out on economical questions,
the Democrats would have swept the
country from sea to sea.
Democrats are now In the same CON
dition az were our patriot sires after
Bunker Hill. Technically we lost. but
we have all the moral results Of victory,
the tide has turned, the future is ours.
blind Leading the Blind.
1t is an amazing fact--nor Of much
political consequence perhaps, but fur
nishing food for philosophy--that the
ohaplains Of both house and senate in
this congress are blind men. have Of
ten wondered whether 1t is the calam-
itous case OF "the blind leading the
blind" The chaplain Of the house.
Rev. Mr.. Coudon--is a Republican,
while the chaplain Of the senate, Mr..
Milburn, is q Democrat, and, what IL
more. he is q politician who can see as
far into q milestone as II he had half
dozen good eyes He il up to snuff, on
to his job, diligent In his business,
takes time by the forelook and wins
out every time.
Though Democrat, he was elected
chaplain Of the house Of the Fifty-flrst
which was Republican In the
beginning by only one or two majority.
The Republicans afterward increased
their majority largely by the simple
and familiar process Of bouncing Dem
ocrats who were elected and seating Re-
publioans who were never elected. On
one occasion in that congress the Re-
publioans unseated a white Democrat
and seated his colored opponent. Hav-
Ing done that and having their appetites
some one yelled, "Call up the
next easel" which was promptly done.
In few minutes another white DEM
Oorat was ousted and another Repub-
lican brother in black was seated. Hav-
Ing accomplished this double feat, the
fatigued statesmen adjourned for re-
As one rural border state
congressman was inspecting
Ehe restaurant ceiling In the basement
through the bottom Of q beer glass he
to his nearest neighbor: "By
The great flying maokerel, we went
trapping for one coon and caught two
had such fun since was q boy
md shook two possums out Of one per-
limmon treep' With such solemnity
md dignity are contested election cases
lettled In the house when Republicans
rule the roost
But to resume, the Fifty-second con-
sress was largely Democratic, and DR..
was reelected chaplain.
The Fifty-third, the first In which !
served. was also largely Democratic.
'ame On to Washington in February,
1898. to consult my colleagues FROM
Missouri as to the distribution Of pfi-
iial pie. The same morning that ar
'ived-as soon as DR.. Milburn said |
Amen pa page led Or. Milburn
Itraight to where I was sitting, who |
Introduced himself and announced his
for chaplain. While new to |
congress. | was not exactly q novice in
'olitics, but nevertheless I was charmed |
y his gracious manner and unhesitat-
ngly pledged him my support. l have
10 sort of doubt that every Democratic |