The times., 1899-04-06
GENERAL WASHINGTON
NEWS AND GOSSIP.

NEWS AMI UOSSff.
Mr.. Bryan and 19O0.-The recent cleo
tons in Ohio and throughout the country
have set good many people to thinking.
The consensus of opinion is that Mr..
Bryan has lost ground; that the trend of
popular sentiment. as indicated by the
election returns, is against him, and that
ne will have to hustle very lively 10 over
come it.
The Ohio elections did not have any
particular bearing on the Presidential
situation so far as Mr. Bryan Is con-
cerned. The election OF Carter Harrison
in Chicago, however, was decidedly set
back for Bryan and Organism. Mr.. Bryan
and his friends, for some reason, saw mt
10 espouse the cause OF former Gov. John
p. Altgeld in the Chicago contest. Through
the Democratic National Committee they
officially repudiated Harrison and declared
in favor of-Altgeld Harrison was fatty
accused of being a traitor to the Demo-
cratic party and all true blue Democrats
who supported the Chicago platform OF
1896 were urged to vote for Altgeld. Mr..
Altgeld. however. was very bad third
in the race. Out of the 100000 votes cast
he only poiled about 5000. The Altgeld
following however, may cut some figure
in the politics of the country year hence.
1t is seif-eyident that Mayor Harrison Will
dominate the Democratic organization in
Illinois for the next two years. Any con-
cessons for Bryan from Illinois in the
Democratic National Convention next year
will have TO come through young Mr.. Har-
rison Having as il is suspected, Presi-
Dental aspirations on his own account,
he is not likely 10 go out OF his way to
aid Mr. Bryan. MI. Harrison and Mr.
Croker are believed to be in partnership,
so TO speak. They are understood to have
perfect understanding as to the Demo-
cratic programme for 1900. Their scheme
is to prevent the nomination of Bryan at
all hazards.
The election of Harrison and the local
elections throughout the West, particularly
in Mr.. Bryan's State of Nebraska, have
undoubtedly given the opponents OF Mr.
BRYAN in the Democratic party great en-
couragement They believe that 10 GER
tain extent they have got him on the run.
or placed him on the defensive. The fact
that the majority of the towns III Nebraska,
including Bryan's home city OF Lincoln.
went Republican is regarded as signihcant,
especially in view of the fact that the ac-
auisition of territory by the United States
was made one Of the chief issues Of the
campaign Mr.. Bryan, it is pointed out,
cannot hope 10 retain his popularity and
his hold on a large class OF the American
people If he persists in talking anti-expah-
sion and advocating other matters in OPP
position to the common sense OF the coun-
try.
There is no comfort to be extracted
from the latest election returns by follow
ers of Mr. Bryan said an intimate friend
of the Nebraska statesman yesterday.
They show concusively that we have been
on the wrong tack, and that whether we
are right or wrong in our premises that
the sentiment OF the country is overwhelm-
ingly the other way. Why should Mr..
BRYAN or any. other individual undertake
to antagouize what is apparently the mani
fest destiny of the country and a policy
| that is meeting with almost the universal
approval of the people? The man who can
| not take a hint when a house falls upon
him is too far gone to be deserving OF Sc
| rious consideration.
ParI,hurst's Declaration of Neu-
traIity.-The new Lexow Committee in
New York is attracting considerable atten-
tion. II promises to provide temporary
| sensation at least for the edification of the
yellow journals. Mr. Lexow himself is out
| Of politics He was retired to private life
year or so ago by order of Senator T. c.
| Piatt The name of his successor is Mazet.
| The latter claims that he is no Platt tool
| that he has undertaken the investigation
| of the corruption in the city of New York
with the firm determination to get at the
| bottom of il and to uncover all the rascal
| ity that he may find without regard TO
| whom may be hurt. In other words, he
| proposes TO go ahead and expose Repub-
| lican as well as Democratic rottenness in
| the government OF the Greater New York
| municipality. If Mr.. Mazet is sincere and
| goes to work On these lines he certainly
| cannot fail To accomplish great deal OF
| good. The Mazet committee will hold its
| first session upon Friday or Saturday OF
| this week. Frank Moss, the counsel of DIR.
Parkhurst's Society for the Prevention OF
| Crime. has been selected to act as counsel
| for the committee. 1t will be recalled that
| John W. Goff, who was the counsel of the
Lexow committee. was elected to high
| judicial position for a term of fourteen
years on the strength of the reputation
| that he made out of that investigation Mr.
| Moss is Handicapped however by the fact
| that DR.. Parkhurst refuses to have any
| thing to do with the present investigation
DR.. Parlhurst has issued a proclamation
Of strict neutrality; he will do nothing to
| aid Cr cbstruct the investigation.
| DR.. Parkhurst's attitude is somewhat
unique. He does not deny that corruption
exists in the city Of New York that ought
to be exposed and corrected. but he asserts
that there is no popular demand for the
present investigation and that any way the
| people who are seeking the investigation
are the very ones who are responsible for
| Tammany rule in New York. therefore
they should be compelled to grin and bear
| 1t for some time TO come. Parkhurst be-
| lieves that Senator Plat instigated the
Mazet committee. and for that reason he
declines to have anything to do with it,
| Dr. Parlihurst does not wish to be a party
to any exposure of alleged Tammany cor
ruption if Mr.. Plat is to derive any ben
eft from it. He regards Plat as worse
| enemy TO society than Croker
Trade Reintions with Canada.
Hrom the Chicago Cronicic)
| When the mass of the people Of Canada com,