The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1904-08-26
WASHINGTON LETTER.

Senator Bailey of Texas, is in the city
receiving medical attention for some
slight physical ailment. He says: Davis
speech of acceptance was model of its
kind-brief, cogent, and powerful. 1t
was sledge hammer blow" OF the no.
ti6cation speech.of John Sharp Williams,
the Senator said little, bnt some promi-
nent democrats here, who have held high
Office, are afraid he rather over did the
business. Sarcasm is very like bone
rang-a difficult weapon to handle.
think it was Trench who said, in his
"Study of Words" that ''of all the tools
of the retoriciau irony is the most difficult
and dangerous. The gentle Charles
Lamb followed suit by saying. probably
after having missed FIRE, "Clap an ex-
tinguisher upon your irony, if, unhappily,
you are blessed with a vein of it." So
John Sharp's morning prayer might well
have been. Deliver me from my
brilliancy!"
The speech is regarded as an able one.
but 1t is feared that it shot over the heads
of the American people. When he in
stances FIVE bluuders which our ancestors
have made-not letting the Red man vote,
on account of race and color; fighting
George the Third when he was only try
ing to "benevolently assimilate" us;
throwing tea overheard in Boston barber
by lynch law; practising free trade for
generations in spite of its impoverishing
effect; and refusing to erect tariff walls
between the different states, it is greatly
feared that many will misunderstood him.
He says that the opinion that wages
depend upon supply and demand can
only be held by an idiot, when he means
the very opposite; and he adjures Messrs.
Parker and Davis to usurp the functions
of all the other branches of the govern
ment, when that is the very thing he is
denouncing the republicans for. He de-
clares that President ought to show
studied contempt for farmers and me-
chanics and all of '.the lower classes" OF
course this is only a very free play of
sarcasm, but will the average American
voter comprehend its too delicate sig
niicance? If SO Mr.. Williams speech
will prove an effective one. Whatever
else may be said of the speech. however,
it struck an entirely new vein and must
be classed as ingenious and entertaining
Nv
The negro issue in politics refuses to
retire into oblivion. It came before the
President again Friday, and may re-
quire drastic treatment concerning the
fight in Louisiana between the "lilyI
whites and the black and tans." Loeb
calls attention to the fact that the Pres
ident'has refused to recognize the "lily
whites" and that the regulars" are in
control in majority of the Southern
states. But the regulars stand upon
their pure and stainless dignity, refusing
all advances, and The result promises to
be double set of republican candidates
for both Congress and Presidential
Electors.
The negro is also to be an issue in the
sister Virginias. Democrats in West Vir-
ginia, Notwithstanding the diplomatic
concession to Mr.. Davis, will make a
vigorous campaign on the issue of re-
stricting if not prohibiting the negro vote.
1t will be an issue from now on. Virginia
democrats, in vigorous effort to retain
the entire congressional delegation, have
appointed a score of political school
teachers to travel through the southern
part Of the State, from now until election
day, to teach illiterate whites how to read
and deposit the new ballot.
Mr.. John ]. Cornwell, democratic can.
didate for Governor of West Virginia, was
in Washington this week. He is a gen.
tiernan of distinguished appearance, tall,
black eyes. and thirty years of age-very
young looking to be the recipient of such
houors at the hands of his party.
~
The terrible disaster in the Potomac at
last weeks regretta, seems likely to be
Iunatoned for, or punished in any way.
The coroner's jury, in spite of the fact
that the insignificant little boat had twice
as many passengers as she ought to have
carried, and was run by an engineer who
did not know his business, has brought
in verdict of accidental and unavoid-
able" A member of the party of four
teen. who could swim, and was one of
the four who escaped. let off his friend
and entertainer with, "It was no.
body's fault. No one is to blame. 1t
was just Gods will that those should die
who went down; nobody is to blame"
The verdict does not please the relatives
of the ten victims whose funerals here
have just been attended.
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The FIRST anniversary of the removal to