People's Pilot, Volume 3, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 November 1893 — Washington Letter. [ARTICLE]

Washington Letter.

From our Regular Correspondent. Washington, Nov. 10, 1893. The Washington presidentmakers have been busy since the result of last Tuesday’s political flop became known—by the way, political flops are becoming fashionable. The aforesaid president-makers, who, whatever their actual knowledge, think they know it all, are positive that the verdict in New York and lowa has removed Senator Hill and Governor Boies from the list of Democratic possibilities, and that Governor McKinley’s overwhelming majority in Ohio has given him a clear field for the Republican nomination in ’96, To back up their last assertion they recall the words spoken here just before the election by three of the most prominent members of their party: Senator Aldrich—“lf McKinley gets 30,000 or 40,000 over his competitor you can afford to watch him in ’96. He will, I believe, be the logical candidate for the presidency.” Senator Allison—“To my mind, McKinley is the logical candidate in 1896, if it transpires that tariff has been the principal issue in Ohio and he wins an unusual victory—sectires a majority of say 30,000 or 40,000.” ExSpeaker Reed—“lf Governor McKinley is re-elected by 40,000 plurality he will be the Republican standard bearer in 1896, unless he commits some great error, and that is not at all probable.” The would-be prophets do not forget to point out the significance of Gov. McKinley’s having received double the plurality mentioned by either of the gentlemen, two of whom have been themselves regarded as presidentiad possibilities, as necessary to make him the candidate of his party in ’96, all of which sounds very pretty, but all the same experience teaches that nothing in politics is certain that is three years off.

The political flop in the great states of New York, lowa and Massachusetts, to say nothing of unexpected changes in seven out of the other ten states that held elections this week has alarmed the professional politicians, even those who belong to the party which gets the benefit of the changes. They fear that the era of the political boss is drawing to a close; that the votes of the people will soon cease to be controlled by party ties, regardless of their individual opinions. In short that the time will soon arrive—it has come already in a number of states, as was proven last Tuesday ans at the last presidential election—when the

result of an election will not be known until the votes are cast and counted. The |>eople at large have nothing to lose by the discomfiture of professional politicians, no matter which party they may claim allegiance to. President Cleveland and his cabinet are about in the position occupied by Mr, Harrison and his cabinet one year ago this week—they are too busy—the president on his message to congress and the members of cabinet on their annual reports —to discuss the elections. There is a difference, however, this administration will not go out of office next March. “There’s a man,” said an old gentleman to a companion, apparently his son, at the same time pointing to a lawyer mak ing an argument before the Supreme Court, “who is scarcely known to the present generation* outside of the immediate neighborhood of his home; and yet he was a prominent member of the U. S. senate during the most thrilling scenes in its history; was one of the Republican senators who helped to change the whole course of American history by refusing to vote for the impeachment of President Johnson.” The gentleman referred to was Hon. J. R. Doolittle, exsenator from Wisconsin, who, although well advanced in years and somewhat infirm physically, is still able to cope intellectually with the ablest members of the bar of the Supreme Court.

A meeting of the big tobacco manufacturers was held here this week for the purpose of making arrangements to bring pressure to bear upon congress in favor of the restoration of the tax on leaf tobacco when sold in small quantities. A congressman who represents a tobacco growing district said of this move: “These manufacturers, nearly all of whom are rich or else rapidly growing so, are actually envious of the picayune traffic in leaf tobacco that is carried on by the small growers of the leaf. They think that if a tax was put upon the natural leaf it would cause those who now buy the natural leaf because it can be had a little cheaper to buy the manufactured article.” Secretary Carlisle’s visit to New York was much discussed among the members of congress and other politicians in Washington this week. It was boldly stated by those not friendly to the financial policy of the admin'istration that Mr. Carlisle was in New York for the purpose of consulting with the very Wall street bankers w’hose advice he has been credited with having so scornfully “turned down”-a few weeks ago. The administration men admitted that he was in New York on important financial business, but denied that it was to consult with Wall street bankers.