New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-12
RUNNING ~ ADHANCE.

The competition between the various Dem
ocratic Presidential candidates is waxing close
and warm. Last week Mr.. Cleveland came TO
this city, was received by the Manhattan Club,
and smade speech which was universally
regarded as a masterpiece of its kind. 1t
was sOnorous, harmless, and so thoroughly COM
monplace that every member of the party rec
ognized every idea in it as an old friend and was
mighty glad to see it. Democrats. mindful Of
their unhappy experience with candidate with
a poorly regulated mouth in 1880, read the
speech with much delight, and remarked to
each other that that was the kind of candi-
date the party wanted-a candidate who
could talk fuently and yet say nothing Mr..
Clcveland's success was so great that it has
aroused his rivals to fresh activity. No sooner
did the speech reach Indiana than the friendU
of Senator Mcdonald were heard from. They
realized that crisis was at hand and that
nothing bus immediate and energetic action
could meet it successfully. They met, con-
suited drew up,a plan of battle, and issued an
informal manifesto.
This document is worthy Of them and Of the
crisis. 1t starts of with the bold announce
ment that there has been reached between Mr..
Cleveland and Senator Mcdonald an under
standing that the former shall decline to be a
candidate for President and shall consent to
accept second place on the ticket and support
Mr.. Mcdonald for the first place manifesto
which opens with declaration like that is
sure to he read. There is u bOundless improb-
ability about it which is captivating. In the
whole United States there is in all probability
hof, yho haii hot g.,
land or any other possible Presidential candi-
date would deliver himself of a speech like
that of last week simply to advertise himself
as a candidate for the Presidency. Yet
tho Indiana gentlemen have the impressive
assurance to say that this is precisely what he
did make the speech for We have never OBJ
served that the Vice-Presidency is an office
which men with Presidential possibilities about
them are eager to seek. 1t may be believed in
Indiana ithat Mr.. Cleveland, with nearly
100000 majority to back him, has generously
consented to take himself out of the way of
Mr.. Mcdonald, who has nothing to back him,
but we do not think it will be credited any
where else. Two years hence Mr.. Cleveland
may consent to accept the tail of the ticket.
may indeed be glad to get even that, but we
are not prepared to believe that he has so little
faith in his own destiny as to pledge himself
to be satisfied with it now. To be sure. there
are Democrats hereabouts who are telling him
to go slow that he is young yet and can afford to
wait but these frank-spOken advisers are not
his most intimate friends.
But the Indiana boomers aDs going straight
ahead. They not only put Mr.. Cleveland
aside but they go further still and declare
that if Mr.. Hendricks is able to be present at
the convention lie will put Mr.. McDonald's
name in nomination. That, they say. would
secure both his nomination aud election. and
they are so certain of both that they have
picked out his Cabinet for him, with Mr.. Hen
bricks in the State Department, and Mr. August
Belmont in the Treasury. For many reasons
we wonld advise them to withhold the Cabinet
names for the present. They are not names
to cOnjure with.
We do not want to appear rs disappearing
this Indiana method Of running for tbe Pres
idency year and half in advance. Indeed,
it strikes. US as an excellent idea. It is much