New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-06-09
crNArnP RECK,S MYSTERY

SENATOR BECK'S MYSTERY.
A dim suspicion haunts us that, after all, the
kentucky delegation have not fully disclosed
their mission. From remark dropped the
| other day in apparently the most casual and
| unpremedtated way by Senator Beck in tho
course of the interview subsequently reported
in THE TRIBUNE, we are led to suspect that
some Interior purpose, profound and vast, turks
behind their ostensible design. The suspicion
is gaining confirmation daily rs We observe the
effect of the remark upon the press OF the coun-
try. 1t is all very well for these gentlemen,
and for Mr.. Beck in particular, to protest that
they do not want to talk politics that they are
not here on that business but only to interest
our citizens in the Southern Exposition 70 be
held at Louisville in the fall. But that being
the case, why did Mr. Beck permit himself to DO
drawn into conversation on political topics and
to say In the course of the same such thing as
this: 4" Mcdonald | think, is the choice OF the
Democrats of my State, and there is only one
@Republican whom | would fear to see pitted
against him, and am so afraid Of him that do
@not want to mention his name publicly. If he
"were nominated his simple name would make
several of the Southern States doubtful" Sena-
tor Beck could not have been ignorant OF what
the effect of such a remark would he. On the
contrary, he must have prepared 1t with care
beforehand with full knowledge that it would
excite the curiosity of the entire American
people and set Of every newspaper in the land
upon q wild whirl of guesswork and conjec-
ture. We suspect that his main purpose in
coming East at this time was to drop into the
midst of political discussion this. thrilling mys
tory.
The main topics of political discussion for the
past four or five months have been three ques-
tons relating to the future of the Democratic
party, to wit, "Who will be Speaker 7" "Who
will be the Presidential candidate 7" and" What
will the party do about Free Trade ~ The dis
cussion has been growing warm, and very
plainly was not tending to harmony in the
party. What shrcwder strategy could be de-
vised for changing the topic and turning the
current Of debate than the very thing which
Mr.. Beck seemed to do by mercst accident in
the course of an interview into which he was
drawn with such apparent reluctance. OBJ
serve tho frank righteousness with which,
after naming Mcdonald as the choice of the
Kentucky Democrats rs their Presidential
candidate, nc admits in q tmid, whispering, con-
fdentia way that there is one Republican whom
he should fear to be pitted against him. He is
a Republican, he goes on TO say, the simple
mention of whose name would make several
Southern States doubtful. And he clinches 1t
by saving that he is so afraid Of him that he does
not want to mention his name publicly. Was
ever such n soul stirring, bIain-tormenting
mystery so cunningly put upon the markets
What does the public, what does the press of
the country do Immediately upon reading in
THE TRIBUNE this weird, mysterious utterance
What should they do but drop everything and
with great bullying eyes throw themselves upon
the new conundrum Who Is he ?" is the ques-
ton everybody asks at once. Who is the
Republican the mention Of whose name would
make several Southern States doubtful Who is
the only man to beat Mcdonald, and whom
Mr.. Beck is so afraid of that lie shrinks from
mentioning his name
Barely three days have elapsed since the great
mystery was dropped upon the public, and the
newspapers all over the country are full of it.
The famous Fifteen puzzle, which had such a
run and sent so many people to insane asylums,
did not take SO sudden or so strong hold upon
public curiosity. If Mr.. Beck should die with
his secret III him, the question "Who was the
Republican Beck was afraid Off would take
its place beside the Man in the Iron Mask, the
authorship OF the Junius letters, ETC., etc,
among the unsDlved and insOluble mysteries
of the ages. Conjectures innumerable have
already been offered, and each day leDgthens
the list. BY and by, when the Republican
newspapers begin to warm up with the canvass
for the Presidential nomination, we shall no
doubt find nearly every one Of them presenting
at great length incontestable reasons for be-
lieving that its own favOrite is the very man
whom Mr. Beck was SO afraid of that he did not
dare mention bis name. And when the
National Convention meets we shall probably
have the same thing over and over when the
delegates present names for the nomination. If
Mr.. Beck were more patriot and less partisan
he might perhaps be persuaded to communicate
his fearful secret to the Republican National
Committee and SO do away with the necessity
for National Convention. There is no ques-
ton, of course. that this invincible Republican
would be nominated if it could only be found
out for certain who he Is Mr.. Beck certainly
has no doubt about it, else he would not be SO
afraid
There is very little prospect, however, that
Mr.. Beck will communicate his secret to his OPP
ponents. 1t is too evident that, having accom-
plished his fnischievous purpose by letting the
fact be known that he could, if be would, name
sure Republican winner, he means to lock his