The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-07-30
Unavailable Availability.

Unavailable Availability -
"Ayailability" was the ruling motive,
the guiding star, the single purpose of
the recent Democratic Convention. The
avowed aim of the managers was to
adopt platform which would allow
dissensions and nominate a ticket which
would excite no animosities. Cleveland
was forced upon the convention as the
most available candidate for President;
Hendricks was. added TO conciliate those
who would be dissatisfied with Cleve-
land, and thus complete the availability
programme. New York and Indiana were
to be carried by taking the candidates
from those States; the votes of the In
dependents were TO be captured by
Cleveland, and the mossbacks were TO
be held in the party ranks by Hen
bricks; every question of principle, of
craftsmanship, and party service was
subordinated TO eXpediency.
is the ticket finally adopted calculat-
cd to work out the purpose to which it
is dedicatedP
Take Cleveland's case. He was the
one candidate before the convention
whose nomination would make o
serious breach in the Democratic ranks
In New York-the State which is admit
ted TO be absolutely indispensable to
Democratic,success. Bayard, Thurman,
Mcdonald, or Randall would have re-
ceived the entire party vote'of New
York. Cleveland will not. The most
earnest protests against his nomination
came from New York, and he was only
nominated by depriving the anti-Cleve.
land Democrats OF that State from re-
presentation in the convention. He
will be openly opposed or secretly knitted
by the Tammany organization, the
Irish Catholics, and very large pro-
portion of the labor vote. Is il reason
able to regard as an element of avail
ability the party dissension in New
York which Cleveland's name repre-
sentsP
Take the case of Hendricks. He was
the one candidate whose nomination
would be resented by a large part OF
the Democratic party in Indiana. Nc
Donald was the favorite son of,that State,
and no was sold out by Hendricks. The
Indiana delegation actually refused to
give Hendricks its support for the Sec
Ond place, and only consented 10 make
the nomination unanimous after all the
other delegations had voted. We think
there was never before q case where an
entire delegation held out against the
nomination of man from their own
State. In this case IL was natural in
dignation at The troGchery which Hen.
dricks was guilty OF in abandoning Nc
Donald tlp moment his own name was
suggested. Is il reasonable TO regard
Hendricks as especially available in
Indiana under these conditions?
Take the combination OF Cleveland
and Hendricks. The old-time Demo-
Crats are disgusted because all their dis
tingui5hed leaders were pushed aside to
make room for an obscure man of
doubtful Democracy. Many OF them
contend that the names should be re.
ycrsed, and that Hendricks should have
the frs, place on the ticket, not because
they preferred Hendricks originally,
but because they feel that his claims 10
a Democratic nomination and 20 Demo.
cratic support are vastly greater than
Clevelaud's Is this feeling calculated
to make tue ticket available as it now
standsP
The Independents are stil more en-
barrassed. Cleveland was nominated
TO please them. But they are asked 10
swallow Hendricks in the same Desc
II GAGS them. No man in the Demo-
cratic party is more obnoxious than
Tom Hendricks to men who have acted
with the Republican party in The past.
He was fully identified with Indiana
Copperheadism during the war, and
since the war he has attracted TO him
self the disgust of intelligent citizens by
his shambling demagogism. The In
dependent Republicans who had about
made up their minds to vote for Cleve-
land on account of some hazy and ill
defined hostility to Blaine stand aghast
at the specter of Copperheadism and
demagogism thrust forward in the
person Of Hendricks. They would have
accepted Mcdonald, Thurman or Villas
as a candidate for Vice-President, but
the great majority Of them will not SO
far stultify their past record or stiile
their political conscience as 10 vote the
Presidential succession into the hands
Of Tom Hendricks.
Where, then, is the availability TO be
found for which the late Democratic
Convention sacrificed every other con-
siderasionP II is not in New York,
where it is most needed, for the nomi.
nation of Cleveland has excited the bit.
ter opposition of some Of the most
influential elements Of the Demo.
cratic party Of that State. II is
not in Indiana, where IL was almost
as important as in New York, for the
nomination of Hendricks for Vice-Pres
ident and the manner In which tha
nomination was brought about have Of
Tended the friends Of Mcdonald anC
disgusted all men who believe in fai
play. 1t is not among the old-tim'
Democrats of any State, for they resen
the indignity put upon the leaders o
their party to bring new man 10 th,
front concerning whose ability ant
party loyalty they have no information
1t is not among the Independent Re
publicans, for any comfort they nigh
have found in Cleveland win be de
stroyed by Hendricks; they asked 70
bread, and they have been given
Stone. Availability is generally Al
! -, sA 1..i..I -. ..-l...l