Fair play., 1884-09-06
Bryn Mawr No. 10 re
duced to IL l-2 cents
cases Amoskeag choic
WORTH CONSIDERING.
S.ras in American Journalist

WORTH CONSlDERkNls.
Stra. in American Journalist
The follow Ing from the pen Of one
of the mos, profound publicists ia the
United States will be read with inter-
est. 1t may look out Of place in non
partisan journal, but coming as it does
from u great political student, and
presenting new and original picture
of great political struggle, we give it
A place in omr columns:
Editor American Journalist: am
aware your paper is nat in any sense
of the phrase, partisan in politics. 1t
could not be so and maintain It's COM
manding position as a reflector and
sugges.cr of the eiOnrnali,ti. thought
of the country. Nevertheless, VEN
,ure to think that in its latter capacity
It can afford to give publication TO the
views of an independent political
thinker, and l shall feel favored if
you will print what l am shout to
say.
Both the great political parties have
put their candidates in the field, each
pair to make the bcs, use of their OPP
portunitics in the way OF persuading
the people to give them their votes.
1t is not necessary, for the purposes of
this article, TO treat Of the nominees
Of other parties, though it is quite
possible that, in certain contingencies.
the bugbear Of the blue blood of Mas
sachusetts may cause suffi icient trouble
in November to make all the calcula-
tions Of the regular political prophets
look exceedingly askew. This, how
ever, is, by tho by the main question
which concerns It's now is the success
or failure Of the Republican or Demo-
cratic nominees. And just here Gomez
in the question, what is the precise
issue thar the people are supposed and
expected to fight abOut at the polls in
November? Is the question to be
whether Mr.. Cleveland or Mr. Blaine
is the more conscientious or more able
man? Is il to be whether Mr.. Blaine
or Mr. Cleveland. rs candidates, repre-
sent the predominant belief of the
people OH any given subject Of pa'ional
polity?
The first Of these questions will bc
answered differently, just according t"
the party proclivitics Of the person t"
whom it may he addressed. One will
abuse Mr.. Blaine on account of his
suspicious Transactions in railroad
bontls, another will vituperate Mr.
Cleveland because of his. perhaps
natural, indulgence in bachelor vices
But neither party to the controversy
will succeed in convincing the other.
if this is all or even the leading feature
in the argument. The contest. SO far
A. it is merely personal, may well liz
illustrated by relstins remark made.
in reply 70 question. nv noted rail-
road man aud Republican Immediately
before The Republican convention.
Said he: Il don't know yet abon,
Blaine; If he amt nominated ~! he
lisve he stole them bond-: if they
nominate him I'll swear hc didn't"
That, SO far rs il goes. expresses the
whole meaning Of the political calnpa- .
ign, in SO much "a, the personal quali-
ties Of :he candidates are concerned.
But the American public Of .o-da, ;
cares very lii,i.. il at all, for the per-
sonal qualities of its candidates. Al
least the would be IA fair deduction !
from recent political events. Then. :
villa, rc'nain.: The platform, or ex-
precision vi poli,icsl principles would !
bc the natural rerlv. But study both .
The. are alike in al c.
sentis!.. The tariff question, the only
really live political issue about which
men can differ to-da,, might
as we'll have been expounle,l by Henry
Wstte-son for the Republicans, antl
Zach. Chandler for the Democrats as
not. They remind one Of Mr. Lincoln.
unblusi.iEg joke when he apuloyiz-,l
to the voaDg lady for drinking, by
mistake. on, Of her. instead Of his glass
they arc a. like rs two ma-. No man
can distinguish any salient poip: OF