Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1884-11-28
President Cleveland.

He will gointo the White House
under unique circumstances-c cir
cumstances altogether unparalleled
in the history of Presidents. II
cannot be said Of him that he is the
product of a coalition, as General
Harrison was in 1910. Coalitions
aroOften effective and re ally health
ful methods Of correcting political
abuses. They proceed from intelli,
gent and honorable understandings
between segments of opposing pO-
litical organizations not so far re-
mote from each other as to funda-
mental political principles as to
forbid cooperation in preventing
| great political wrongs.
Harrison and Tyler were elected
in 1910 by a coalition Of elements
warning upon President Van Buren,.
These elements we're conscientious
in their cooperation as they had
been sincere and intelligent in their
opposition to each other upon past
issues. General Harrison and Mr..
Tyler were nearly antipodes in
politics. Both were Virginians,
born in Charles City county, with
in five miles of each other, both
were sons of revolutionary patriots
who became Governors Of Virginia,
and Mr.. Tyler also filled that dis.
tinguished office. General Harrison
was a moderate Federalist, and Mr..
Tyler a positive States Rights man.
The basis of their union was mutral
opposition to Jackson and Van
Buren,.
No such combination of leaders
can be urged to dignity the success
full campaign for Mr.. Cleveland.
There was. no coalition between
Curtis and John Kelly and Carl
Schurz and the Cotton State leaders
1t would be as impossible as a love-
feast of Baptists, Methodists and
Episcopallans. Imagine a cordial
understanding between stalwarts
of Oneida county, New York, po-
litically educated by Conkling,
where enough votes were changed
from Blaine to have elected him,
and the Democrats of Mississippi
Nevertheless, there was no little
resemblance between the Democra-
tic campaign methods and argu.
ments In 1884 and those of the Har-
rison men of 1910. In both instan-
|
ces the canvass was laughed
through by the successful party.
When a Harrison man was asked
by a Democrat about questions Of
public policy of that day, he was
answered with a laugh and a re-
quest to take some "hard cider"
or with witticisme about "cOon-
skins"
President Cleveland has been
elected partially by the same style
of argument and appeal. lie has
better health than Harrison had
and is a much younger man. He
will doubtless survive the hand
shaking of his miscellaneous sup
porters and supplicauts better than
poor old General Harrison who died
within a month after his inaugur
alton.
Harrison's triumph was accom-
panied with the election of a friend
ly Congress-friendly IN both
branches. Cleveland confronts a
hostile Senate, in which his politi-
cal opponents have gained by re-
cent elections, and the Democratic
majority in the House is diminished
nearly One.half. Clearly Mr.. Oleve-
lands election does not elect the
so.called Democracy, and a super
fetal survey of the situation does
not reveal him as being in a very
comfortable position. But his OPP
portunities are great. He owes
little to mere partisans. AT best
he is an accident of accidents, but
conservatism in administration
might make him a very interesting
landmark in the history of Ameri-
can politics.