The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-11-10

When, however Van Buren renewed that can
vass he found himself the victim of disappoint-
ment, his vote being only GO against 23t for Har-
rison The next disappointed candidate was
Henry Clay, whose defeat seemed the more ag
gregating since il was clearly the result Of
fraud accomplished in this city, of which l was
4 witness. The polls were under the mastery Of
the Empire Club. whose terrorism reached an
almost incredible extent. The defeat of Clay
was felt severely both by himself and his
friends especially as he represented protection
Of American industry. Horace Greeley labored
through this canvass with almost incredible
ardor and devotion, and the "lost cause almost
crushed him. How little he then thought that
he, too, would share the same fate, though to a
more intensified degrce
Clay, and also his friends, expected that he
would again be put the presidential course,
but when the next Wing national convention
assembled General Tayior's exploits rendered
him more eligible candidate, and the Great
Commoner" here received his last disappoint-
ment His record of failure in this great eXpecta
ton is certainly very remarkable. In 1924 he
had thirty seven votes, and in 1882 he had forty
nine. In 1910 his name was brought before the
Wing national convention, and had he been nom
mated his election would have been certain. He
was, however set aside, in order to give place to
Harrison, and then came his defeat in 1874. In
1913 be was again set aside to give place to
military man. What a record of disappointed
ambition! His service to the Nation, however,
was really of higher order than that of a more
President and he holds lofty and permanent
place in the annals of American craftsmanship.
Cass who ran against General Taylor, was
bitterly disappointed He made, however, a
gratifying run, since he received 1877 votes,
against l63 for his opponent. General Scott,
who was the next disappointed candidate,
was deeply mortified by his defeat He
imagined indeed, that tho same preference for a
military hero which insured the election of Jack
son. and also Taylor would prevail equally in
his behalf He was however, one Of the worst
beaten candidates on record, since his vote was
-
had hoped for the nomination and was much dis
appointed when it was given to Scott He died
the same year, but had he lived month longer
he would have witnessed SCOTS defeat, and
with him the wreck of the old Wing party. His
defeat IN the convention, severe as 1t may have
been, by means so crushing as would
have been t1e inevitable result of the election
Fremont was disappointed in 1856, and yet he
had the satisfaction of getting ia electoral votes
against Buchanan's Ill. McClellan's hopes in
1864 were based on the unpopularity of the war,
but his vote was only 80 against 212 for Lincoln.
Horatio Seymour did much better, since he had
so against Grants PA. The most unluclly of
modern candidates. however, was Horace
Greeley. In 1869 he was candidate for
the Office of State Comptroller, but
was defeated. The next year he was
nominated for Congress, and was again defeated.
though he had the satisfaction of running 300
ahead of his ticket. His worst blhnder was in
accepting the presidential nomination. which
really cost him his life. Tilden did the best of
all disappointed candidates, since the adverse
majority was only one vote; while Hancock was
defeated by Garfield by a majority of tifty-nine.
1t may be added that this city contains an
unusual number of disappointed candidates, in
Guiding Mcclellan, Hancock and Tilden, while
poor Greeley is in his grave at Greenwood.
AFTER ife's fitful fever he sleeps we'll"
This reference to poor Greeley reminds one of
the havoc which death has made among political
digpitaries since the last presidential election.
Without going beyond this city the Democratic
record presents such names as Augustus Schell,
Charles O'Conor, William A. Beach and Fer
nando Wood, all men of power in their day, but
silent in the grave. On the Republican
side the reader will readily recall two men iden-
titled to an unusual degree with wealth, genius,
patriotism and political power, and need hardly
mention the names of Thurow Weed and ex-
Governor Morgan To these may be added
William E. Dodge, Robert l.. Stuart, Hugh
Hastings, James Watson Webb and others,
whose brief dignity awakens the oft-repeated
exclamation, What shadows we are and what
shadows we pursued