Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-07-31
POLITICAL.
DEMOCRATIC HARMONY.
Cleveland the Candidate of the Mach
inc, and Nominated Under the Unit
Rule

Cleveland the Candidate of the Mach
inc, and Nominated Under the init
Rule.
The following communications adj
dressed TO the editor of the Sun, and
editorial entitled "a Fatal Submission,
from the pen of Charles a. Dana, throw
interesting light on the Democratic
situation.
To the editor of the Suu-Sir: was a
close observer of the proceedings of the
late Democratic convention, and Of its
controlling inside movements.
Machine rule dominated it from be-
ginning to end. | learned from many
/ delegates from the South and West that
the Cleveland men ina New York had
employed agents, whose business for
many months had been the organiza-
ton of Cleveland booms and the selec-
ton Of Cleveland delegates. These
Cleveland men in New York knew posi-
| lively that Tilden would not be a cane
didate, They knew il six months ago
as well as they do now Their plan
was 10 keep this fact ont of sight, TO
use 'lilden's name 70 send delegates for
/ him as first choice, and then use them
( for Cleveland Us second choice Ilden's
letter Of withdrawal though long pre-
/ pared. was held back by the machine
/ from publication until what they deem
ed the proper moment.
This was just before the Saratoga con-
vention, The letter was published i'm
one column of the AlbaHv Argus. and
/ in the next column Cleveland was
I was named as the heir and successor.
The delegates frODs other States were
/ honestly and sincerely anxious To
nominate a candidate who could carry
1 New y 0rk.
The assertions of the Albany machine
/ that Cleveland would be such a cdndi-
/ date, misled a suthcientnumbert to nom
mate him on the second ballot though
/ 1t was generally admitted that unless
nominated then he would not be at all.
These assurances of the machine as to
/ Cleveland's availability were made in
the face of the facts:
/. That ne was not the choice Of the
! democracy of New y Ork, as was made
clear at the Saratoga convention. and
that he would not receive their full
vote.
.. That the republican vote which
gave Cleveland his abnormal majority
in 1882 was the vote Of the Blaine wing
vi tut party anu A0Uiu uOW Eb 10 It's
favorite leader.
3. That Cleveland had incurred the
antagonism of the labor and anti-mon-
opoly organizations, which are so large
ly democratic and that they will under
no circumstances support him. This
vote is represented yariouslv from 1000
to 100000.
4. To these add the candidacy of But
Ia
himself Of the disaffected votes.
Against all this the Cleveland machine
can only offset the desertion Of the ia
dependents from the republican party,
which, at the best, is an unknown and
uncertain quantity, and which, If we
reason from our observation and expert
ence in the past, will amount to but lit
tie
From this standpoint what a heavy
responsibility the machine has incurred
by pressing with their full force Cleve-
lands nomination.
The unit rule though not rejected at
this convention, received los death
blow.
The nomination of Cleveland was the
result solely of it's operations. lie
could not have been nominated without
it.
The New York delegation was so
equally divided for and against him
that the eight votes of Kings County
(Which county had been against him
at Saratoga) held the balance of power.
The Kings County delegation were di-
vided, but they vote as unit, and a
majority determines this unit So that
practically one man, in reality IN this
case two men. determined the Kings
/ County vote should be cast as unit,
and thus made ma iorily for Cleye-
land in the delegation which, in turn
and under the operation Of the unit
rule, cast - votes for him.
But for the votes ot thos- two men
4 from Brooklyn Cl.vcland's name could
not have been before the convention as
a candidate What a comment these
facts furnish ON the absurdities and in
/ Justice Of the unit rule
I is Is not rather dangerous, in these
times Of free thought and free speech
and independ mt action, to force q candl-
I dacy through suca agencies, and then
call on all men to rally TO its support
AS OLD JACKSON MAJ.
4 Chicago, July is.