Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1884-11-28
A Look Ahead.

dents as was the recent election,
there is enough to show that His
tory ever repeats itself, even in
this extraordinary case. The de
feat of Blaine, the most popular
statesman of his time-an eloquent
and gifted man of rare distinction
in more than twenty years of pub
lie service, resulted in the election
of candidate Of whom not pub
lie journalist, outside of the city OF
Buffalo, had ever heard until three
years ago, when he was made
mayor of that city. Without ex
perience, save as mayor and sheriff
in which latter capacity he had
acted as haDgman, he was nomi
mated for Governor, in a conven,
ton where fierce personal and
factiOnal dissensiOns among the
Democrats made the nomination o.
really prominent Democrat i'm
possible. He was elected in Z
campaign in which there was nc
serious Republican effort by the
startling excess of nearly two hun
dred thousand votes over an emi.
nent Republican, who Just two
years before had been elected
Supreme Justice by twenty thOus-
and votes moro than Garfield re-
ceived, both running on the same
ticket.
And this phenomenon of luck
continues the parallel by beating
for the presidency bya mere scratch
a trained publicist, who successfully
filed the position of Speaker OF
the House Of Representatives of
Maine, who was thirteen years a
member of the lower House of
Congress, six Of these years being
passed in the speakers chair,
thence transferred to the Federal
Senate by unanimous vote of his
party, and resigning from the
Senate to become Garfeld's Secre-
tary Of State and from public life
by reason of Garfeld's death, TO
Illustrate the highest qualities of
authorship by the production of a
book which will rank among the
standard hist Orical works of
American authors.
When explanation of such a
result is sought mono is to be found
consistent with any safe theory of
practical philosophy or political
ethics. We can only fall back upon
the jesting dictWm of the French
man, who, when told of an occur
renee absolutely unexpected and in
consistent with the existence Ofany
logical cause, shrugged his shout
ders and said, swell, nothing is so
likely to happen as the impossible"
In this case what was apparently
impossible has happened, not by
ingenious coalition of. antagonistic
elements, nor even by a hasty but
well-organized levy of heteroge-
neOus battalions and companies,
but by chapter of accidents, any
one of which being wanting, Blaine
would have had a magnificent
triumph. Not an incident occurred
from the day Blaine was nOmina-
ted, to seriously was the enthusi-
astic confidence Of his friends,
which at Chicago had merely
guided the avalanche of popular
demand which bore both himself
and Logan over the heads of all
competitors for Republican leader.
ship. Cleveland's nomination was
accepted by Blaine's friends as
pledge in advance of Blaine's
overwhelming triumph. Maine
came in September with an
unprecedented majority for the
Republican State ticket, and since
1910, when Names Septem Der
election foretokened the Harrison
Juror in November, Maine bad been
accepted as an index state. Ohio
followed in October with a marked
reversal Of her Democratic ma
jorities of recent years, and Blsine's
progress towards the White House
seemed a march Of triumph. And
it was al. logical enough. For
great as WAS the benefit the Re
publican, received from the con.
trast between the two candidates
Of the two parties, the methods and
Incidents OF the canvass seemed ali
in their favor. Their bold position
in favor Of Protection was con-
'rOnted by the Democrats with
evasion ana negatiOn and subter-
fuge. Republican championship /
IF a broad, consistent American I
policy, was answered by the Demo
rats with outlaws and hurrahs, /
mean while the English Free
rrads organs, with subtle pleas aud
ingenious perversiOns and well.
masked mendacity, sought TO clear
he stage of political discussion by
.saults upon Blaine's character.
II this they were ably seconded by
he Apostle of Free Trade and
rec Love, Beecher. Nor did they
TEX aid from certain influences in
he Republican party controlled in
his case by purely personal re.
rntmehts and notifications.
Bat, nevertheless the seemingly
impossible happened. Cleveland l
President-clect, no matter now,
f.oti.r D.rol,.-.lf. skD,.., De-.