Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1886-10-28
Mr.. Cleveland Stronger Than In 1884


George William Curtis i'm the current
number of Hdrper'S Weekly under the
head of the 'Signs of the Times" says:
"The Democratic party was not espe-
cially friendly to Mr.. Cleveland in 1884,
and there has beeh a resolute and out
spoken Democratic protest against his
administration from the beginning.
1t now appears however, that his ad-
ministration is very generally COM
mended by Democrats and by the indie
pendent feeling of the country, and
that he is very much stronger than
when he was elected. In this situation
the course of the Republican party to
recover the confidence of the country,
so far as it has been developed, becomes
of great interest. This course is to be
seen in its nominations, in the State
platforms, and in the speeches of its
leaders, and these all taken together
show merely implicit reliance upon
the party tradition. For instance, i'm
Massachusetts the platform assumes
that administrative reform is Repub-
lican principle. The Convention then
nominates Mr.. Ames because he is rich,
and demands support for him on the
ground that he is Republican and
therefore reformer. Again, the Pro-
hibition sentiment in Massachusetts is
strong. The platform therefore de-
nounces intemperance and declares
that prohibitory amendment should
be submitted to the people. But this
means nothing. The New York Re-
publican Convention did the same thing
three years ago and the Republican
Legislature refused to submit the
amendment, and even if it should be
submitted In Massachusetts,, every Re-
publican upon such a platform might
vote against 1t. 1t is a mere recon-
mendation to ask the opinion of the
State, not the positive declaration of a
party.
At the same time Republican leaders
on the stump argue for protection, de-
nounce the pension vetoes, declare
that the Republican vote is suppressed
in the Southern States, and decry the
Administration as the rebellion in
power. But the Democrats, as party,
do uot repudiate protection, the Presi-
dent has signed more special pension
bills than were passed during the ad-
ministration of General Grant, and his
vetoes, as rule, are fully justified by
his explanation; the rebellion in power
is the merest party gag, while the Re-
publican vote is no more oppressed at
the South than it was under Republi-
can Administration. This fact, of
course, is not an excuse for crimes
against the ballot, but we are consider
ing the probabilities of campaign,
and the argument drawn from alleged
crimes at the polls did not avail in 1884,
and will be no more effective in 1888.
This summary shows that as against
the increasing general confidence in the
President, the disappearance of the
open Democratic opposition to him,
the total miscarriage of the anticipa-
tion of disaster in the event ofhis elec-
tion, and the consequent dissipation OF
the vague distrust of the Democratic
party as such, the Republican party
reiterates the allegations of the cam
paign of 1884, and apparently intends tC
renominate the same candidate. But
it is the party response to earnest con.
victions upon the newer questions that
arise, regard for the party mind and
conscience, which assure its continuous
power These convictions were denied
and derided in 'S4, and the party was
defeated. Denial and derision and
evasion will certainly not secure success
in '8S. If Mr.. Cleveland should be re-
nominated by the Democrats, the only
Republican candidate who could really
contest his election would not be some
Republican who, like Mr.. Ames, merely
''stands for the Republican party" bu
a man of personal significance, O.
strong reform convictions, and of 1
courage and tenacity which, as in the
case of Mr.. Cleveland, would be thu
guarantee of honest and progressive
government. With such candidate
the Republican party could make Wig
orons fight. But with Mr.. Blaine tn,
defeat would be even more significan
than BEFORE"