Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-11-05
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES.


His activity for Republican con
gressional candidates in various
States during the canvass just
closed has been almost as marked
as that of Mr.. Blaine in Pennsyl-
vania. The drift of preference for
Blaine in his party seems as yet
unchecked. The enviOus and cap
tious Edmunds, just reelected
Senator from Vermont, could not
make up hismind to support Blaine
two years ago, and he did not lose
a recent opportunity to dlsparage
by innuendo the Maine statesman
whom he affects to hold in such
poor esteem as Democrats them
selves do not pretend to feel to-
wards one of the ablest and most
thoroughly trained pubic men OF
his own or any other age. Being
asked as to a proper Republican
candidate for the Presidency in 'oS,
Mr.. Edmunds said that "neXt time
the party ought to 90 West and
get a clean man." The fling at
Blaine from the acrimonious and
saturnine Vermont Senator is as
palpable as malicious.
Possibly there may baye been
some sighting significance IN a re-
ply made by Senator Sherman up
on the same subject in Philadelphia
few days before the recent cleo
tions. Perhaps the Ohio Senator
thinks that he would be better
candidate for the Republicans in
New York than Mr.. Blaine. lie
replied to the question whether
Blaine would be the Republican
candidate for the Presidency two
wears hence: 81 have not had any
conversation with Mr.. Blaine upon
the subject. 1t would be a delicate
question to touch upon. If Mr..
Blaine wants the nomination |
think he can get it. 1t is for him to
decide the matter. No candidate
should be named without special
reference is had to New York. The
duty of the next national conven-
ton, l take it, is to name a candi'
date who will be acceptable to
New York. 1t is for Mr.. Blaine to
decide whether he can succeed IN
that state. If he should be twice
beaten it would be disastrous to
him, for that would end him pc
litically. However, it is two years
off-time enough for the molding
of sentiment. | haven't heard that
MIR. Blaine wants the nomination.
Democrats dissatisfied with Cleye-
land are diligent in searching for
reasons why the President should
not consider himselfOr be consider
ed by others candidate for the
succession. Their search has been
rewarded abundantly as attested
by the following extract from his
letter of acceptance of the Demo
cratic nomination when rendered
him in 1884: "When we consider
the patronage of this great office,
the temptations to retain public
place once gained, and, more than
all, the availability a party finds
in an incumbent whom a horde OF
Office.hOlders, with the zeal born of
benefits received and fOstered by
the hope of favors yet to come,
stand ready to aid with money and
trained political services, we recog-
nize in the eligibility of the PreSi-
dent for reelection a most serious |
danger to that calm, deliberate and !
intelligent political action which |
must characterize a government by |
the people," This implied pledge
not to accept reelection was not |
called forth by anything in the |
political situation, as no president |
has been renOminated since 1S72.-
1t was alleged by Mr.. Cleveland's |
admirers as reason for making |
him the president at that election.
And it certainly binds him morally |
not to use the tremendous agency |
which he so feeling describes to |
secure his own denomination, if it
does not also bind him to refuse a
denomination however secured.
That the President is a good !
enough politician to explain away |
this pointed and significant pledge |
Is readily seen in the light Of his |
easy radiance of the trammels i'm
posed by his proclamation against
office. holders taking a prominent |
part in politics. If we may trust
a recent report of an interview, he |
has no objection t. these persons |
taking part in conventions, if they |
do not become too prominent-a
very different thing from effective
in securing the result. And they |
may make speeches if they do not |
attack the administration. Against |
the rule as thus construed, Mr. !
Cleveland is said to have found |
only one offender thus far, an OBJ |
scure official in Indiana, who is to
be rebuked when the election is !
over. This is not unfairly to be |
taken as a representative fact in |
the history of Civil Service Reform
as practised by this administration.
No American editor will be eli
gible for presentation at the
Prince of Wales levee, according