St. Paul daily globe., 1888-08-05
A CLEAN CAMPAIGN.

RISoN has said since his nomination was
the remark in speech at indianapolis
the other day, that ''the armies in this
political campaign will encamp upon
the high plains of principle, and not in
the low swamps of personal defamation
or detraction."
A clean political campaign in this
country will be as refreshing as it is
novel, and yet the prospects are that we
are really to have it. Two months have
elapsed since the campaign opened, and,
with an exceptional sputter here and
there by some person or organ of low
instincts, there are no indications that
this is to be mud-slinging affair. such
as disguised all decent people four years
ago. Possibly the fatal error the Re-
publican leaders then made in foul at
tempt to besmirch Mr.. CLEVELAND has
had the happy effect of imparting a
lesson Of decency to political managers
this time. 1t was needed, and the coun-
was well learned.
Now that it is understood that the
candidate of party stands before the
public solely as the representative of
the principles underlying the party
whose candidate he is, the disposition is
to confine public discussion to the prin-
ciples involved, without regard to the
personal traits and characteristics of
the individual candidate. If party re-
lies sufficiently in the ability and ndel-
ity of person to make him it's standard
bearer, no one outside of that particular
party organization has the right to find
fault with the nomination. From the
time the candidate is nominated he loses
his individuality, so far as the public is
concerned, and stands before them only
in the light of an exponent of the doc
trineS of the party whose standard
bearer he has been made. Thus GRO
YER CLEVELAND and BENJAMIN EAR-
RIsoN and CLINTON B. FIsKE do not
stand before the country merely
as eminent citizens of the states
of New York, Indiana, and New
Jersey, respectively, asking the suf-
frageS of the American people,
on their personal merit, or ON their
claims to social distinction. ALI of
them are gentlemen, who would re-
ceive social courtesies III the home of
any American gentleman. But they do
stand before the country as the repre-
sentativeS of clearly formulated and
openly avOwed principles, which are
sought to be put into operation in the
administration of the national govern
ment, through the agency of political
parties. Mr.. CLEVELAND represents
the principle of tariff reform, as de-
fined in the st. Louis platform; Gen.
HARRISON represents the opposite doc
trine, contained in the Chicago plat
form. which favors the retention of war
taxes as the means of protecting
American manufacturing interests ;Gen.
FISKE represents the idea that the
liquor traffic should be suppressed by
legal methods, and all of them are
known to be men of ability, loyal citi-
Zens, refined gentlemen, and singularly
pure III their private life.
And yet as individuals the country is
not concerned about FIsKE, or CLEvE-
LAND or HARRISON. 1t is only as the
representatives of peculiar ideas and
principles that the public canvass their
names. A vote for CLEVELAND means
vote for tariff reform, vote for HAIR
RIsoN means vote for high protect
i've tariff, vote for FIsKE means a
vote for the prohibition of the liquor
traffic. Why, then, should there be mnd-
Singing and personal defamation and
detractiOn?
There is no occasion to abandon the
high plains of principle in this canvass.
There is no excuse for going down into
the swamps of personal defamation. All
the armies occupy high ground, and the
battle is to be fought there. This is to
be clean campaign, and the campaign
speaker or the party organ who des-
cends into the swamp of personal def
amation will be sure to be mired in his
own mud.