St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-11-09
THE NEXT PRESIDENT.

THE NEXT PRESIDENT.
Now that the presidential contest is
over and the question: is settled that we
are to have another change in the adj
miniStration of the national govern
ment, there is naturally public an
xIety to know something of the leading
personal traits of the man who has been
exalted to the high office of chief mag
iStrate OF this great nation. Although
he has been public man in his own
state for the last twenty years, and held
years, BENJAMIN HARRISON is as much
Of Il stranger to the great mass OF the
American people as was GROVER
CLEVELAND when he.entered upon the
presidency. His name was more famll-
lar to the masses because of his descent
from an eX-president than from
any distinguished public service that he
mas rendered. Now that the destinles
of the nation have been committed to
his hands for the next. four years. all
classes of American citizens naturally
desire to obtain an insight into the char
acter of the person who is to play such
conspicuous role in national affairs.
In an endeayor to crafty public Curl
0Slty in this respect. we have sought i'll
formation from what we regard the
most reliable sources, and shall present
this statement in the belief that it is
absolutely free from partisan bias Or
influence. We shall speak of Gen.
HARRISON as a man, and not as the
head of political party.
In peculiar degree Gen. HARRI-
SON combines the traits of the
two types of English people who
were the pioneers of our distinctive
American civilization--the Virginia
cavalier and the Pilgrim father. The
blue blood of the former is traceable in
the aristocratic bearing of the man, i'll
the courtesy of his speech and in the liz
stinctive gentility of his manner. While
in the ordinary sense he is not an APP
proachable man, still. when approached,
he is invariably a gentleman in his
treatment of those with whom he is
brought in contact. The rugged
qualities of the Puritan are con-
conv ctions and the uncompromising
spirit of his nature. He is stern and I'M
yielding in his opinions almost to fanati-
cism. If he had lived in former days
he would have been the flower Of the
RoundheadS or would have thought it a
blessed privilege to have fallen i'll the
cause of the Orangemen on the banks of
the BOyne.
That a man possessing these traits
should make an intense partisan is the
most natural thing in the world. His
administration will be dyed-in-the-woo
Republican, without a single tincture of
Mugwumpism. His idea of civil service
re orm will be to turn the Democrats
out and fill their places with stall
al Republicans, nor will there be
any delay in putting these peculiar
evil strrice ideas into practice. 1t
would probably have been better for
both Mr.. CLEVELAND and his party if
he had been imbued with the same no
ton. 1t is but Just to Gen. HARRISON
to say that, while he is an intense parti
san, he has high notions of personal and
official integrity, and will give the
country cleaner administration than
characterized the GRANT, GARFIELD
and ARTHUR regimes We do not be-
lieve that Mr.. BLAINE is going to rule
the administration roost with the high
hand that is popularity supposed. That
the portfolio of state will be rendered
him goes without saying, but it will be
done in pretty much the same way
that the elder HARRISON rendered
the same post to HENRY CLAY,
in such an ungrac;ous way that oat of
self-respect Mr.. BLAINE will be forced
to decline it, or, if accepted, with
such limitations and humiliating cOndi-
lions as TO make the office but little
more than the post OF private secretary
for the president.
The GLOBE is of opinion that the
Republican politicians of the BLAINE
stripe have caught Tartar in the per-
SOP of their newly elected president.
There is just enough OF the coinmin-
Cling of cavalier and Puritan blood in his
veins to make of him man who has
unlimited confidence in himself When
he once takes the oath of Office the up
perlnost thought i'm his mind will be
that he is president and president he
will be, Mr.. BLAINE and all the rest of
them to the contrary Notwithstanding