The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1888-08-16
SOME NoN-PARTIsAN oBsHRvA-
TIONS,

a majority of all Republicans now
believe that Blaine would have been
elected President of the United States
had it not been for the mistakes and
olunders of the campaign; and among
the most disastrous of mistakes was
allowing the venerable brother Burch-
ard to iterate that trinity of fatalisms:
KUN, Romanism and Rebellion" We
believe the first great blunder of the
present campaign was committed in
the platform, where the party squarely
commits itself to the doctrine of taxed
necessities and untaxed vices; and now
comes the second great blunder or the
campaign, IN the overshowing demon
stration IN honor of James q. Blaine.
THIS demonstration is liable to eclipse
all the political pyrotechnlcs of the
Presidential year.
This great Blaine ovation throws
General Harrison, the nominal head of
he Republican party, into the deep
shadows of the background. 1t tends
70 0ellttle Harrison; and nothing in
lures a candidate so much as the as
5umptl N that he is not a real leader.
)ut a flgurehead. The Republican party
S accaStomed to strong and conspic-
lous leadership. In 1868 and 1872,
rant, then the foremost man of all the
world, was the leader. In 1876 it made
Dig drop to a second rate man like
dayes, and really lost the election on
both the popular and electoral vote,
out secured the Administration by
juggIery. In 1880, Garfield, a man of
lttai1s, a recognized leader of men, and
l soldier who had won his stars
n war, was at the head of
he ticket. In 1884 Blaine,
he strongest and most popular civilian
developed during the past quarter of a
century, was the candidate.
1t will be seen that every successful
'andidate of the Republican party, for
he past quarter of a century, has been
leader of men.
In this campaign Ben Harrison is the
'andidate. No one claims he is a
leader. He failed to make any reputa-
lion as a soldier, and none Of the war
histories, written previous to the Chica-
90 convention, contain any reference to
aim. He was tried in the United
states Senate and was rated a failure
here. He tried to become Governor
If Indiana, but failed signally in that
=ndeavor. In other words Ben Harri-
son is a man who generally fails to get
here.
With these preliminary observations
# 4 historical character, let us look
calmly and with a stoics eye at the
political situation:
Republican success depends upon
convincing the doubtful voters of the
country that Gen. Ben Harrison is a
better equipped nan for President of
The United States than Grover Cleve-
and.
We say this cannot be done by get
ting up a tremendous furore over James
e. Blaine. Suppose Blaine does have a
digger ovation in New York than Gen.
Grant had in San Francisco, when he
'eturned from his trip around the world.
How does this help Harrison? The
higher Blaine looms up above the polit-
cal aurora, the hitler little Ben appears,
When the people read Blaine's vigorous
sentences, that seem to have a CONT
mental grasp, the more insignificant
viii the dreary and insipid small talk
IT Harrison appear, as he wobbIes his
loquacious tongue daily at the gather
ing Hoosiers and Suckers in Indianap-
Ills. When the gathered clans, now wor-
shipping at the shrine of Blaine in New
York, go back to indianapolis and con-
'rast little Ben with big jim, a feeling
II qualminess, akin to s%eaSlckness. will
possess all their beings, and they will
return home feeling like a man who
has swallowed Il Llo d, and lacks the
courage to take either a cathartic or an
4metlc. The true Republican plan is
TO Keep Harrison at the front. to boom
Harrison as a leader and keep Blaine
n the background. BlalneIsm was
beaten in 1884, with Blaine at the
very height of his fame and prestige,
How can Blaineism win in 1883. with
Blaine handicapped with 142 pounds
over weight.