The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-05-29
Plumb's Blunt ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.

IL is doubtful if the Republican leaders
have much confidence in the ability of their
party to elect the next President. When
they talk for the benefit of the pubic they
do not admit, of course, that there is q
| doubt of their party's success, but among
themselves they do not hesitate to admit
that the prospect of Republican victory
is far from a promising one
One of the shrewdest of them is Senator
| Plumb, of Kansas. He is not quite as
| prominent as Sherman, Allison, Hawley,
and some Of the other Republican Senators,
but he is as level-headed as any of them,
and it is doubtful if any one of them is as
good judge of the political sentiment of
the country.
In letter, written day or two ago, to
prominent Blaine Republican Of his
State, he said: Drop Blaine and elect a
delegation to Chicago uninstructed. Pre-
pare to select the strongest available candi-
| date. Cleveland has gained strength since
| the day of his Inauguration. His tariff
message has given him increased strength
in the Southwest and Northwest. While it
may lose him a few votes in the Eastern
West, and especially in the Northwest. The
prospect of the Republican candidate for
President is gloomy indeed. About our
only hope is in Cleveland making mistake
before the election, which is not az all prob.
able"
Here is a square admission, from a distin-
guished Republican source, that the outlook
for the Republican candidate for President,
whoever he may be, is a gloomy one.
Senator Plumb evidently doeS not think
that Mr.. Blaine could be elected, and he
advises his Kansas constituents to drop
him. He admits that Mr. Cleve-
land is stronger than he was
in 1884. If that is the case neither Mr.
Blaine nor any other Republican can be
elected. The only hope for Republican
success, Senator Plumb thinks, is in Mr..
Clevelands making a mistake before the
election. That is a very slender thread
upon which to hang hope. Mr.. Cleve-
land is not likely to make mistake. He may
not be brilliant, nor magnetic man, but
he hos great deal of what is called com
mon sense, and it is doubtful if there is a
man in the country who is a better judge
of what will meet with popular approval
Throughout his public career his most inn
portant public acts, somehow or other, have
been supported always by public sentiment
Frequently he has refused to follow the
advice Of his political advisers, but in about
every instance the correctness of his judg-
ment has been proved by the result 1t is
hardly probable, therefore, that he will
make any such mistake as will lessen his
chances for reelection.
The Republicans pretend that Mr.. Cleve-
lands tariff policy weakened him with the
people. Is there any more pronounced pro-
tectionist in Congress than Senator PlumbG
He does not believe that Mr.. Cleveland is
less popular now than before he sent to
Congress his tariff message. On the con-
trary, in the letter to his Kansas cores
pondent he says that Mr. Cleveland's tariff
policy has strengthened him. Senator
Plumb would not make an admission of this
kind publicly, but then he is too much of a
politician to speak his real sentiments on
all political matters when he is talking to
the public. There is no doubt, however,
that he believed what he wrote in his Kan
sas letter.
The reason Judge Gresham is showing so
much strength just now is because of the
growing conviction that neither Blaine,
Sherman nor Allison can be elected, and he
is believed to be favorable to tariff reform,
but if it be true, as Senator Plumb says,
that Mr.. Cleveland is stronger than he was
four years ago, it doesn't make any differ
ence whom the Republicans nominate. They
can't elect their nominee.