The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-06-26

Speaking the plain truth, General
Harrison was nominated because he
was without record. He was in the
army three years as Colonel, and near the
close of the war, when advance N snV
and promotions were the order of tie
day, was ccmplimented With the hyevet
title of brigadier general; but there was
nothing in MS military career which
distinguished him from tle thousands
OF soldiers who went through the war
without calling special attention to
themselves by deeds Of Yalor or exhibit
ton of extraordinary military skill. In
civil life the gentleman has been some
what more prominent, but such
| notoriety as he has achieved came from
his historic name rather than from any
display of a remarkable ability on
his own part. He has always
banked heavily on the circumstances
that one OF his forefathers was signer
of the Declaration of Independence,
and his grandfather was President OF
the United States. He has believed
that IN his family greatness was heredi-
tary. and that belief has made him
naughty, austere and unpopular among
the people of his State. The democratic
ideas have so grown into Americans that
they care little whether a man de-
sends from a President or traces his
origin to the workhouse. 1t is
the man and not his ances-
tors, who is respected in the
republic. Harrison's admiration for
his own "blue blood" is such that in
1876 when he was candidate for Gov
ernor his pride and haughtiness were
the chief things against which the op-
position played, and they were por-
trayed in such an ugly light as to turn
the people against Harrison as a man
not to be trusted in a land where all
men are born free and equal. Genera
Harrison's public service may be said
to be confined to his six years term in
the United States Senate closing with
the last Congress, and it will puzzle
campaign orators and political editors to
find in the record Of that service any
thing that distinguishes that gentleman
As statesman, or as other than of me-
diocre ability and attainments. He is,
doubtless, honest and incorruptible, but
these seem to be his sole qualifications
and recommendations, and there are
millions of Americans who possess them
IN an equally high degree. A man TO
run we'll in political campaign should
possess something bssides eminent re-
portability.
Mr.. Morton, the Presidential
nominee, is an ADLER and more forceful
man than his file leader. but
he is in no sense brilliant as
statesman nor shrewd as politician.
He represented this country as minis
ter to France, not because there was
anything in the Office requiring man
of ability, but because he was million
aire and could afford to spend more
than lis salary for style" The idea
that he can carry New York State
against Cleveland seems ridiculous.
His nomination shows the desperate
character of the Republican position
and demonstrates the great lack of po-
litical wisdom in theChicago convention.
Two worse plumbers could not well
have been made than the nominating
of weak head and tail of the ticket. The
mistake is if anything worse than that
perpetrated by the Democrats in 1880
when they nominated Hancock because
he was soldier and English because
he was rich.
If Cleveland and the Democrats had
been in control of the Chicago coaven-
ton, they could not have managed mat.
tiers better for themselves, assuming that
it is walk-over which they want.