The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-08-03
Harrison Before the Country.

Harrison BotOro the COuhtFy'
philadelphia Prcss.
Little more than a month has gone
since BENJAMIN Harrison was nominated
for the presidency by the Republican
party. His selection by the Republican
National Convention at Chicago put be-
fore the nation man whose official ca
reer had been limited in national affairs
to single term in the Senate. lie had
once before been the candidate OF his
State for the highest honors Of his party
before a Republican National Conven-
ton, and he had come to be recognized
in his State as the leader OF his party, in
its bar Us the leader OF his profession
and in the conduct Of the wider circle OF
public affairs he stood as one otthe group
Of Republican leaders who by public
speech and personal counsel sway the
course and determine the policy Of n
great party. Still it was possible in the
first dawn OF the nomination OF a man OF
whom all this was true to assert that his
personality was unknown TO the land
and his personal hold upon tho great
masses OF the nation yet untired. Critics
stood ready to suggest that his capacity
to direct, suggest and guide the greater
currents OF national feeling through his
party and the public, which is still
greater than both parties, was still I'M
known.
This is over. Harrison has grown
upon the land Day by day us he is bet
ter known he looms larger on the public
view. His personality is already felt
through all the canvass. In amonth he
has come to stand as the definite repre-
sentative of great popular uprising for
the American system OF Protected in
dustries, From one leader among many
he has grown to be the one leader OF the
many, now accepted and approved Of
all his party. He dominates the situa-
ton, He commands support. There is
in this canvass for the Presidency no
sign nor shadow Of that reluctance to
support the party candidate, coupled
with loyalty to the party creed and to
party policy, which has more than once
bafiied and imperiled the success OF the
Republican party. August brings no
necessity for conferences between the
great leaders OF the party to purge per-
sonal differences, to close the ranks and
to set them in marching order. The
ranks are closed, the party has been
united from the day Benjamin Harrison
was nominated and it needs only to so
on, us it has begun, TO win.
The candidate OF the party has done
much to bring this about by the tact,
the readiness and ability with which he
has met the needs aud demands oil the
opening month OF great canvass. His
speeches have been frequent, they have
been addressed to audiences OF every
character, to voters in his party and out
OF it, to party organizations, to the gath
erings oil veterans with whom he had
served and whose valor he had seen on
the battlefield, to bodies OF men and OF
men and women whom business or
pleasure, or both combined, had brought
TO Indianapolis. His replies to all these
have been most happy, marked by good
taste and replete with suggestion and
inspiration for the campaign. These
speeches have given many texts to Re-
publican papers. They have yet to
furnish the first crumb OF comfort to the
journals OF the opposition. Sentences
from them are already the war cries OF
the campaign. They have added greatly
to his public reputation, and they have
impressed all with his readiness OF
speech, his grasp Of the great issues Of
day and his power to present them in
forceful fashion.
But speeches alone, however eloquent,
never placed man in the position lar-
rison now occupies before all the land.
The man and his life must do this. They
already have for him. The anxious
search of month has gone on by thou
sands OF his party opponents over every
day OF Il long and busy life, and it has
vet to find the first stain. The Republi-
can candidate has day by day in the
fierce light and hot fire OF Il great ma
tional struggle come more and more to
stand for what he is-the upright man,
the useful citizen, the faithful public
officer, the broad statesman, pure in all
the relations OF life, public and private,
equal to the discharge Of every duty,
guided by stcadfast conviction and full
OF loyal fidelity to the great principles
Iby which the Republican party has made
its past glorious and makes its future
secure.