Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1888-07-05
BeI11tnttt GI1rn1tirle+
THURSDAY, JULY 3, 1888.
THE Democratic buster about Blaine

THE Democratic bluster about Blaine:
withdrawal-th stupid declaration that
his letters of declination were written be-
cause he is convinced "that Grover can
not be beaten lis appreciated. Repub-
licans are used to clustering talk from
Democrats, and know just exactly what
Importance to attach to the noisy declar-
atiOns of the blatherSkites.
Whatever may be said of Mr. Blaine,
he is smart. He knew much better than
any other man in the country that he
ought not to again make the race for the
Presidency. The obstacles he would en-
counter are much greater than four years
ago. 1t is not necessary nor profitable to
repeat them. Chief of them, however, is
the fact that he would be pitted against
a man who had already beaten him.
That he sincerely desires the defeat of
the alleged Democratic party there is no
doubt-that he believed other men were
better calculated to unity his party is ap-
parent and that he had begun to realize
there are joys in travel, in leisure, and in
books greater than in office-holding, we
are prepared to believe.
The Republican party has not been in
as good condition for an aggressive cam
paign in twenty years as now. Its plat
form is in accord with the public senti-
ment of the North, and it is believed with
that of three or four important States of
the South. Its candidates are clean, able,
and patriotic men, whose nominations are
cordially received, and the indications are
will grow in public favor. On the other
hand, the declarations of the Democratic
platform are cOldly received by very large
numbers of that party, and openly repu-
dated and denounced by many others.
Its candidate for reelection to the Pres
idential Office is by NO means so strong
as three years ago. He has angered the
epoilsmen- because he has not provided
all of them with offices, and disappointed
the purists because of his disregard of his
reform pledges, and of the open defiance
by subordinates of executive orders con-
cerning the conduct of civil officers.
No man of good judgment, who will
carefully and intelligently view the field,
but must concede the chances are largely
in favor of the Republicans. In 1884
Mr.. Cleveland had the narrow margin of
1,149 plurality in total vote of 1,167,-
169 in the State of New York Then the
party of that State was torn
and rent by internal diSsensions, and the
Democrats united the Republi-
cans are united and the Democrats dis
cordant. Connecticut, in a total vote of
137,115, gave the Cleveland ticket 1,276
plurality. Connecticut is great manu-
featuring State, deeply interested in the
of Protective Tariff. The
are it is already lost to the
New Jersey, in total vote
of 260,893, gave the Cleveland ticket f.
35S plurality. Like Connecticut, its peo-
pie are largely engaged in manufactur--
ing, and the chances there are against |
the Democrats. Cleveland had plural
ity of 6,512 in Indiana, but at the last |
State election 1856 the Democrats were
beaten 1924. The loss of New York,
alone, or the loss of Indiana and Connec-
ticut, or Indiana and New Jersey, will
defeat Cleveland.
1t is not the part of wisdom to declare
that the Republican ticket will succeed |
beyond peradventure, but the indications
strongly point to that conclusion; and,
surely, the Oregon cyclone which occur
red after the position of the Democrats
upon the tariff was known, but before
The Republican nominations strength
ems the popular belief that the Cleveland
is doomed