Clarksville evening chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn) 1886-1890, 1888-11-17
THE RESULT.

~ NNuiUhS tHC NOlSoI Uul 1lS SIRulU~
canoe is not so easily apprehended.
1t has been acknowledged from the
opening of the late canvass that the
vote of New York would probably
decide the election, and that the vote
of New York would be determined
within an area of ten miles from the
City Hall. But within that area
there is probably more trading of
votes in complicated election like
that Of this year than in, any other
area ofthe same extent in the country,
and consequently where the plurality
which carries the State is not large,
it is impossible to declare dogmatical-
ly the meaning of the result. There
was no doubt that the tremendous
majorities for Lincoln in almostal the
States in 1864 meant the uncondition-
al prosecution of the war. Nobody
doubted that. But it would have
been bold man who asserted pre-
cisely what the election of Cleveland
in 1884, by very small plurality in
New York, signified. Knowing, as
we all know in this city, the great
number ofpurchasable and purchased
votes, it would be impossible to in
terpret peremptorily the defeat of
Mr.. Cleveland by moderate plurali-
ty as deliberate rejection of the
policy of reducing the surplus, which
his candidacy represented. There
has been no cyclone" no Gland
slide" The Republican canvass was
conducted as if the issue were Joined
between protection and freeetrade,
and Republican success, therefore,
under that theory, is verdict against
free-trade. But that was not Mr..
Cleveland's position, and it may be
fairly said that if, as the Republicans
insisted, the question was free trade,
the close vote and the plurality in
the crucial State do not reveal that |
popular horror even of free-trade
which has been supposed to exist.
However this may be, there is no
doubt of the result. Unquestionably
the decision at the polls will be re-
garded as practically conclusive
against reduction of the surplus by
diminishing taxes on necessities and
raw materials. Whether the Repub-
licans will frame bill in accordance
with their platform or with the SEN
ate bill, or whether they will devote
themselves to reducing the surplus
by spending it, remains to be seen.
They may interpret the election Of
General Harrison as a general grant
OF authority to do what they choose.
They will certainly interpret it as a
for maintaining an extreme
tariff. 1t is easy to be wise after the
event. But it is probably true that
if the President had conceded less to
the evil pressure of his party for pat
rOnage, and had adhered more rigid
~ to his own convictions in regard to
reform in the civil service, he would
have retained the warm support of 7
The whole independent vote, and 1
have commanded the sympathy of
very large number of Republicans. I
If then he had deferred the sudden I
projection of the tariff as the sole issue
If the election, he would have been b
and elected, with the OPP s.
1ortunity to establish securely the re- !,
orm which he had begun, while the a
EDUCATION of public sentiment in tariff n
eform, which was not an issue suf- >
iciently ripe for an immediate vote, n
would have proceeded. The fear of I
many OF his friends, shared perhaps .
" himself, that his party might not
e-nominate him if he had taken this {.
was futile, because to refuse fl
he nomination would have been to p
eclare that his course was not ap- 8
'roved, which would have been GER 1
ainly fatal to his party. The more
nlly he justified the anticipations
Weakened by the circumstances of his b
lection, the more certainly would he :,
ave been re-nominated and re- =
lected. ST
This is said in no reproachful spirit
ecause the course taken was due to r
n honest conviction of expediency. .
lr. Cleveland will retire from the fir
residency with the honorable con- cl
,iousness of having proved to his -
)untry that, Notwithstanding the er
VII war and its traditions, the gov th
is safe in the hands of any %
arty, and of having done much to in