Los Angeles daily herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1884-1890, 1888-11-09
A Mesnentous Change.

OF Mar. GAVIN 3. Bruce, the over-sangulne
chairman of the Democratic National
Committee, which we have announced
in the order of their PRONUNCIATION, leave
no room for doubt that the next occu-
pant of the White House will be General
Benjamin Harrison, Of Indiana.
This is revelation of momentous sig
nificance. 1t is the privilege
of the American people to &C.
lect their chief servant, and if they
prefer Gen. Harrison to President Cleve-
land the HERALD has neither the power
nor the inclination to essay veto. In
common with myriads of Democrats, we
cannot repress pang of regret, but the
will OF the majority is supreme in the
United States.
This election is peculiar in one respect.
The power of the government passes
into Republican hands while the coun-
try still remains Democratic. This fact
is demonstrated by the circumstance
that Governor Hill has carried the EN-
pire State by handsome majority. The
keynote of Governor Hills campaign
was indicated too clearly for miscon-
ception by his famous utterance,
81 am Democrat Both in
this as in his former campaign, Gov
ernor Hill ostentatiously repulsed the
votes of the Mugwumps in the peremp-
tory and ringing declaration that he
wanted no votes under misapprehen-
sion. A man running under such dis
tinctly emphatic mailing of his colors to
the masthead could not succeed unless
New York was Democratic to the core.
Another significant circumstance Of
the election in which the Republicans
have triumphed is that change OF less
than six thousand votes in New York
would have elected Mr.. Cleveland bv a
majority of three Of the Electoral Colleges.
He has carried the 1853 votes Of the solid
South, the nine votes of New Jer-
sey and the six votes OF Connecti-
cut, and the thirty.six votes of New York
would have given him 204 votes of the
Electoral Colleges, 20! being sufficient to
elect. There is nothing depressing to
Democrats in confronting situation like
that. There is the further encouraging
circumstance that Wisconsin was saved
to the Republicans by scratch, that In
diana would have gone Democratic but
for the fact that one of her own citizens
was the candidate for President, and
that hereafter Ohio, Illinois and Mich
igan are debatable States, as likely
to 60 Democratic as Republican. With
strong following in both houses OF Con-
gress, perhaps majority in the House
OF Representatives, the Democratic party.
although defeated, is in most command
ing position for the battle of four years
hence. Its opportunities OF usefulness
are unlimited, and its early return to
power may be classed as one of the GER
tainties of the immediate future.
Mr.. Cleveland, although defeated, will
carry to the retirement of private life
the consciousness OF highly honorable
and patriotic public career. The scheme
OF tariff reform outlined by him and
embodied in the Mills bill was conceived
in the highest spirit Of devotion to the
public. 1t may have been advanced pre-
maturely, for it always takes time to
educate the masses, but if it had been
adopted, with the limitations with
which he had carefully surrounded
it, the country would have been
all the better for it. The. reforms he
recommended are certain to be demand
ed by the people and to be accomplished
The coup de theatre of Blaine, in which
he held up American industries as i'm
periled, may succeed for the moment.
but the sober second thought OF the peo-
pie, the excitements of the campaign
once over, is sure to assert itself. The
Democratic campaign would have sue
ceeded as it is if all the Democratic
editors and orators had been equally
wise and conservative. 1t is bound to
succeed in working important economic
changes and benefits in the next two
years.
Meanwhile, we are confronted with
the unquestionable fact that the Gov
eminent is about to pass into
the hands of the Republican party.
We have no enmity to General Harrison.
On the whole, during the trying ordeal
through which he has passed, he has
borne himself like typical American
gentleman. 1t is to the interest of all
Americans that their President, OF what
party soever, should be patriot and
statesman. We heartily hope that the
successor of Cleveland will discharge his
exalted trust with the fidelity, ability