Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1888-08-09
AN HONEST COMPARISON.
Cleveland Overtopped by Harrison-Why
the Latter Is Preferable.

| No CONSCIENTIOUS ana lntelllgent RepuDll-
can, whatever his opinions as to administra-
tive policies or his preference as to candi-
dates, should hesitate for m oment in giving
an emphatic, all sufficient reason why he will
support Harrison and oppose Cleveland. AS
one candidate only can be nominated where
number are named, and one platform only
can be adopted where dozen may be sug-
gested, personal dissatisfaction or disappoint-
ment is inevitable But with every true Re-
publican it must yield to the will of the ma
jority and end in a generous and faithful
support of the ticket, provided only the can
didates represent the cardinal principles of
Republicanism.
Such is emphatically the case at present.
Gen. Harrison is pronounced, lifelong Ma
tionalist, loyal and faithful under all cir
cumstances to the great Republican doctrines
for which he risked his life on the battlefield
Grover Cleveland is the opponent of these
principles-a political associate of eX-Rebels
and l,ecessionists, an admirer of Calhoun
ism, and rewarder of state sovereignty ad-
vocates, whose hands were raised against the
national flag. No Republican worthy of the
name can hesitate in choosing between these
| men.
Questions of policy are subordinate to the
cardinal doctrine of Republicanism. That
the government is supreme in its jurisdic-
| tion and represents an indestructible union
| of indissoluble states, and as a sovereign
| power owes protection to and claims al
| legiance from all its citizens at home and
| abroad, is the VITAL fundamental doctrine of
the Republican party.
1t took this doctrine from Washington,
Hamilton and Adams, who first announced
it, from Webster. Wno expounded and cham
pioned it with matchless ability, and even
from Jackson, who was a Nationalist at
! heart and who was drawn by accident
and party suction into an organization with
which he did not sympathize and to which
he did not properly belong.
| Gen. Harrison is a Republican by instinct,
| reason and inheritance. His grandfather,
| the ninth president, was a Nationalist who
attested the strength Of his convictions by
making Daniel Webster, the great defender
| of the Union and the Constitution, his chief
cabinet adviser. All the Harrisons since then
have believed in Webster's doctrine of ma
tional supremacy and that the citizens high
est allegiance is to the nation.
When the doctrine was assailed by organ
lied rebellion under jeff Davis, l.. q. G. La
mar ct al, the present Harrison left his fam
lily unprovided for in case of his death, and
went to the front, putting his life in peril
throughout the war in aiding to suppress the
attempt to dismember the Union and set up
state sovereignty. Grover Cleveland, a hale
young man, without family on his hands,
refused to raise his hands for the Union at
the time of its greatest peril, and even when
drafted he hired foreign alien substitute
and still declined to wear the blue. That he
remained at home through cowardice cannot
be believed, for he is known to be brave per-
sonally. Without family responsibilities, ro-
bust and in the vigor of his youth, he might
have responded to Lincoln's call, and his
courage and strength of will would have
enabled him to render his country splendid
service and gain for himself honor, whether
he survived or not. Cleveland had the youth,
robustness, fearlessness and will power to
have made a fine military commander
and might have won for himself the rank
Of a major general, as well as the greater
honor of having done something to preserve
the Union and destroy the curse of human
slavery. That he failed to embrace the op-
portunity open to him can be explained only
by the fact that he did not believe, as Har-
rison did, in national sovereignty, but held
firmly to Calhounism, and thought the legal
right was with jeff Davis and the rebellious
states. He believed they were within their
constitutional rights when they seeded; that
it was a violation of the Constitution for the
Lincoln government to use force to preserve
the Union and the Constitution. and that it
was unconstitutional to save the Constitution
So believing he remained at home, and in
1864 gave his support to the party which de-
clared the war for the Union a failure and
believed that the Union soldiers were en-
gagged il unconstitutional work So holding
he voted gainst manhood suffrage, opposed
the adoption Of the war amendments to the
Constitution, and at every point antagonized
the doctrines for which Harrison fought and
struggled.
Instead Of upholding national supremacy,
Mr.. Cleveland gave his support TO the state
sovereignty doctrine and held the federal
government to be the creation of a league or
compact between sovereign states. He did
not even allow the federal government the
dignity Of resting on a contract, for in bis
view any of the parties could withdraw at
pleasure without responsibility for injury or
damage to the Union. According to Cleve-
land, Calhoun and JEFF Davis the federal
government existed only by virtue of
power of attorney from the states, and this
power could be revoked and Cancelled at any
time--each state to be the judge for itself of
the sufficiency of the cause and of the time
for secession.
Having at most critical time refused to
give his support to the doctrine of national
ity and allegiance to the nation, Cleveland
bestowed his sympathies instead upon Cal
hounism. Mr. Cleveland today holds the
chief magistracy by virtue of notification of
the laws and Constitution of the United
States in several southern states. Free suf-
frage was stamped out, national citizenship
denied, and the war amendments nullified
in order to make him president He can be
reelected only by resort to the same
means on the part Of his ex-Rebel and Seces-
sionist supporters. His election would score
another triumph fer the anti-national, state
supremacy dogma, just as Harrison's would
attest another victory for nationality and
allegiance to the nation.
In this situation any Republican who can
be led away from the support of Gen. Har-
rison because of dissatisfaction regarding
the amount of duty on certain imports and
the extent of the free list and the tax on
wool is unworthy the party name he bas
claimed, and has yet to learn the funda-
mental principles of Republicanism Chi
cago Tribune.
Dreams of Disaster.