Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-08-20

Democratic LEADERS iurafn1m Doubt.
Thick Foss Around hfh6A ClsssaAnd
Ship and 1oohsrgs Npnr.
What can be the marterf why these
signs Of hesitafien and panief The Demo
cratic candidnte was nominated in. St.
Louis the first Of June. II Is now past |
the middle of August, and yet he has Civ
en- his party no formal notice of his accept |
ance. Pledged solemnfy four years ago
not to seek and accept nomination for al
second term. he sought it in the most no
torious manner. but has not yet yet avowed
in writing his acceptance. With the most
obvious reasons Of curiosity the public is
desirous of knowing why he hesitates to
permit his letters of acceptance see the
light. His leading supporters are showing
signs of hesitation and fear, and Democrat
ic newspapers are hedging, apologizing,
and denying that the message and the plat
form mean what they say. Even Texas
Mills shows signs of trepidatioB. Have
the Bourbon managers, the influential mem-
bers of their National Committee, impressed
on their candidate the danger to which he
is exposed by the popular uprising against
| Free Trade. There can be no doubt that
he is hesitating between two lines of action.
Those leaders of the party who see clearly
| that the Protection sentiment is likely to
be Irresistible in November. and are not
blind to the landslide for Harrison
| which is taking with it large number
| of Democrats, think to avert disaster by
hedging and trying to straddle. Others
high in Democratic councils see the
hazards to which their party is exposed
by attempting to change their line of
battle at so late an hour in the campaign.
| The message Of December has been pub
lished to the world. The Mills bin has
been endorsed by the party in long
debate and by vote which cannot be re-
called. The platform has been adopted
and Cleveland stands sQuarely upon it.
The latter class of Bourbon leaders see
that it is too late to attempt retreat in
the face Of united and increasing foe.
To hedge now, to make apologies. and
denials against facts and records patent
to all, they think more dangerous than to
boldly advance. As a matter Of tactics, as
well as of permanent policy, these think
the latter line of action is the wiser. be
yond all question, if Cleveland were to
follow his own inclination he would
stick to the logic and intent of his message
and to the plain terms Of the st. Louis
platform. He is stolid, conceited, and
self-willed. He would make his letter
of acceptance condensed statement OF
the doctrines of the message and the
platform and nail his cOlOrs to the mast.
But there are those ice-bergs directly in
the track of the ship. The fog is so
thick that it closes down on the very
decks. No experienced captain forces
his vessel blindly through such dangerous
uncertainty. Gorham, Barnum, and
many others, call for backing the engines.
son if those Democratic manufacturers
would stick by us. If Randall could get
well and help us. If the crowds of Irish
Americans would work side by side with
the British Free Traders in our behalf.
Grover, you must hedge, or all is lost"
But then the Bourbons stand between the
President and the trinlmers. They point
out to him that sit is too late
Common sense says, sit Is
too late The real battle is
between Protection and Free Trade. 1t
must be fought. out by the two great par
ties who represent these antagonistic sys-
tens. 1t is in vain that slippery politi-
clans repeat the words hedge, HEDGE.
Grover, in your letter Of acceptance
Cowardice in the face of the enemy is
fatal weakness. Hesitation and doubt
only increase the danger. The roaring
rocks of shipwreck and defeat are on either
hand. But defeat, with honor, feet to the
foe, and your own flag flying, is far bet
ter than to fall ingloriously after the de-
NAL of doctrines and pledges, the repudia-
ton Of allies, the resort to cheating and
lying devices, and the shameful surrender
of all you have maintained to be necessary
to the nations welfare. No, gentlemen,
the Republicans care not arush whether
you hedge or boldly stick to your ground.
You have lost the confidence of the bust
ness men of the country. The people are
in earnest. The friends of American labor
are in earnest. In this great contest be-
tween American interests and British in
terests the patriotism of the land is with
eharlatans and trimmers. The defeat of
the Clevelandites and their British allies
is to be made certain by the remarkable
| American pOpular uprisin0