Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1888-07-18
THE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE.
I'm Some Respects n Strong Man, but He
VIII BE Defeated.


The long struggle at Chicago resulted
finally in the nomination of candidate
whose capacity can not be denied and whose
public record is free from reproach. Ex-
Senator Benjamin Harrison has neither the
positive political strength nor the positive
political weakness of either Blaine or Sher-
man; but this may prove TO be in his favor
rather than to his disadvantage in the pres
ent contest
1t will be said of Mr.. Harrison that he is
nominated for his name; that If his grand
father had not been President of the United
States and his great-grandfather a signer
of the Declaration of Independence he
would not have been the candidate. But,
says the New York World, this is idle talk.
Mr.. Harrison is available without reference
to the honorable positions occupied by his
ancestors. In the first place, he is prom
inent citizen of doubtful State and he had
the support of its delegates all but unani-
mously. He has good soldier record, hav-
ing gone into the war Second Lieutenant
of volunteers and having come out of it
Brevet Brigadier-General. He is thor
oughly equipped lawyer and he has expert
ence as a statesman, having served credit
ably for six years in the United States Sem
ate. He has always acted as a straight
party man, and his honesty has never been
questioned Moreover, he has always been
practical Civil-Service reformer and an
extreme protectionist, and when in Con-
gress he favored tax reduction by the abo-
htion Of internal revenue duties.
With these qualifications on his side it is
evident that Mr.. Harrison did not owe his
nomination entirely to his name, and while
his success may have been due to the anger
of the Blaine delegates at the obstinate re-
fusal of Mr.. Sherman to retire in favor OF
their chosen candidate, he is certainly as
available as any other person named in the
convention.
Mr.. Harrison's nomination has excited
no enthusiasm. 1t was received with re-
markable indifference, if not with absolute
disappointment, among the Republican poll
ticians of this city. Yet it is one which all
the warning Republican factions in New
York can support without heartburning.
There are two reasons why his candidacy is
fortunate. 1t leaves the issue of extreme
protection against tariff revision clear-cut
and distinct, and it removes all danger of
personalities in the campaign Mr.. Harri-
son has been all his life a high protection
ist, and there is no room for personal at
tacks on his character. He has associated
with him upon the ticket Mr. Levi p Nor
ton, an eminent New York financier, who
is personally unobjectionable and who has
long been recognized as faithful follower
of the protection banner.
While Mr.. Harrison would make an honor
able and acceptable President, he will be
beaten and he ought to be beaten because
he represents the interests of the favored
few against the interests of the many; be-
cause he stands pledged to a policy of retro
gression instead of progression; because he
is the candidate Of party which would
make the war taxes higher and the cost of
living greater instead of reducing taxation
by tariff revision which would lessen the
price of articles of necessity Thus the con-
test is not between Mr.. Cleveland and Cen
eral Harrison, but between extreme pro-
lection and honest tariff revision; between
Chinese wall of prohibitory duties and a
freer trade with all the world. The fight is
one of principle, not of persons, and the
Worlds opposition to Mr. Harrison is be-
cause he represents a principle which we
believe to be antagonistic to the prosperity
of the country and the welfare and happi-
ness of the people.