The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-07-03
A CONFESSION OF HoPELEssNEss

Steve Elkins, the notorious Repub-
lican manager and corruptionist, was
Mr., Blaines foremost man in the con-
yention CT 1884, and through the mem
orable campaign of that year. Again in
1888 he was uncompromisiDgly for
Blaine, and had not some impetuious
chaps with less cunning and managerial
ability than he interfered with his plans
and arrangements, the man from Maine
would have been nominated last week.
1t was the lack of the peculiar kind of
skill requisite in such a convention, by
Mr.. Blaine's own friends, which de-
feated the gentleman. Elkins' plans
were all right. but he could not control
his co-Workers who were less e2-
perienced than he. By their bungling
and iIl-concealed zeal they defeated
Mr.. Blaine and disguised Elkins.
Having lost his o Tn man Elkins is
interesting himself in behalf of the
party's candidate. He has been spend
ing some days in Indianapolis with
General Harrison, doubtless blocking
out the campaign with the nominee,
and arranging for his share of the work
to be performed between now and
November. 1t may be remarked, in
passing, that it will do General Har-
rison no good to let it be known that
he is to be intimately connected with
Steve Elkins, or that the latter is to
have anything to do with the
management of this campaign. Harri
son was nominated less on account of
his ability as a statesman and leader
than because of his purity of character
and social, political and official clean
illness. The party knew that 1T had
many ADLER and brighter man than the
one selected, but none of the promi-
nent ones had uniformly good public
and private records. They could all be
attacked on more or less good grounds,
and defensive campaign as to candi-
dates as well as to platform was ugly
even to think about. Harrison was
taken because he was presumed to be
the cleanest of the prominent men in
the party, and the convention no
sooner adjourned than the most
notorious of the Republican manipu-
Iators and corruptionists goes to his
home and takes him under his wing.
This has an ugly look, and will cause
the psople-clean Republicans to ask if
it is necessary for the Hoosier to make
such a man as Elkins master Of his
councils.
Mr.. Elkins begins his booming of
Harrison by announcing through the
Associated Press, that the probabilities
Of General Harrison's election are very
f1attering; but unfortunately for him
and his party he states the
grounds upon which he bases
his prediction. If he had merely said
the outlook was promising, and left the
rest to popular imagination he would
have been wiser, but when he says why
there is promise, he proclaims how des-
perate and forlorn is the Republican
hope. He declares that the ticket will
be strong in the country districts of
New York because it has the approval
of Senator Warner Miller, and Miller is
to be the Republican candidate for
Governor of the Empire State this fall.
With the united Democracy the Repub-
licans scarcely dream of carrying New
York, and Warner Miller, with his
monopoly record, is one of the last
men one would think Of making ticket
popular among the people. All factions
of the New York Democracy heartily
support Cleveland, which fact removes
the great Empire State from the doubt
full column.
Then Mr.. Elkins says the chances of
the Republicans carrying New Jersey
and Connecticut are excellent. though
there is less reason for such belief now
than there was four years ago. Both
States are Democratic when New York
is Democratic, and both are almost Ger.
tain to vote for the candidate they sup
ported four years ago.
But the desperate nature of the
Republican hopes, and the supreme
gall of Mr.. Elkins are illustrated in the
impudent claim that there is proba-
bility of Republican success IN West
Virginia. and fighting chance in Vir-
GINA, two States which are as certain to
go Democratic as Iowa is to stand by
the candidate of the G. o, P.
Mr.. Elkins is endeavoring to inspire
hope and confidence in the breasts of
the disconsolate but he overdoes the
thing. He says too much. He tells
how utterly hopeless the case is. He
would do better by combining himself to
generalities.