Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1888-02-09
The Democratic Dilemma.

The signs multiply that Nj. Cleyc-
I laui Is not wanted rs a candidate hy lii>
party In tins State the opposition Is
+ certainly growing stronger. as the par
/ tial success Of Governor Hill al the re-
cent meeting Of tho State Committee
plainly indicated The truth is that
/ Mr.. Cleveland has lost many of the
shrcw dest and most capable managers
! who formerly made the efforts on his
behalf irresistible The shrewlcr men
OF the party are perfectly aware that
his position on the tariff makes him a
weak candidate They would he glad
to yet rid OF him. for that and for other
reason, They know that Ms message
on the tariff question would be quoted
throughout the country, IN the event Of
his nomination, and would constitute a
platform from witch il would he i'm
possible for hi party TO escape. Not
even tn passage of moderate tariff
hill. if that were possible, couli break
tie force OF this message IN public
estimation. 1t has made him n candi-
date in whom all radical and extreme
Free Traders delight, and il has also
made INN candidate whose nomination
would prove dangerous TO his party in
every doubtful State.
But the democrats are. SO 10 speak,
/ bcmired in their own falsehoods. 1t is
uncertain whether they can now afford
to nominate anybody else. The trouble
Is that they have been putfing Mr.,
/ Clevland tor three wears, without the
slightest regard for truth. They have
made great many readers, OF the limo
cent class who conscientiously read
ouly one paper lest they should get
their minds confused. believe that Mr..
Cleveland is the one honest man in the
Democratic party; that his nomination
10y SO bad party was scarce y less than
a miracle that he has nobly and graudly
withstood the rascally tendencies Of
that party, and that his nomination is
now the only way to prevent terrible
calamity That is the prevalent Dem
ocratic and Mugwump doctrine. and
there are people so stupid that they be-
lieve il.
If Mr.. Cleveland should now be set
aside, these believers in his superhu-
man worth would be offended To
them it would seem triumph OF the
basest elements in his party that he was
not sustained and rewarded by renom-
ination. If an attempt were made TO
Justify change on account of his tariff
message. the case would not be inn
proved one whit. Then the radical
Free Traders would boil over. To
them it would seem au outrageous
thing that competent and upright
President should be refused renomina-
ton by his party for no other reason
,han because he had frankly expressed
the convictions they hold. These
voters, Of whom there are great
many in the doubtful States, would de-
clare that Mr. Cleveland had affirmed
in his message nothing more than nine
tenths Of The Democrats throughout the
country heartily believed, and that it
would destroy confidence in the good
faith of the party to punish President
for frankly stating its traditional be-
liefs ana honest convictions. Beyond
doubt, his defeat in convention under
such circumstances would cost his
party thousands of votes it every doubt
full State. That is the dilemma in which
the Democratic managers are just now
placed. If they nominate Mr.. Cleve-
land they have TO face the loss of thous-
ands of workingmen. If they do not
nominate him they have to face the
loss of thousands Of radical Free Ira
ders, and also of the innocents who be-
lieve that he is the one Heaven-inspired
reformer of this generatiou.-N. !.
| Tribune.