The Portland daily press., 1888-11-08

The defeat of Mr.. Cleveland recalls som e
interesting precedents in Democratic poll
tics. Since the days of Andrew jackson the
Democratic party has held the reins CT goy-
ernment for twenty years, but never in all
that time has one of their Presidents
been reelected, nor until the days of Cleve-
land had one of them been re-nomlnated,
except Martin Van Buren. When Andrew
jackson retired in 1886 Martin Van Buren,
who had long been his political protege, be
came his political heir. Van Buren, was re-
nominated in 1S40 when he was calamitous-
ly defeated by William Henry Harrison.
The general hard times and dissatisfaction
with the administration and with the indus
trial c 'ndltlons OF the country are response
BILE for Van Buren's defeat. Southern oppo-
sition 10 him may have been a c, ntrihutory
caus' but Southern opposition was not
nearly so fatal to Van Duren as Southern
friendship has been to every one of his
Democratic successors. After William Hen
ry Harrison's term had been finished out by
John Tyler the Democrats In 1874 nomin
ated and elected James K Polk of Tennes
see. But they did not venture to re-nomin-
ate him. He had been identified with the
Southern pro-slavery wing of the party, and
was in open hostility to the anti-slayery
followers OF Democratic leaders like Silas
Wright In the North. de would plainly
not have been very acceptable in the North
had he been re-nominated. Lewis Cass, of
Michigan, who was nominated, was defeated
by the Wings, who voted for Zachary Tay-
lor in 1S4e. Ia 1852 the Democrats won with
Franklin Pierce, but they did not venture to
re-nominate him in 1856. when the North
was in little mood to accept tool of the
Southern slave holders. James Buchanan.
who was nominated, was elected, but in 1860
his relations with the South had been such
that he was not to be thought of as a candi-
date. The fact was that the Democratic par
tywas, during these onte-belLum days, a party
Of the South prevailing through the South
and few Northern strongholds like New
York city. Expediency generally dictated
that he should not be Southern man in
order that he might succeed as candidate,
while after he was elected eXpediency again
generally dictated that he should act as a
man with Southern principles because in the
South lay the political influence necessary to
sustain his administration. And the situu-
tion that prevailed before the war exists to-
day, though few of the Democratic man.
ayers have been astute enough to see it.
The Democratic party is Southern party
succeeding If at all through its alliance with
New York city. A Northern man must be
the party's candidate because a Southern
man would not do; but the Northern man as
soon as he gets in Office must act on Southern
principles because In the South lies his polt-
ical support. Compliance with this neces-
sity must inevitably render him unacceptable
In the North, and prudence would decree
him an unacceptable candidate for second
term. 1t was inevitable that Mr.. Cleveland.
elected by Southern electoral votes, should
as President conform to the wish of his free
trade supporters in the South as mis- prede-
cessors before the war conformed to South
ern pro-slavery sentiment; and it was
equally inevitable that be should thereby
ALLEVIATE large section of his Northern sup
port. he has failed, as every Democratic
President since Andrew Jackson has failed,
to secure second term. This fact is an
interesting feature of American politics.