Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-10-21
THE TIDE TURNING.
a Cleveland Drift In the Doubtfui
States.

lead one to believe that the other thirty
four States will 60 next November as
they went four years ago. OF course,
there may be political cyclone in the
air, Of which no one has any
idea. Such thing has been talked
of among enthusiastic politicians and
party men, who elect their candidates by
tremendous majorities, half a dozen
times over, between September and the
first Tuesday after the first Monday in
November. But these lightning cal.
culators are not to be depended on vely
much, as their enthusiasm and desire to
be successful entirely overturn what little
sober judgment they originally possessed.
Election times are perilous for men " hose
Judgment is not of the soundest.
1t may have been already written in
the book of fate that Illinois, Michigan
and California are to cast their electoral
votes for Cleveland and Thurman; on
the other hand it may have been de-
creed that West Virginia and Old Vir-
ginia shall help to swell the Republican
column, and lead in the revolt to break
the Solid South.
All these things are possible-but not
probable in this year of grace, 1883.
Party alignments are going to be
drawn very close at this election.
and it is safe to say that the doubt
ful States, the three Eastern and In
diana will decide whether Grover Cleye-
land shall remain in Office for four wears
more, or whether Benjamin Harrison
and James G. Blaine shall see how much
they can improve the business of govern
ment over that as carried on by their
predecessor. For my part if l was iii
charge OF this campaign, for either party,
Iwould concentrate all my energies in
those four States and let the local
committees look after their own To-
calities. The place to put your
best troops is in the heart of the
battle and not in the rear guard.
CLEVELAND DRIFT.
It rather looks to me as if the senti-
meut in the four doubtful States was
more favorable to Cleveland than to
Harrison. This may be reversed week
before election, but certain it is that to.
day Cleveland has the inside track. l
don't mean that he has sure thing of it
by any means, but the odds are in his
favor, and were the election to take place
in the next seven days, and if l was a
betting man, my money would be put
upon Mr.. Cleveland.
A week or so ago mildly suggested to
Senator M. S. Quay, in whose hands
more than anyone's else, the destines of
the Republican party now repose, that
Mr.. Blaine was making himself entirely
too conspicuous for the good OF the cause,
and that the inevitable result of his pos
ing as the leader of the Republican party
would be that thousands of men would
become SO disgusted that they would
sooner vote for Cleveland than for Blaine,
under the disguise of electing Harrison.
Any man who has only one eve and
half an ear, and keeps them open, must
agree with me that Blaine in this cam
paign, may produce the same conse-
quences as that particularly lively COM
bination, the servant girl, the kerosene
can and the stove. Once in a great
while the kerosene can really has func-
lion to perform, and although the
slsks taken are enormous the de-
sired end is attained, but as
general thing the result is a cor
oner's case and job for the under
taker. Well, that is about the same
relation that MIR. Blaine bears to the
Republican party. He may do it some
good, but the chances are more than
even than the consequence of his
prominence will be
A GRAND EXPLOSION
Which will involve himself no less than
everybody else in disaster.
Blaine has the unfortunate knack of
saying things which always turn up to
plague him at critical times. Perhaps
there is no man in public life who has
said or done more foolish things than the
Magnetic Florentine Mosaic, and because
OF this unfortunate gift he has been un-
successful, when men with abilities far
less have triumphed. Had Blaine
stayed out of the canvass, the ticket
would to-day be much stronger in New
York. l have pointed out already
in a previous article that the Stall
warts would rather see Cleveland
elected than Harrison win, if the latter's
election means the re-entry of Blaine
into public life, and they cannot see
how Harrison can ignore Blaine, if he is
elected. If Harrison should pledge
himself to the Stalwarts not to recognize
Blaine after his election be would
ALLEVIATE the Blaine men, by no means
inconsiderable and influential BODY of
voters. On the other hand, unless he does
the Stalwarts will initiate the example
Of their great leader and sulk in their
tents. So candidate Harrison is between
two stools, and staring him in the face is
the prospect of landing on the ground.
l was talking, day or two since. with
. lifelong Republican and man who
has as great veneration for the memory
of Conkling as Representative Boutelle
has for the son of Maine. This man was
talking about Blaine, and with an air of
determination that showed how terribly
in earnest he was he said that if Blaine
did not retire at once he would vote for
Cleveland, and he added that he knew
of scores of other men who would do the
same thing.
Well, you may set it down for a fact
that Blaine will not retire. He is not of
the retiring kind.
EQUALLY FOOLISH IN INDIANA.
Blaine's going to Indiana l regard as
the height of bad political generalship.
and l cannot understand what induced
him to do 80. In Michigan he has al.
ways had strong following, but in
Indiana he has never been particularly
strong, When, in addition to this, it is
remembered that four years ago he
offered the most deadly insult to the peo-
pie OF the entire State; that he
charged the courts of Indiana
the highest courts, be it remem-
bered-with being so corrupt and pre-
iudiced. that IL was i'm nossihIa for h;, =