National Republican., 1888-06-01
An Endorsement for Allison.

EDITOR NATIONAL REPUBLICAN: AS you
have offered the use of your columns for
Republicans to express their preferences for
presidential candidates, | desire to say a
few words on the subject.
Now that Mr.. Blaine declines absolutely
to accept nominate on, the matter is re-
duced simply to Il question as to which of
several good men is the most available can
ddate.
It is an unfortunate fact that, under our
system of government and politics, the men
who have been longest In public life, and
are therefore the best qualified for the po-
sitiOn, cannot be nominated as a general
rule.
The reason is, that such men, during their
long public life, have said or done some
thing which, while right and proper at the
time and under the circumstances, can,
under the rapidly changing conditions of
new country like ours, be used against them
in political campaign. The unthinking
masses are influenced and controlled by the
subject hat is uppermost in the public
mind ut the time, and demagogues are ever
ready to seize on those subjects TO infame
the popular mind against the candidate. No
matter how valuable public servant he
may have been, no matter how great states
man, how patriotic or self-sacrfcing-al
that is signored, ispurposely keptin the back
ground, or, worse still, deliberately msrep-
resented by the party press and party speak
ers. Hence the effort always Is, In political
conventions to nominate an eXpediency can
didate instead of n true and tried statesman.
One has only to look back at the history of
| the nominations Of both parties from the
| time of Clay and Webster down to the nom
ination of Cleveland to see the truth of this
statement. No stronger illustration Of the
truth of the statement can be found or asked
| for than the setting aside of such man as
Thurman for one like Cleveland. 1t is no
wonder that the Post eXclaims, "Cleveland
and Thurman instead of Thurman and
| Cleveland! Great Scott!''
This being the condition of affairs, our
party, like all Others, must consider the
| question of eXpediency as well as fitness.
The question is: Is there not among the
numerous candidates mentioned one who
| combines both fitness and eXpediency If
so, lie is the man to nominate. In my
| opinion that man is William b. Allison, of
Iowa. There is no question, political or
financial, on which his record is not alb
| solutely sound and correct; so that, so far as
the party requirements and the best interests
| of the nation are concerned, he fills the bill
| in every respect. lie has had long eX-
| perience in public affairs, is thoroughly
| familiar with every subject affecting the
| public interests, and is in every respect
thoroughly equipped for the position of
lTCslutnt'
Then, as to the question of expedency
think there can be no question. lie was a
| volunteer in the war, was elected to the
House for the thirty-eighth Congress In 1864,
| ana has been a member and senator con
tinu9usly to the present time. During all
that time, and amid all the heated contro-
vcrses that have taken place, no man Of any
party has ever questioned his personal or
| political integrity. His name has never
been associated with any job, or any syndi-
cate, monopoly, or corporation seeking the
aid Of Congress, and above all, no one has
ever breathed the suspicion that he ever, In
any manner or instance, used or sought to
use his political position to put money inhis
own pocket. It, therefore, seems to me
that he completely fills the bill, both as to
fitness and eXpediency. As the matter now
stands see no other man who in my
opinion, would be so fit or strong candi-
date, and sincerely hope, for these reasons,
that hewill he nominated by the Chicago
| convention.
An OLD TINE REpuDIIcAN.
MAY 30. 1855.