The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1888-11-30
DEMOCRATIC DANA DISCUSSES POLITICS.
GfvtnG His Opinion Of What Caused Defeat
Of Me Democracy.

Gfvtn0 His Opinion of What Caused Defeat
Of the Democracy.
Charles a. Dana, of the New York
Sun, while spending n few days in Paris,
WIS called upon by n correspondent and
unbosoined himself thus on American
politics:
"Mr. Cleveland was beaten in the re-
cent contest for tka simple reason that
a majority of the people chose to vote
against him. Many things contributed
to the result. In the first place, the
chances are all against the reelection
of any man as president. Since 1882
only two men have been twice placed in
the office of chief magistrate. These
we're Lincoln and Grant, and they both
were kept in the white house under ex-
ceptional circumstances. The military
record of General Grant made him n
public hero, and Abraham Lincoln
would never have been reelected
but for the continuance of the war.
President Van Buren, was most popular
during his first term, and he had the
support of jackson. Yet when he ran
for n second term in 1910 he was over
whelmingly defeated. Therefore, on
general principles, in order to insure a
president a second term of office there
must he something of special and un-
usual Importance to commend him tC
public favor.
"Mr. Cleveland had no such element
to aid him. On the contrary, he was
handicapped in many ways. He had no
strong personal friends. He was cor
daily disliked by the leaders of the
democratic party and the political di-
~rectors of the democratic press. Even
before the election l do not believe
there was a more unpopular person IN
the United States than he, and after
next March, when the game is all over,
the universal wonder will be how such a
man as Cleveland ever came to fill such
a high position.
During his administration he die
nothing to win the confidence and sup
port of his party. In fact, he did moi
care a copper for the real interests OF
the democrats. What he worked and
schemed for from beginning to end was
the welfare and advancement of Mr..
Grover Cleveland. In his manner to.
wards his supporters he was always cold
and Overbearing, and he never by any
chance put himself ont to be courteous OF
accommodating. He thought himself a
man o fdestiny and so far above his follow
ers that he could kick them about as he
pleased. He has finally discovered his
mistake. He was always trying to pro-
duce a sensation which would make peo-
any given line of action so much be-
oouca ba ha1iaral IN ~ 90 laoouca ba la-
lieved in advantages for himself. He
did not dare to veto either the oleomar-
garine bill or the river and harbor bill,
although he was convinced that they
both were unwise. He did veto q lot OF
pension bills because he saw an oppor-
tunity to set people talking. His knowl-
edge or oil things was superficial, and
i'll many things he made mistakes as to
what would really reboundt to his advan-
tage. His negotiation of the fisheries
treaty and the extradition teaty did him
much harm among the Irish and the
fishermen. If he had not been politically
dead already, of course his position on
the tariff would have finished him.
"This last election has forever settled
the free trade question. No party can
succeed in the United States which wav-
ers IN its adherence to protection. Cali
fornia wants protection for its wines and
woolens and fruits, Alabama wants it for
its iron, and so will Colorado in time.
The whole west wants it for the manu-
features and industries which are spring
ing up there as if by magic. The east
has always wanted it, and the south will
follow suit. h edemocrats were beaten
i'll a fair fight because they deserved to
be. There was never an election more
quiet and orderly. There was never one
with less corruption at the polls. The
talk about Cleveland having been knitted
in New York by Hill and Hewitt is nom
sense. Those two men aided rather
than injured the presidential candidate.
The bitterness which arose in New York
state by these f~actional j~ealousies re-
suited in drawing ont an enormous vote,
which always helps the democrats.
Furthermore, Hill gained thousands of
votes among the republicans who were
opposed to restricting the sale of liquor,
and many such men were thus led to
cast n straight democratic ticket. If the
democrats had chosen for their candi-
date a man without Cleveland's host of
enemies, and if they had excluded from
their platform anything which might be
construed as leaning toward free trade,
[ think there is no doubt they would
have been successful. AS it is they are
set back where they were twenty years
ago, and they have a republican MAORI
ty against them in both houses.