Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-05-10
ELIEs ON IHEM Az
weak Spots In the Careers or the Crop
of Republican FavorIte Sons

was large to begin with. and grows
larger every day.
When the National convention meets
in Chicago it will be embarrassed by
the number and variety of the big
booms and little boomlets that will
there and then rival and compete with
each other for the headship of the
ticket. In spite of the fact that within
the past three months more eminent
Republicans have declined to allow the
use of their names in this heretofore
much-coveted connection than are re-
corded to have run away from posi-
bility of q Presidential nomination in
the whole twenty-five preceding years.
there still remains host of available
men ready and eager to have the
mantle of Blaine descend upon them.
But the trouble with the descent of
Blaine's mantle is that not one of
these expectant statesmen appears to
have shoulders to which it can be fitted.
Some of the Republican brethren are
only Just waking up to the fact that
Blaine was. after all a large-sized
man politically, with an ample chest
measurement and quite spacious be-
tween the shoulders, and that the hole
he has left in the leadership of the
party by standing on one side is too
big to be filed up by any of the am
bilious gentlemen who are volunteer
ing for that service. Now that Blaine
is out of the field they are able to
realize that there were certain popu-
lar destinations about his remarkable
personality, and certain political
weights and values to his peculiar in
fiuence over large classes of voters,
which it is difficult to duplicate and
reproduce in naming his successor. 1t
may prove by and by that it is not
only difficult but an impossible thing
to do. As the weeks slip by and the Re-
publican National convention APP
proaches it grows to look more and more
as if there was not Il single leader left
in the party whose name. let it be shout
ed never SO loud and doomed never so
ZealouslY, could arouse it to half the
enthusiasm or stimulate it 10 half the
effort which it put forth in 1884.
There is John Sherman to begin
with, who is industriously picking up
delegates all over the South, and
threatens to turn up at Chicago as the
first choice of all the States which have
net single electoral vote to give any
Republican nominee. 1--WE like John
Sherman, say the friends of other
candidates, but he has no magnetism
and can not carry New York" True,
enough, he can not. John Sherman is
covered with flies, but this one is
enough to settle the matter. He is
not available.
Senator Allison has a well-devel-
oped Western support. but the friends
of the other aspirants have found the
flies on him. He is identified with the
Iowa Prohibitory policy, and the big
German Republican vote would be
alienated by his nomination, There
are other flies on Mr.. Allison, but this
one is enough. He can not safely be
taken.
General Harrison, of Indiana, looked
at one time like a judicious selection.
but Indiana is not united for him to
begin with, because of the Gresham
men, and besides that it is now re-
membered that Harrison has a bad
record on the Chinese question. and
would certainly lose all the Pacific
States. The flies are on Harrison. too.
Indiana's second entry, Judge Gres-
ham. is man with strong points, but
he has fy-blown record in the mat
ter of the historic shindy between the
stalwarts and half-breeds. Gresham
was a stalwart of the stalwarts,
Grant, Conkling and Arthur man.
This is not the kind of man to rally
united party, three-fourth's of whose
rank and file are worshippers of Blaine.
The flies ON Gresham can not be
brushed off
Ohio has another ambitious son,
Congressman Mckinley, man of solid
parts and a SNOWY orator into the bar
gain. But Mr.. Mckinley is one of the
highest of high protectionists and it is
now developed AS a positive feature of
the situation that the Northwestern
Republicans will not swallow high
protection of this radical type any
longer, and can not be relied upon to
support a candidate of that complex
ion. So that Mckinley is another case
of flies.
Senator ingalls,, of Kansas, is bril-
liant man in many ways. a sharp de-
batter, a fowery orator, with a rough
and ready tongue which the Repub-
hcan faithful both in and out of Con-
gress have on various occasions great |
~ admired and enjoyed. Mr.. ingalls,. |
too. had a promising boom. Where is |
that boom to dayP Killed by that I'M
fortunate speech aspersing the memo |
ries of Mcclellan and Hancock. There |
are more flies on Ingalls, than ever can |
be brushed off.
Coming East the sad story of flies is
continued Chauncey NJ. Depew ap-
pears to be prime local favorite in |
New York A right smart man he is. |