Los Angeles herald., 1890-04-11
THE SHADOW OF A HAT.

In the ordinary course of nature men
must have fathers, although the number
who can also claim the distinction of
having had grandfather is quite
limited. Unfortunately for Mr.. Harri-
son, he possessed such progenitor, and
one of very solid claims to recognition,
besides. William Henry Harrison was
times which tried mems souls. He was
also lucky in the adventurous circum-
stances of hard cider and log cabins !;
and, altogether, taking into view the
primitive character OF the. times, he was
a very considerable sort OF man. His
grandson, however, does not give much
support to Dalton's theory of heredity,
The question of what sort of President
the elder Harrison would have made
can, in the nature of things, never be
determined. He did not live long
enough to show how he would
have stood off the horde OF
bowling office-seekers who thronged
TO Washington TO look upon the
strange spectacle OF Whig Presi-
dent-a sight so rarely seen that it
formed the freak incident of our national
politics, occurring only twice in our
annals, once through panic and after
wards through the division of the
Democracy. But then the grandfather
might have made good President; and
as he wrapped his martial cloak around
him and sank into the grave, he did SO
with the good opinions OF all men.
By all accounts he wore a good-sized
hat, and that lively illustrated journal,
Puck, makes the most of this circum-
stance. Its cartoons representing the
grandson as covering under the capa-
cious expanse of his grandfather's SOM
brero have been one of the amusing
features of the day.
The fact is that no man in our modern
politics has ever shrunk so much as our
present worthy President. While there
was a noticeable wordiness in his ante
election speeches, on the whole he
handled himself well during the cam
in conciliatory mood, he was looking for
votes in every direction, and he prob
ably permitted himself to be coached
The moment he entered the White
1t was apparent that the little President
was in the saddle and running things.
In his own estimation, he Immediately
became bigger man than ''old Blaine,' y
who discovered him, and the result has
become noticeable. Hayes, owing to the
fact that all Democrats, and the clever
Republicans knew that he was fraud
ulent President, started under a cloud
which swelled and grew more portentous
day by day, and which lowered like
thunder when he left an Office to which
he had no valid title. But President
Harrison might have had things differ
emily. 1t was in his power to have
emerged from the shadow of his grand
fathers hat, but he neglected to embrace
the opportunity, or perhaps had not the
power to do 80.
AS it is today, he has lost every yes
tige of the popularity which he hat
when he entered office. Now none are
so poor as to do him reverence even in
his own party. One can traverse the
| length and breadth of the United States
without coming upon anybody who, in
the freedom of friendly converse, has a
good word to say for him. Whatever is
the cause this is the fact. The powerful
Republican leaders despise him un-
speakably, and he is slowly but irresist-
IDLY disappearing within the recesses OF
his grandfather's hat Wanamaker and
his $400, 900 corruption fund may be re-
sponsible for some portion of this un.
popularity, as may Matthew Stanley
Quay for another. But whatever the
cause, even the ability to dispose OF 6
great deal OF official patronage fails tc
protect the President from the contempt
even OF his own followers. This is baC
beginning OF the Republican admins
tration, and clearly indicates worse
ending. Ii Mr.. Harrison were to rur
for President tomorrow it is doubtful i
he could carry half dozen States.