The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-05-01
HARRISON ON Tue INSIDE TRACK.

Unless al reports are grossly deceptive, Mr..
Blaine has really finally decided TO withdraw
from the Presidential race, and. as far as he Is
concerned. leave the Geld open to Harrison
in 1892. Dir. Stephen Elkins. who is an inti-
mate friend. and. to some extent, the right
hand man Of Blaine declares that the Secre-
tary Of State will soon make formal announce
Inent Of the fact that he will not per-
NIT his name to go before the nomi-
Mating convention at all, and that he
certainly will not oppose Mr.. Harrison. In
fact it is intimated that his positive assurance
that he would not antagonize his chief was
made q condition precedent to his being
offered the portfolio of State. Then again.
Mr.. Russell b. Harrison, son Of the President
asserts editorially that Blaine will not, under
anv circumstances. be candidate, and that
IF there be any doubt in the mind of the
public in reference 10 this matter, Mr.. Blaine
will in due time. and in his own way, utterly,
finally. and absolutely dispel that doubt"
1t seems. therefore. emphatically decided
that Blaine will not only not oppose his chief,
but that he will give all his influence and sup
port towards securing his denomination. This
places Harrison on the inside track, and will,
unless something unforeseen occurs between
now and the summer of '92, most probably
give him the much coveted honor of being en-
tered for the second time in the Presidential
race as the standard-bearer Of his party.
From a Democratic standpoint. it is most
earnestly to be hoped that nothing unforeseen
will happen to prevent such a result for If
the Democracy can beat anybody at oil they
certainly can beat Harrison. His adminstra-
ton up 10 this time has been confessedly the
weakest the country has ever known, with
the possible exception of the de-facto one of
Hayes. and while he has some strength IN the
East. he is more unpopular than any other
Republican leader who could be
named in the South and West, not even
excepting Car Reed. In the South
he has recently made number Of very
good speeches, highly eulogistic Of the pro-
gress which this section has made, and e1-
pressing the most earnest wishes for her
future wealth and prosperity. But it will
never be forgotten that he did not determine
upon the experiment Of endeavoring to
strengthen himself in the South by the policy
of cancellation until he had resorted TO every
possible expedient 10 have this section bound
hand and foot and placed, fettered and help
less, completely at his mercy through the
medium of the Force bill. Even if the main
tenance of Southern civilization did not
compel the South to be Democratic, this fact
alone would prevent her people from voting
for any candidate with such a record.
SO in the West he can hardly hope to make
any capital He. from the first, heartily ap-
proved of the Mckinley bill, which grinds the
farmers of that section to the earth by levy
ing heavy tribute upon them for the benefit
of the protected manufacturers of the East.
and had il not been for the long-headed
sagacity of Blaine, they would not have been
afforded even the meagre relief offered them
by reciprocity. 1t is not likely that in 1892
they will be induced TO change the verdict
rendered by them against this iniquity in
1890, and they assuredly will not do so if one
of the main advocates of their oppression is
again presented.to them for their suffrages.
The outlook, therefore, for the Democracy
is most encouraging With the Republican
party forced to enter the race handicapped
by the Mckinley law and the billion-dollar
Congress, the Democrats ought TO win an
easy victory even over Blaine, and Cleveland,
or whoever else may be their favorite, should
certainly have no trouble in distancing so
foundered competitor for the Presidential
sweepstakes as Harrison.