Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-10-26
LOOKS WESTWARD.
Blackburn Tired of Candidates
from New York.
HIS POSITION AS TO CLEVELAND.

For Him IL Soe Is the Most Available
Candidate, but Inclined to Take Leaf
Out of the Republican Book-A Boom
ior Morrison of Illinois-Some Unique
Resolutions Adopted by an Alliance
Meeting in Texas-Boycotting q Peo-
pies Party Organ.
WASHINGTON, Oct. Ex-senator Black
burn. who is in the city for few days,
talks freely about Democratic presiden-
tial candidates and his attitude toward
Cleveland. When told that he had been
credited with saying that he is about the
only man In Kentucky who is against
Cleveland as the Democratic standard
bearer in 1892, he said:
That is not fair way of putting nv posi-
ton. If when the time comes to make a NOM
lnation Mr.. Cleveland appears to be the strong
est man IN the party, and the man with whom
we can win, will be for him. know a num-
OF people have tried to make it appear that at
the recent Democratic convention in nv state
struck blow at Cleveland. l did not
was, 1t is true, chairman of the committee on
resolutions that drafted the party platform.
Free Silver Good Democratic Doctrine.
In that platform incorporated free silver
coinage plank. Some people said that did it
as slap at Cleveland on account of what
considered his injudicious, unnecessary and
gratuitous silver letter. As matter of fact,
Mr. Cleveland was not in my mind at all.
Kept within the lines of the national Demo-
cratic platform of 1884 upon that subject. /
did not mean to slap at Mr.. Cleveland or any
other man. He had accepted the nomination
upon the platform of 1884, had gone to the
country, and had been elected president. 1t
was a broad declaration of friendship to
silver, and if there has been any change in the
party front upon this national issue since
1854 down TO the present do not know it.
Cleveland Not Indicated just Now.
That the tariff is the pivotal issue in the con-
test all Intelligent men know, and all honest
men admit, but to ignore the currency and
silver issue some people think would be mis-
take, and with their conclusions I am dis
posed to agree am frank to confess, that at
the present time Mr.. Cleveland does not ap-
pear to be the most available candidate, but
the present conditions may change by next
spring. l know that in 1888 there were ele-
ments in New York who deliberately knitted
MIR. Cleveland, and thus kept the Democratic
party out of the control of the executive
branch of the government. l have learned
nothing since then to make me believe that
these Democrats have either repented or re-
Tented, or that they will not do worse next
time. do not believe that either Cleveland
or Hill can carry New xork. The factional
fight is too great. If il is necessary TO have a
candidate from New York there are other men
upon whom all can unite.
Prefers a Western Man Anyway.
But hope the day will come, if it has not
already come, when abe Democratic party will
not be dependent upon New York for its
standard-bearer. There has been no Demo-
cratic candidate for the presidency since Bu-
chanan's time who has not come from New
York. Mcclellan was said to be from New
Jersey, but everybody knows he was New
York man. Hancock was accredited to Penn
sylvania, but doubt if he had lived in that
state for twenty years. The Republican party,
on the contrary, has always taken its presi-
dent from the west, around Ohio, Illinois and
Indiana, and We can learn a lesson from them.
If Campbell wins his fight in Ohio this year
it will certainly put him in the foremost list of
available men.
Western Democrats will be interested
in knowing that another movement to
make William r. Morrison, of Illinois, a
candidate for the presidency is on foot.
The suggestion does not come from Illi-
nois. nor from the west, for that matter.
but from the south and southwest, where
a number of Democratic leaders are so
welded to the free silver idea that they
are looking for a man to nominate in
n1aca of Clayeland