The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-04-21
Cleveland stnl the Favorite.

! Representative Springer. the leading
northern candidate for speaker. was asked
| in Richmond, Va, the other day what he
/ though OF Cleveland's chances in 1892. He
answered: "Cleveland's anti-silver letter,
/ coming at the time it did. made decided
/ stir and provoked anti-Clevelaud express
sions among certain leaders. Anything like
/ bitter opposition has passed away, however,
and to-day the party is simply in a state Of
earnest inquiry. l am silver man and
come from a state in which the democracy
is for free silver. But if we find in 1892
| that Mr.. Cleveland will make the strongest
candidate before the country we will be
for Cleveland Mr.. Cleveland is the only
man now who has a concentrated national
following"
Mr.. Springer sees, what every other
shrewd politician does, that Mr.. Cleveland
is the only man in the Democratic party
who has a national following. And,
although he is strongly in favor Of the free
coinage of silver, he will favor Mr.. CIeve-
lands nomination if be finds when the con-
vention meets that he is the strongest can
didate that can be nominated. And, at this
time, there is no reason to doubt that Mr..
Cleveland will be the strongest candidate.
There are comparatively few expressions
Of hostility to him now among those
who were the bitterest in their opposition
to him Immediately after his anti-silver
letter was published. There are several
reasons for this gradual weakening of the
opposition TO him.
One is that there is a growing doubt that
the free coinage of silver would be a good
thing for the country. Those who have
studied the silver question carefully see
that the country has almost free silver
coinage now, and that absolute free coinage
would not very greatly increase the volume
of the currency while it might cause in
calculabie evils.
Another reason is that the country has q
profound admiration for Mr. Cleveland's
honesty. He is not political trimmer. He
has opinions relative to public questions, and
he expresses them freely. He could
very easily have avoided writing a
letter against the free coinage Of silver. 1t
was admitted that his nomination In 1892
was almost certain. He knew that if he op-
posed free silver coinage he would make
many enemies and jeopardize his chances for
the nomination. But the injury he might
do his political prospects did not deter him
from saying what he believed was the
truth. The people admire his courage and
mis- honesty, and they are beginning to
think that it would be much better to have
thoroughly honest man FOR President than
one of douot political honesty.
And third reason is the one that Mr.
Springer gives. Mr.! Cleveland is the only
democratic leader who has a concentrated
national following. His followers are
strong in every state, and their number is
steadily increasing. Gov. Hill may be
strong in New York, but in what other
state has he followingl And there are
other leaders who have many admirers in
their respective states. but no one of them
has a national following. 1t will not do to
assume that Mr. Cleveland is out of the
race, for he is not. He is in it, and is we'll
in the lead.