New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-07-24
4 FADING STIR.

in favor with his party. The most credit
able act of his public career, his earnest letter
against free coinage of silver, was credltable
chiefly because it was in direct defiance of a
purpose and feeling which had proved over
whelming in his party. The anxiety of Dem
ocratic editors to capture the support OF ALI
ance men, and at an earlier date of the old
GreenbaclS element and the infatiOnists and
regulators of the West and South, had been
too powerful to be stemmed by any leader
Sagacious Democrats have seen that this ten
dency would expose the party to defeat, be-
cause it would turn against it the powerful man
ufacturing and commercial interests, particular
y in Eastern States, and on this conviction Mr.
Cleveland doubtless acted. But the demagogueS
in Western and Southern States, being In
fnitey more anxious to secure success for them
selves in those States than to promote Ma
tional triumph for their party, went on court
ing the support of free coinage fanatics. Even
to this day, men who know better and admit
that they know better are giving their adhesion
for the sake of gaining votes. Thus Governor
Campbell, Of Ohio, personally believes that the
declaration in the Ohio platform was an error,
and he would have confined silver coinage to
"an amount sufficient to keep both metals in
circulation on parity" he affirms. Neverthe-
less, he SAYS of the ree-coinage plank in the
Ohio platform
/ think it will make US votes. The Alliance and the
Peoples party have also declared favor of free coin
age am not going back on the platform.
but IL Is not Just as would have preferred it, The
party in the State. you know, is almost evenly dl-
vded the silver plank having been adopted by vote
Of 400 to 800 and should have advised less radical
expression. thought 1t a mistake to have the dues-
ton projected so strongly into the campaign but ac
quiesced in the desire Of the majority.
Evidently he wants the votes of the Alliance
and Peoples party men, as the smaller poll
ticians who hope to be candidates for local
offices also desire the support of the free coinage
fanatics, and so they all "acquiesce in the de-
sire of the majority" All over the West and
South Democratic politicians who are anxious
for place are pursuing the same course. Whether
they believe in free coinage or not they are
acquiescing in the desire of the majority in
the hope of catching more votes This posi-
ton drives them into antagonism to Mr. Cleve-
land, and it is already evident that Governor
Campbell thinks he may be an eligible cam
ddate for the Presidency if he can carry Ohio
this fall
1t is not the antagonism of the leaders which
causes most difficulty. If the rank and file, the
great body of Democratic voters, were in &C
cord with Mr.. Cleveland on this question, he
could afford to disregard the feeling OF am
bilious local politicians. The trouble is that
the Democratic voters have for many years
been educated by these same local leaders to
accept the most dangerous monetary theories.
Had these leaders contended against unlimited
coinage of silver as some Of them are now con-
tending against the Sub-Treasury scheme, for
their self-preservation, it is probable that in
Ohio the large majority of Democratic voters
would have opposed free coinage, and in other
Western and Southern States the opinion OF
the party would have been so far divided that
opposition to this heresy would not have cost
n man his chances of success. But as matters
stand the temper of the voters is such that
Mr.. Cleveland would be for them a most un-
acceptable candidate particularly where the
Alliance or Peoples party movement shows
some strength. AS the election approaches it
becomes clearer every day that the Democratic
party will have to depend for success largely
upon these quas-independent movements and
the possibility that they may divide Republican
voters
Another sign Of Mr.. Cleveland's waning pros
poets is that The Saturday Globe" an insti-
tuition apparently organized and kept up for the
purpose of promoting his political chances, has
suspended publication for want of support. 1t
is stated that "an eminent fnancier and rail-
road man. had furnished the needful funds to
keep the institution alive, and it had been of
great service to Mr.. Cleveland as his literary
bureau, from which emanated all manner Of
circulars and appeals to the Democratic party,
and it was at this Office that his speeches were
set up in advance for distribution. Indeed ac-
cording to "The New-York SUM-" Mr. George
F. Parker, who has been the editor Of this
paper, states that he had received from Cleve-
land to be put in type manuscripts Of speeches
at Rochester, at the Reform Club dinner and
elsewhere, which appeared 70 be delivered ex-
temporancously. Having been carefully COM
mitted to memory, the speeches were duly de-
liCered some time after they were put in type.
The collapse of an institution so closely con-
nected with Mr.. Clevelands interests financial
~ and otherwise, would seem to indicate 4
waning confidence in his fortunes and his future.
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