The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-03-15
THE PRESIDENCY.

yesterday's papers con'a'no"
.,r,Linc statements bearing on the Question:
.who shall the Democrats nominate !" mat
III. ala Roman. rs he is well called, Hon.
A. q. Thurman, said
"W;th the poor. the farmer, the merchant.
.he banker. the laboring man. as well as inc
'narufacturer. Mr.. Cleveland ~ strong wners
n,her Democrats. possibly more brilliant,
more successful so far as politics enter INTO
and make what ia by some regarded as states
manship. are weak and wavering."
TIE TINES quoted special from the South
to the Philadelphia Telegraph in which its
correspondent said:
Some of Mr.. Hills friends are very dubi-
| Gus about his accepting the many invitations
| which are extended TO him to make speeches.
| in the South. The plan TO work mp the mn
| boom in that section was Of their own ihahins'
! and il was calculated that 1t would De iieces-
sary for him 10 put himself IN touch Win inc
| Southern people by going among them ia or
der TO overcome the Cleveland sentiment ,,. y
| has begun to appear however. that MI. Iilll
cannot expect any support from Una. 500"
| based sentiment or persona p'a,'l|,,,
| but that his strength there VIII DC -
entirely upon the conviction thhI We" IL
wants him 10 Get the nomination. and that the
| safaIv Democra.ic States should defer TO THIS
uncertain sister
FINALLY an interview had ut Charleston. 5.
| c.. with Colonel A. Il. Mcclure the accom-
plished editor of the Philadelphia limes' was
published IN which that gentleman said
"senotor Hills political system has attrac-
| tions for a considerable class OF men VINO are
| active in modern politics. 1t ohers pIunue1
| for the venal. place for the ambitious, anu
| Astterv for fools. and If his election 10 the
n, npSSTblp there
| fold more disappointment in the pohticai
| c;rcles of The successful party than there was
! under Cleveland. The fact that cleveland
| canddacy does not appeal 10 the JoDDer or 10
the vanity of the weak is the chlei reason Why
ba i the strongest possible candidate the
Democrats could present for President TINS
wear and the fact that there can be serious
movement for Hill for President In any sec
fjou of the country suggests measure OF
DEGRADATION in American politics that IS IN
exampled in the history OF this republic
II would be very difficult to sum the situa-
ton up more completely than it is described
in these three productions Of three separate
minds acting on the same subject at the same
time. but without any sort of correlation
one with another. Mr.. Thurman says no
more nor less than the truth when he says
that with the poor. the farmer. the mer-
chant. the banker. the laboring man, as well
as the manufacturer, Mr.. Cleveland Is the
strong man. He might have added that he Is
the choice of every business except that of
the politician. because people believe he
would advance the interests of every other
business His methods are quite opposed to
those of the politician, and that gentleman
knows very we'll that his election 70 Office
means no advancement or good to his bust
ness.
So the Telegraph's correspondent is per-
feotly right when he says that Mr.. Hill has
no support in the South based on sentiment
or personal preference. but that his strength
there will be dependent entirely upon the
conviction that New York wants HIM TO get
the nomination and that the safely Demo-
cratic States should defer to this uncertain
sister" No political situation was ever sum-
med up more happily.
1t cannot be denied that Mr.. Hills united
strength in the South proceeds from the fear
that he is the only man that can carry New
York. Outside of the politicians. the great
body of those who support him will admit
that they would greatly prefer to see Mr..
Cleveland nominated if they thought he
could carry New York.
1t Is a lamentable, but true statement of
the case that macy voters in the Southern
States believe Mr.. Hill is strong IN New
York from being the master Of and having
freely used methods which they despise but
that they feel compelled to take HIM as their
candidate Just because he has strength ac-
quired by these despised methods. 1t is a
striking proclamation to the world of the
servitude that the National Republican
methods have condemned public opinion 10
in the Southern States.
Not less striking are Colonel McClure's re-
marks upon Mr.. Hills political system
Eager as the politicians are to see him made
President more Of them would be disap-
pointed under his administration than under
Mr.. Cleveland's. All would expect offices
from Hill, while the offices would give out
before one in twenty was supplied. Few
would be disappointed under Dir Cleveland
because they know just what his method of
procedure would be.
Finally, we say amen to Colonel McClure's
parting sentiments that the fact that there
can be q serious movement TO force on an
unwilling public. by machine methods, a can
didate that it would never otherwise think of,
suggests a measure of degradation in Amer
lean politics that is unexampled in the history
of the republic"