Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-06-25

! Z. ! !
AEI " tion at Chicago will
MwssS hi17t34Ii have completed its
AkE 49,, labor and adjourned
Nb FE1O0. until 1896. The nomi-
Rz| " nation made by that
&EFityM -F-tf convention will be &C.
~4SS-E cepted by the masses OF
the democratic party
and the work Of the
canvass will have been begun to end
on the 9Th day Of November next,
and on the It'll Of November the will of the
people will have been manifested at the ballot
box, and then will begin the conjectures and
the labors to secure the Offices for which there
will be no lack Of applicants. The first step
toward the organization for the campaign is the
formation of the national committee which
will conduct it. 1t is not unlikely that Senator
Brice will be his own successor. Whoever
should obtain that position has, in q great
measure, the success or defeat of the candi-
date committed to his management of the
campaign. More than one defeat has resulted
from the action or non-action taken by the
committee as controlled By the chairman. The
chairman Of the national committee il gener-
ally chosen as the representative of the can
didate nominated and for his knowledge OF
the political situation of the country that that
knowledge may be made available in the cam
paign. Mr.. August Belmont presided over the
national democratic committee for several
years. Judge Sanford Z. Church occupied that
position in the campaign of 1861 and Mr. Au-
gustus Schell succeeded him in 1872, the I'M
fortunate campaign in which Mr.. Greeley was
the candidate. 1t soon became apparent that
Mr.. Greeley could not be elected. but Mr..
Schell, up to the last hour of the campaign,
never wavered in his devotion to the cause,
and within the last few days of the election
honored all drafts upon the committee from
his personal means, for the contributions were
neither very large nor frequent.
AN UNFORTUNATE SELECTION
The unfortunate selection of the chairman Of
the democratio committee in 1876 tended to- if
it did not really wreck the campaign, and at the
meeting of the committee after the campaign
was over, in February, 1877, Mr.. Hewitt was
deposed and Mr.. W. H. Barnum was elected in
his place The reluctance with which Mr..
Barnum accepted the honor and the labor was
only overcome by the desire expressed by Gov.
Tllden that he should assume the position.
How ably he filled it is testified by the repeated
reflections of him that followed, and only when
his health was SO seriously impaired was he al
lowed to lay down the official burden. In 1880,
at Cincinnati, when Gen. Hancock was NOM
mated, he went to one Of the generals friends
and managers Of the campaign at Cincinnati
and rendered his resignation, saying he pre-
friend in that position, and ex-senator Wallace
OF Pennsylvania was named for the place. but
when the committee met IN New York Gov.
Iliden advised against any change, and with the
understanding that Mr.. Barnum was agreeable to
Gen. Hancock he made the large contribution
OF $4,000 to the campaign funds. Mr.. Bar
mum was not responsible for the unfortunate
conclusion of that campaign. There were two
fatal mistakes, if they can be called first, the
Morey letter, vouched for by Mr.. Hewitt to be
genuine one and in the handwriting Of Gen.
Garfield, and the equally fatal letter, very
brief one, written by Gen. Hancock on the tariff
at the suggestion Of the late Gov. Randolph Of
New Jersey. The first was soon proved to be q
forgery and the forger arrested. The recoil
was terrible In its effects upon the party, which
had taken the opinion Of Mr.. Hewitt Of the
genuineness of the letter and had sent thou
The second letter, which appeared in the New
York papers only short time before the cleo
ton, written without consultation, lost Gen.
Hancock his election.
In 1884 Mr.. Barnum still retained his position
as chairman Of the democratic national commit
besides other aid. the advice Of Gov Tilden,
who took an active interest in the campaign
One Of the secrets Of the convention of 1884
was unrevealed until the deaths of Mr.. DAHL
Manning and Mr.. Saml. ]. Randall removed the
necessity of Withholding the incident.
SAM RANDALL DECLINED THE NOMINATION.
On the morning the nomination of Cleveland
was made, somewhere between and O'Clock,
Mr.. Manning sent for Mr.. Saml J. Randall and
told him he was authorized to offer him the
nomination. He said the situation had been
thoroughly canvassed and the conclusion
reached that he could win. Mr.. Randall de-
clined, a. the split in the Pennsylvania delega-
ton would prevent his getting the full vote of
the state. When that objection was argued
against and the assurance given that the state
would accept him he said he had no means to
conduct a canvass and he was told that
would be provided by the national committee,
but he was immovable and the nomination of
Cleveland was reluctantly agreed upon.
After Mr.. Clevelands election Mr.. Randall
was sent for to visit ''Greystone" the residence
of Gov. Tilden, and he found Mr.. Cleveland
there, and the prefer was made to him of the
Secretaryship Of the Treasury, which he de-
clined, though urged by Gov. Tilden to accept
1t. He returned to New York at about in the
afternoon and had hardly reached the New York
Hotel when a telegram from Gov. Tilden came
asking him to return. He did SO at once and
with some additional reasons from the governor
and Mr.. Cleveland for his acceptance he again
and finally declined He returned late that same
night and remained, as we all know, ON the
outside of official life.
The nomination of Mr.. Cleveland at St. Louis
was 80 entirely onesided l did not attend the
cOnVentlOn. MI. barnum Q health had become
SO impaired he desired to retire from the chair
manship of the national committee, while he
consented to attend the meetings of the
committee and was at the building daily
while in New York. Gen. Calvin Brice
OF Ohio, now United States Senator from
that state. was named for the position, and
aided by Senator German and Mr. Barnum
labored for success, but labored in vain. Up to
the last Mr.. Brice was sanguine of Mr.. Cleve-
lands election, but Mr.. Barnum had abandoned
the hope Of 1t weeks before saw him as he
was leaving to 60 home, responding and suffer-
ing from the disease of which he soon after
died, and he was by no means sure of his own
state, but he did carry 1t by o few hundred only.
The loss Of two important members Of the DEM
ocratic party, Gov. English and Mr.. Barnum, in
Connecticut will be severely felt in the state
II the contest be at all close.
THE SYMPATHY FOB NIB. BLAINE.
The incident which lends a sad but pleasant
coloring to the Chicago convention, and ex-
hibits SO truly the sympathy which fills the
hearts Of all mankind in the presence, of such a
calamity as has fallen ON the late Secretary of
State, must have been very grateful to him in
his afniction. That, in the very midst of a
struggle for the nomination of man to hold
the reins OF government for the next four years,
that crowd OF eager politicians should pause to
express its sympathy for Mr.. Blaine is ope Of
those characteristics Of human nature that ele-
vate and ennoble the human race. Mr.. Blaine