The record-union., 1892-04-27
CURRENT POLITICS.
SpecuIations in Regard to the Presi.
dental Election.
The Republican and Democratic State
Conventions, and Their
Action.

Especial Correspondence REcoRD-UNIoN.l
SAN Francisco, April 26.-It looks
very much as if the Presidential candi-
dates of 1888 would be re-nominated.
President Harrison is showing great
strength. The ofiice-holding class are
a power in the land, and it goes with
out saying that the whole Federal brigade
are for Harrison. Yet this fact alone
would not nominate him. 1t did not Sc
1ect for second term Hayes or Arthur.
The whole force of the Administration
eight years ago worked early and late for
Arthur, assisted by nearly all the Repub-
lican United States Senators. Yet they
were unsuccessful. The truth is, Harri-
son is an abler man than Arthur was, and
is better politician. Cold and unsocial
as he is, there is something about him
that inspires respect; and ne is the best
Of-hand speaker that has ever been in the
White House. He has never been much
of reformer, and State delegations have
made nearly all his appointments. Per-
sonally honest, he has not inquired par
tlcularly into the honesty of others, but
has trusted to Senators and Congressman
the duty OF selecting competent Federal
officials for their respective States. In
other words, the Presidency has been
farmed out to Congress.
OF course this has saved him great
deal of trouble, but sometimes it is AT the
expense of the public service. Senators
and Congressman ought to recommend
only good and honest men for office, but
they don't always do it. The temptation is
great to use the White House as sort of
clearing g-house, to pay with office men
who have done dirty work. This is the
marked difference between Harrison and
Cleveland. Every applicant for an i'm
portant office under Cleveland was in
vestigated, and his record looked into by
the President himself, while Harrison
trusts it to the State delegation. 1t is
doubtful if such man as the late APP
praiser Leavy would ever have been ap-
pointed by Grover Cleveland.
The Democrats of California are over
whelmingly for Cleveland. Yet a great
effort is being made to send to Chicago an
uninstructed delegation. hill has some
friends in this State, as has Palmer,
and Boies, and German. They hope,
under the leadership of the EcGDai1leY
to select a few delegates hostile to Cleve-
land, and the cry is, mo Instructions
But the Fresno Convention will have
something to say about that, and the
chances are that the delegates will be in
structed for Cleveland.
There is some talk of Western man
If Cleveland fails to get the necessary
two-thirds vote. One candidate fre-
quently mentioned as "dark horse" in
case it goes to the West is w. r. Morri-
son of Illinois, the pioneer tariff re-
former. He is one of the forty-niner's of
California, and resided here from 1S49 10
1852. Returning to his native State on
account of illness, he was elected Speaker
of the Illinois Legislature, and after
wards to Congress. He served in the
4 rsz..,-, 3 L. -.
and was a hero in both. AS Chair
man of the Ways and Means Committee,
he introduced the Morrison tariff ten
years ago. Therefore his record antedates
Mr.. .Cleveland's as tariff reformer. The
late Chief Justice Morrison of this State
was his cousin, as was Judge Murray
Morrison of Los Angeles. With such a
record, and being an old Californian, it is
thought that the Democratic delegation
from this State will support Mr.. Morri-
son, in case Mr.. Cleveland is not nomi-
mated. Instructions by the Fresno Con-
vention will probably not be of the
First, last and all the time" order.
The Republican Convention meets at
Stockton next week. VINO the delegates
to Minneapolis will be it is difficult to
say at this time. Prominently men
toned are General w. III. t. Barnes
George A. Knight, Mark Sheldon and
Perry Bemish. OF San Francisco; Stephen
Il. Gage and Eli Denison of Alameda, eX-
Congressman Louttit of San Joaquin,
Joseph d. Cone of Red Bluff, A. b. Lem
mon of Santa Rosa, p. Y. Bake er of Tulare.
T.. G. Seymour, Sheriff OF San Bernar-
dino County; ex-senator Flint of San
Benito, NJ. NJ. Estee of Napa, Judge
Fernald of Santa Barbara, Mr. Jack of
San Luis Obispo, - Spence, the banker
of Los Angeles; A. o. Hale of San Jose.
Senator FELTON,, and Dan Cole of Sierra.
About quarter of the fifty-four coun-
ties of this State have elected delegates to
the Stockton Convention. Among them
are +. j. Wilson of Vallejo, John Barker
of Sumner, d. S. Cleveland of Delano. H
p. Bender of Bakersfield, H. Ii. Knapp
of Napa, Vincent Hook of Martinez,
Judge Swasey of Redding, A. w. Simp-
son and f. j. Woodward of Stockt ton.
Justin Jacobs of Visalia, j. S. Collins of
Ventura, III. v. Moorehouse, Railroad
Commissioner Rea and r. S. Barber of
San Jose, Senator Mahoney, Drury Me-
lone, Norris Greenwood, Surveyor-Gen-
eral Pratt, e. p. Schell, ex-senator, J. n,
II. Wilson and John Cosgrove of San
Francisco; Charles Z. Redington. III. A .
Powell and Z. NJ. Gibson of Oakland.