The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1892-03-12
GROVER CLEVELAND.

iahu 10 90 ben Harrison; and gives
it as his opinion that if any man is
better than his party, that man is our
excellent eX-president.
The lNTELLIGENCER, whose editor
was n of the first to recognize Grov-
er Cleveland's fitness for the presi-
dency in 1884, certainly can take no
exception to the kindly suggestion, but
he would violate his firm convictions
of right were he to act upon it, for he
would teel guilty of ~willfully mislead-
ing the public. To be candid and fair
the INTELLIGENCER does not believe
that Mr.. Cleveland Is the man ssto do
Ben HARRISON" 1t thought he was
four years ago, but the election OF
1888 dissipated the faith.
Were the INTELLIGENCER to make
up its manifest, as old steamboatmen
used TO say, from local surroundings,
it would possibly conclude that Mr..
Cleveland is the only man in the presi-
DENTAL ace. Or were it to accept
as true the self complacent chirpings
of those newspapers whose editors
held postofices during Cleveland's adj
ministration, it would think, proba-
bly,, that he was the only candidate
wort V of a kind Word
But a newspaper that aspires to
keep itself informed, must look beyond
the hill tops of its own locality. 1t
must put itself in communication with
agencies that indicate the direction of
political forces of the nation in order
to measure their significance and fore
cast results.
Close observation at this time does
not ilatter the hope that Mr.. Cleveland
is a presidential probability. A review
of the past does not lead to the con-
viction that he could win If he we're.
He lost the battle in 1888 when all
the advantages of the campaign were
in his grasp. He lost it to a man who
was neither strong as a leader, nor
seated deep in the affections of his
party. If he failed against Harrison,
the citizen, in 1888, upon what newly
acquired strength can we base a hope
that he a win against Harrison, the
president in 1892, and he intrenched
in power and hampered with no
scruples in using it to maintain his
party's positionP
Mr.. Cleveland had q united party
at his back in 1888. Flushed with the
victory Of 1884, fired with the enthusi-
asm of q congressional victory in 1886,
encouraged in all n party could desire
in the way of trust and faith that were
born of success and revived convic-
tons of the righteousness of their
cause, the democratic party went
into shat campaign with unusual vigor
and hope. If Under such conditions,
followed by such a party Mr.. Cleveland
could not WIN then, how can he nowP
These are questions people all over
the country are asking to-day. The
fact that they are asked implies doubt.
Doubt in q leaders, ability to lead to
victory is ever fatal to leadership.
In the opinion of many Mr.. Cleve-
land is not near so strong as he was
in 1888. The fact that he lost the
battle then is decidedly against him.
Ii nothing succeeds like success, moth
ing fails like failure. His letter against
coinage when his partisans in
congress were bending every energy to
pass a silver coinage bill lost HIM hun
dreds of earnest supporters, supporters
who deny that true democracy can
any utilization with gold mono
metallism, democrats who believe that
demonstration was a scheme
in the interest of the money power
intended to increase the value of IN
te~rest-bearing money obligations and
to distress the debtor class. 1t was
with the utmost CONSERVATION these
saw Mr.. Cleveland do that, which to
their mind, was proof of his alliance
with the money power, and against
the masses of his party.
So surely do the signs of the times
indicate that Mr.. Cleveland will not
be the nominee that his column of
supporters is already shattered, and
away from him. Otherwise
what means these cries of ssCleveland
or a western man. 'sIf We cannot
have Cleveland we will have no New
Yorker y stFlower and Boies !" s.BoIes
and Flower y s'Palmer and RUSSELL
etcp All these shibboleths of combi-
nation come from men and newspapers
who six months ago had never per-
mitted themselves to regard any other
than Cleveland even as a possibility.
All this, however, does not mean
that Mr.. Cleveland is not held in the
highest esteem even by men who do
not entirely agree with him, and who
oppose his nomination, or rather who
prefer some other, because held to be
a better political leader. But he il not
the man TO combine his following,
organize the party into that compact,
working, active and aggressive force
it must become, in order to drive the
republican party from their entrenched
position. The arm of the general
must be as strong in nerve force and
energy as those of his army.
But, principles not men" is the
time honored battle-cry of the INTELLI-
GENcER, and to this it adds, ..auy
good democrat TO do Ben HARRISON
SII