Los Angeles herald., 1892-03-16
'THK POLITICAL POT BOILING--PoTENT
ISSUES.


ISSUES.
There is no question OF the fact that
the absorbing topic in the United States
just now is politics. The presidential
Issue is looming up, and in both parties,
and the aspects of the contention are
more or less blurred. Everyone sees as
through glass, darkly. The chiaro-
oscuro of the political outlook is so in
yolved as to interest an artist.
In the first place, we are confronted
with the efforts of that political MIN
compoop, Benjamin Harrison, to COM
pass his own denomination. He be-
longs, politically to the sort of beings
which the Italians have derived so much
amusement from in the shape OF the in
nocent fantoccini, which have delighted
children in so many ages OF the world.
He has marshaled his ofice-holders,
and proposes to marshal them in
double phalanx, if that were possi
BILE. The preliminary fight has been
fought and lost, and Col. Dan
Burns has the scalp Of the federal Off
cials at his belt. The arrival of Gen.
Russell A. Alger in San Francisco. day
before yesterday, tells the astute of all
parties that the presidential .fantoccini
has been ''downed," and with him goes
the federal encourage, as far es California
is concerned.
The connection between Col. Dan and
the millions OF Alger is not as nebulous
as the occultation of Sirius with
modest and unobtrusive star OF the
milky way. Jupiter and DAME once had
a momentary collision. We do not dare
to suggest that devious parallels like
these are in point. But the fact remains
that Harrison, unless for blind, will
not get the California delegation, and
even the blind won't go.
When our esteemed confrere, H. Y.
Osborne. OF the Evening Express, left
Los Angeles, to attend the meeting OF
the Republican state central committee
at San Francisco, be only occupied the
modest travelling rank of captain.
When he arrived at San Francisco he.
had bloomed forth into full fedged
colonel. This pleases us, because we
believe that the collector of the port OF
Wilmington ought to be a brigadier-
general at least. But the way the Re-
publican state central committee, under
the inspiration of Col. Dan M. Burns,
sat down on him was sight to see. The
significance of the last gubernatorial
election, as between Pond and
Markham, was best illustrated by the
fact that our local representative, par
excellence, desired to have the ratio OF
transferred from Mark
hams vote to Harrison's. This would
have given the Republicans OF Los An
geles county fifteen more votes than
they were finally allotted. Colonel
Burns took the correct position that the
Republican party of the state was not
responsible for the decadence of the
Republican vote of Southern California
ON account of Markham's lack of popu-
larity, and he was entirely right.
And Colonel Dan won, with the result
that, owing to Markham's lack of
popularity, Los Angeles county lost
fifteen votes.
The devotee of the Union League club
of Los Angeles will regret this develop
ment, but he will be obliged to submit
to the logic of fact.
So much for the Republican horo-
scope. On the Democratic side of this
game of snuttlecock and battledore,
there are some interesting circumstances
to note. The great play, since the Dem
Ocratic state convention of New York
showed 376 votes for Hill to IL for Cleve-
land, has been to break the force of this
accompanied, as it was, by q
instruction to support David
Bennett Hill for president. 1t was
quite natural to look for all the demon
strations possible to earnest partisans
TO deaden such an impressive de-
livery. Every conceivable opponent OF
Hill, who could not carry ward in
which he lived, was trotted out to do
duty in the dire conjuncture. The sore
heads called new convention for May,
which would have no real constituents.
Senator David Bennett Hill
starts out on his southern tour amidst
the acclaim of thousands and tens OF
thousands at every station. He tells
one of his southern audiences that, in
his opinion, New York has had Re-
publican legislature for the last
time This declaration derives it's
value from the fact that Senator