The morning call., 1892-06-23
-
UNSEEN INFLUENCE

In tie contest at Chicago Governor Boies
represented something more than State; ;
he represented a principle that no other
aspirant before the convention made especial
claim to. Boies was elected Governor of
Iowa as the champion Of the people against
corporations He did not call himself a
Democrat but as the Democrats had no
hope Of electing a candidate of their own
they fused with the Farmers Alliance and
elected Boies. There was an element of
strength in this Iowa candidate which the
Democrats have failed to make use Of. All
through the Northwest there are men in
both parties in full political sympathy with
Boies. who had nothing in common with
Cleveland. Some Of these men will vote a
third party ticket, while others will drift to
the one Of the two national parties with
which In other respects they are in closest
sympathy. The Boies boom has never re-
ceiVed much enceu ragement at the hands
of Democratic leaders. Whitney OF New
Y ork had no use for Boies. Neither had
Bayard of Delaware In fat no Demo-
crat Of prominence has helped BOies
along. If Palmer of Illinois had taken
the stand for BOieS he took for Cleveland,
the history of the Democratic national con-
vent0n might have been changed. But the
Iowa Boies boomers had TO work as best
they could without sign of encouragement
from any quarter. The historian who at
tempts 20 chronicle the political events of
the past two years may find it somewhat
difficult to find causes sufficient to produce
the events chronieled. Let us consider the
Blaine boom, for example. In February
Blaine voluntarily withdrew from the Presi-
Dental contest. For some months he was
as completely out Of it as if his name had
never been mentioned in that connection.
But a Blaine boom wss being carefully
nouriShed all the time. What influence was
behind o.? Who was interested in making
Blaine President? Does any one suppose
that three or four discTedited politicians
could induce Blaine 10 acQuleSe in a move
ment which he could not openly sanction
And yet there was a time when Eastern
newspapers, which are supposed 10 be on
the inside Of all political movements, conf
IDENTIFY predicted the nomination OF Blaine.
Were not these predictions based rather
upon tie supposed strength Of the influences
behind Blaine than upon any mistaken
appreciation of his personal popularity?
a glance at the last few months Of Mr..
Cleveiand's career reveals the same diSpro-
pCrtionate effects 10 known causes. SIX
months ago no one supposed Mr.. Cleye-
lands nomination possible. Hill was in
complete possession Of the political ma
chineTy OF the State. Cleveland did not
have a friend on the State Committee and
but two or three in the State Legislature.
He seemed TO accept political oblivion as a
natural consequence of the success Of his
rival But some powerful haad came to
CleYeiand's relief. 1t pulled him out with
out the aid Of the personal popularity that
Mr.. Blaine possessed. There was no popu-
lar uprising, but conventions in other States
began 20 declare for Cleveland. The fact
that he would not have a friend from his
own State was ignored. What had been
considered an absolute condition Of success
in respect to other aspiraRts was dsre-
garded in the case Of Mr.. Cleveland. Mr..
Whitney has won the reputation Of being a
good political manager, but in this case he
probably had tools 10 work with, which the
public has not been permitted to see. It
may yet appear that the influence that failed
with Blaine succeeded with Cleveland.