Los Angeles herald., 1892-06-13
rHR PARALYSIS OF PATRONAGE POL
lTICs.


The Republicans have peculiar diff
culties to meet in this campaign. They
90 before the people with q candidate
for president who il really not the
choice Of the party. but who was foisted
upon it by the federal ofIice-holders, the
appointees and pensioners of the man
they nominated. No one is surprised
to see the leading supporters Of Blaine
hurriedly go over to the victorious side
and declare that they will give the
ticket their loyal support. These men
are nothing of themselves without the
backing of their party. They have no
place to 90 to but in the Republican
ranks. Whatever future they may have
must come from the favor of their party,
and however deeply they may feel the
wrong done their cause at Minneapolis
by the federal brigade, they are COM
PEELED to stomach it, or abandon politi-
cal hope.
But there are great numbers of men
in the party besides the leaders who de-
sired to see Blaine nominated, and who
know that he was defeated by Harrison's
appointees and not by the untrammeled
representative vote Of the Republican
party. These men are free from the
influences that control the leaders. They
are not ofice-holders by profession, nor
have they aspirations for public place.
They are simply Republicans from
choice. These are the men that do the
voting and that make the victories at
the polls. They can afford to resent the
great outrage by which their party has
been cheated of the candidate Of its
choice. And that they will feel strongly
on this subject is evident from the cold
and sullen way in which the nomination
of Harrison is received in this state, and
the unmistakable outpouring of enthu-
siasm for the Maine Statesman whenever
his name is brought in contrast with
that of the little man in the White
House.
Republicans who do not want Office
who cannot be rewarded or punished
will resent with spirit and effect Harri-
sons method of renominating himself.
They will not overlook the fact that
every eighth delegate on the floor of the
convention was federal ofice-holder
and represented state which under no
circumstances can be looked to for a
Republican electoral vote. Neither will
they forget that during the session Of the
convention Minneapolis was alive with
federal appointees, who were there in
the interest of Harrison. These men
will feel in anything but mood to en-
thuse over the ticket, and many of them
will take the matter go seriously to
heart as to refuse to support it. They
may not vote against it, but they will
condemn it by their refusal to vote at
all. ..gt ats ,.s-e
The revolt against Harrison in tho
ranks of the party will be supplemented
by the mere cold and formal support of
a great number Of Republicans who are
opposed to the wsy in which he secured
his denomination. The fire and enthusi-
asm OF the rank and file that was mani
tested in the campaign Of 1888 viii be
supplanted in this campaign by q
cold, formal and periunctoty support oi
the ticket. The success of the federal
brigade in defeating the choice of the
party has knocked the spirit out of the
rank and file. There never was time
so propitious for the Democracy as the
present. If the Chicago convention
make no mistake, and if the factional
frictions in New York can be overcome
and adjusted, the nominees of that con-
vention will carry the country by a large
majority of the electoral vote.