Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-10
sT,GE THUNDER BY TELEGRAPH.

ST AGE THUNDER BY TELEGRAPH.
The old and cheap trick of telegraphing
for "telegrams" was yesterday resorted to
at Minneapolis to bolster up the second
term for Mr.. Harrison and to break the
support of Mr.. Blaine. Of all the ancient
ways that are dark among politicians this
is the cutest, but it has been overworked
so often that nearly everybody knows
about it. 1t is the same as the paid inter-
| viewing with prominent business men"
that appears to support shaky candidates
in local campaigns. The interviewee is
supposed to be voluntarily expressing
| some part of the intense feeling of adml-
ration he is no longer able to control. The
fact is, of course, that he has been hunted
| out and begged to say something, and
that influences often wholly foreign to the
fitness of the candidate are brought to
bear to get an opinion which is then sane
titled and made potent by publicity at so
much per line in the columns of the press
Where possible, such publications are pro-
cured as though the interviewee, the
reporter who calls upon him, and the
paper making the publication were all
moved by enthusiastic perception and con-
temptation of the candidates fitness; but
newspapers which are unwilling to mis-
lead their readers carefully give such stuff
under the simple but suggestive heading
''comm unicated'- with the other
usual insignia of paid advertising.
Telegraphing for ''telegrams' is of the
same order of political strategy The
managers at Minneapolis telegraph to those
in their various States, who for one reason
OF another are under obligations to them,
or who are supposed to be favorable, to pour
in telegrams upon the delegates whom 1t
is desired to influence. This is then rep
resented as the free expression of public
opinion, save the markl
What effect the revival of such time
worn trick will have upon the situation at
Minneapolis remains to be seen. The
movement for second term which is in
spired and characterized by self-interest
throughout may well resort to such de-
vices. Bogus-labored and artificial though
it be, such expression as is
represented by kilograms gotten
is the nearest approach there is to popular
enthusiasm for Mr.. Harrison. Mr.. Harri-
son has given very fair administration.
As a man and as President is respected,
but the idea of the country shouting for
him on personal grounds, or Of any citizen
who is neither past Consul, Minister or
Federal officeholder of some sort, nor yet
hopeful of rich distinction in the future at
Mr.. Harrison's hands going voluntarily on
a rainy day to the telegraph office at his
own expense to help along the second-term
movement requires really too great a
strain upon the imagination to be believed.
Whatever the result at Minneapolis the
truth of the situation can never be mis-
taken or forgotten, and will be recorded
in history. 1t is that Mr. Harrison's
canvass, however respectable by reason of
the fair administration he has given, rests
solely upon the force of patronage and the
expectations of ambitious persons for such |
favors as he can give in the future; while |
it is as undeniably true that Blaine's |
strength represents the simple popular |
belief in the superior mental capacity of |
Mr.. Blaine and in the popular desire with |
in the Republican party to put the best |
foot foremost Platt, Quay and Clarkson
and their allies have not created the Blaine |
boom. They have simply affixed them |
selves to it. 1t is the wave upon which |
they are trying to swim in. But the force |
comes not from them.
Even if there had never been word of |
Blaine as candidate; if bis name had |
never gone before the convention; if |
President Harrison had been renominated |
by an unanimous vote, nine out of every |
ten Republicans in the United States
would have said the morning afterward |
that it was a pity that Blaine. the known |
ablest leader of the party, was not where
his brains and his services entitled him to
beat the head of the ticket.
No amount of solicited kilograms can !
change this fact The phalanx of bene-
ficiaries of Mr.. Harrisons past admin
istration and eager expectants of his
future administration may resort as
they will to cheap expedients for stage
thunder, but the meanest perception will
not mistake that sort of thing for public |
|