St. Paul daily globe., 1892-06-07
WHO WILL 1T BE?

The convention meets today at noon
with its 900 delegates, and the battle for
the leadership of the Republican party
begins in sober earnest. The eyes of
the whole country are focused Oh the
scene, and every movement OF the con-
tending forces is watched with an in
terest feverish in its intensity.
Who will it be?
VIII it be BLAINE? Perhaps so. And
who is BLAINE? He has been a can
didate for the presidency or the presl-
dental nomination ever since 1876. In
that year he lost the prize which at one
time seemed assured him because his
political record as disclosed by con-
gressional investigating committee had
suddenly reused such storm of popu-
lar Indignation as the most shame
less were afraid to brave. Eight years
later. when it was hoped that his turpi-
tude had been forgotten. he was put at
the head of the ticket and defeated III
hotly contested campaign. the issues OF
which were his personal honesty and
his fitness to be intruSted with the re-
sponsible duties of the chief magistracy.
In 1892 he appears again on the stage,
an old man, broken in health, but with
character and disposition unchanged.
He has been in public life since his boy
hood, and yet his name is not connected
with a single constructive achievement
OF our national history. No one is so
intimate in his counsels as to know his
opinions on any of the great questions
now before the people. He is the
candidate of the Boom-te-ray ele-
ment, and in spite of his phys
ical infrmitieS pirouettes as of
yore amid the lights and slow music
and all the theatrical effects which the
ingenuity of his managers can devise
for him.
Will it be HARRISON? Perhaps so.
And who is HARRISON? Four years
ago he was an obscure Indiana lawyer,
whose experience in national politics
had been limited to a single term in the
United States senate. Then ne was
elected president, as many of his COM
plexiOn, whose strength was in their
weakness, had been before him. Dur
ing the first half of his term his party
had a majority in both houses of con-
gress for the first time in fourteen
years. With his sanction and co-opera-
ton were enacted the MCKINLEY bill
and the SHERMAN silver law. No
extravaganza of expenditure was great
enough to excite his remonstranee. No
act of bitter, reckless partiSanship was
too intense for him to approve. He
went further than the senate or the
house; was willing to, and made the
passage of the force bill personal
issue, and. when it was finally defeated,
visited those who had opposed it with
conclusive evidences of his displeasure
and resentment. BE is small man in
body and mind. Exact, Industrious,
cautious, reserved, cold-bloOded, selfish,
conventional, pathetic, incapable
of taking broad view, and incapable of
conceiving OF himself as rising above
the confines of tradition and precedent.
BENZ AMIN HARRISON was at.the outset
anaccident. and now has developed into
the most conspicuous embodiment of
commonplace On the national land
scape.
Will it be dark horse? Perhaps so.
And what is his name? JOHN SHER-
MAN? He is over seventy years of
age, profoundly learned ia public af-
fairs, frIgid as an iceberg. consecrated
to ever war for the interests Of Wall
street and the mOneyed classes WILL
lam MCKINLEY? He is an amiaDle,
honorable gentleman, with limited at
taInments. prominent because of his
connection with the infamous piece of
legislation which bears his name. IT he
has any reputation, it is the reputation
of an extremist who had oVerStepped
the fartheSt bounds of prOtectiOniSm.
WILLIAM B. ALLISON? He is "A tactful,
capable public servant, who once headed
a majority of 10000 in his own state,
but has lived to see the Democracy tri-
umph over it because he proved false to
his duty to his constituents. and allied
himself IN fha rauSe of moDnnoIY
This is the list of the Republican
party'S favorite sons. What does it
it mean? The next president will not
be nominated at Minneapolis.