Los Angeles herald., 1892-03-01
SHALL THE DEMOCRACY GOVERN THs
UNITED STATES?

SHALL THE DEMOCRACY GOVERN The
UNITED STATES?
Every now and then the. HERALD re-
ceives a communication from friends of
Mr.. Cleveland who seem to assume that
this journal is hostile to the distinguished
ex-president. Nothing could be further
from the facts. On the contrary, we
have always supported Mr.. Cleveland
with enthusiasm when he was the choice
of the Democratic party for president.
Just now every Democrat has right to
express his preferences, unless it is as
sumed that Democrats are slaves,
and that there is only one Democrat in
the United States, which his name is
Cleveland. Few Democrats are pre-
pared to 60 that far. 1t is now clearly
outlined that Mr.. Cleveland cannot
hope to carry the state of New York,
and that to nominate him would be to
throw over the Empire state. 1t is also
as clearly outlined that New York is
absolutely essential to Democratic suc-
cess.
Realizing these facts, we should be
Iecreant to our duty to the Democratic
party if we did not demand the nomina-
tion of some Democrat who could carry
the state of New York. This Hill can
do always against both the Republicans
and the Mugwumps. We should be
afraid to consent to the fight on the old
iaes of Harrison and Cleveland. The
American people have an invariable
fashion of re-affirming their verdicts.
They might depart from their rule in
this instance, but would it be wise to
risk hat eccentricity? Surely not
We have received from Riverside
CORE spondent the following, under the
head of Swords to the Wise," and
1'Barring Out Cleveland by Peculiar
Play
If the Democrats in other states than
New York are wise, they will nominate
Mr.. Cleveland regardless of the wishes
of the Tammany politicians, just as they
nominated Talden against the gels and
screams of the same cro,Cd. There is an
absurd and quite groundless notion
atioat that nobody must be nominated
who is not backed by the regular delega-
tion Of his own state, no matter how
that delegation is made up. According
to this conception, if Mr.. Cleveland
were citizen of Massachusetts (where
he has domicile which he occupies in
the summer and autumn), it would be
perfectly proper to nominate him regard
less of the midwinter convention OF
swapping turtles at Albany; but being
a citizen of New York, it is highly i'm
proper. But citizenship is a matter of
Volition altogether. By mere mental
operation and by the exercise of the
right of suffrage Mr.. Cleveland could
make himself citizen of Massachusetts
and thus avoid the rule in question, as
Mr.. Brice avoided it when he wanted to
be senator from Ohio. So it amounts
to this, that the Democratic party in the
nation Tone half of 62,000,000 people)
are to be deprived of the candidate of
their choice if that candidate votes in
New York, whereas, ii he voted in
Massachusetts (Which he might easily
do) they could have him and welcome.
The foregoing extract is reproduced
by us in violation of two standing rules
of this Office. In the first place, the
communication itself was anonymous,
and in the second the name of the paper
from which the reprint is taken is not
given. The writer seems to be utterly
oblivious of the fact that it is not so i'm
portant from what state the candidate
shall be presented as that he should be
able to carry the Empire state. Brum-
magen politicians may talk about our
ability to carry Massachusetts, Illinois,
Iowa and Kansas in presidential year,
but men of sense know that those are
not the states to 'draw to- in the pres
idential game.
In all discussions OF this matter, and
OF things cognate to it, the question con-
tinually recurs, HAS the Democratic
party only one man?' if we thought
that it was in such pitiable condition
we would consider that it ought to die,
and it would die. No political organiza.
tion could survive such a confession of
imbecility.
Has our correspondent forgotten that
it was Mr.. Cleveland that said that no
body should be twice elected to the
presidency? Nobody asked him to say
it; but, having said it, he should have
acted the part of the Kentucky witness
and stood by it. The people took him
iat his word once. Wisdom of the most
work-a-day, sublunary kind, would indi-
cate that we should not give them an
opportunity to do it again. r.
The Democratic party needFthe state