Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1892-04-22

uldhiHS bile llSub VII tllC QucSGlOu VI ulXH lie
cense; that he had done SO for the purpose of
bringing the Prohibitionists into the Repub-
lican party, and thereby elect MI. Harrison:
that in the preceding election the Prohibition
lists vote had been about A., 600, and he feared
in the election of 1888 it would approach so 900.
He claimed that he kept the Prohibition vote
down to $4,000, and thereby elected Mr.. HAIR
rison. Under such circums tances Won can
readily understand that those whose business
was threatened with increased taxation had
more interest in the defeat of Mr.. Miller than
in the election or Mr.. Cleveland. This rea-
sonable explanation would indicate that MI.
Cleveland lost New York in 1888 not because
| of personal unpopularity. but because of a
State issue over which he had no control. The
correctness of the explanation is confirmed
when we remember that while in 1884 Mr.
Cleveland received 563, O4s votes in New Y ork,
in 1888 he received 635, 757.
vIRGINIA's VOTE IN 1884 AND 1888.
| You next remark upon the fact that while
| in 1891 Mr.. Cleveland had in Virginia a ma
| jority of about 5000 he had in 1888 only ma
| jority of about 1859. There is some interven-
| ing history between those two dates which
you forgot to mention. In the congressional
elections of 1886 the Republicans by congress
| sional districts carried Virginia by nearly
$4,000 ma jority. In that election only three
out of the ten Democratic candidates for con-
gress were elected. Perhaps MI Hills ad-
mirers will charge that to Mr. Cleveland, for
unless the present controversy be soon ended
we may expect them to charge that Mr. Cleve-
land drought death into the world and all
orr woes
Remember, Judge, that the disaster in 1886
was before Mr.. Cleveland issued his tariff
message. That fact is worth remembering
when we come to notice how many congress
men we elected in 1883 after his tariff mes
sage was issued.
In the legislative elections of 1887 the total
Democratic majority in the State was only a
little over 400. The next elections in Virginia
were the presidential and congressional ones
of 1888. 1t was at this election you say that
Mr.. Cleveland's majority chad fallen to the
notifying majority of 1889" Doubtless if
you had recalled the above noticed facts as to
the elections of 1886 and 1887 you would have
been saved your distressing modification.
You would have remembered that MI Cleve-
land instead of cutting down the Democratic
majority in Virginia had nearly quadrupled
it over that Of the preceding year. And this
Notwithstanding the fact that in presidential
elections there are in Virginia many people
who vote against us, who in State elections
vote with u.s.
You would have also seen that while in the
congressional election of 1856, held before
MIR. Cleveland issued his tariff message an(
when he was not before the people for re-
election, only three Of the Democratic nomi-
nees Ill this State were elected, yet in the
election of 1888, after MI Cleveland had
issued his tariff message and when he was be-
fore the people for reelection, six of the
Democratic candidates for congress were
elected without counting Messrs. Wise and
Venable, who were turned out by Republi-
can House of Representatives What do such
facts suggest?
FORGOTTEN FACT.
And, Judge, there is another little fact
which you failed to tell US, that in the cleo.
ton of 1888 Mr.. Cleveland received from fit,
to one hundred more votes than the total
number of votes cast for all the Democratic
congressional candidates. With the exception
! of one elector on The presidential ticket tn,
lowest number Of votes cast for any elector
was 151 1862, while the total of the votes cast
for the congressional candidates was Isl, 800.
Remember, also, that. there was no falling
off in the Democratic vote. For while in 1884
the Democratic vote was 145, 497, yet in 1888 it
was increased to 151 1867. You do not doubt
do you that the Republican vote was largely
increased by the negroes brought back from
other States
do not know enough about the facts con-
nected with the election in the other States
to which you allude to say whether you are in
error as to them But, Judge, will any one
be doing you an injustice in thinking that it is
probable you are mistaken as to them when
we see that you are so mistaken as to your
| own State?
A FEW SUGGESTIONS.
| But there are few suggestions which sub
nit to your consideration. Do you not think
that in some if not all of the Western and
Northern States Mr.. Cleveland aroused great
antagonism and opposition because he placed
in positions of prominence at home and abroad
men of the South-Soldiers of the Southern
Confederacy? You will reply that such a
course was simple act of Justice. | agree
with you.
But, think moment Judge, and see if you
can recall line in your interview in which
yon intimate that President should be guild
ed in his acts by his sense of justice and right.
Look at your remarks about MI. Cleveland's
course as to the River and Harbor bill and
the Blair bill. Did you not consider those
acts only in the light that they tended to lose
votes?
|
On the other hand, did you not speak Of his
''sublmated patriotism?" Does that mean a
| patriotism which some of us cannot attain,
and which, therefore, we comfort ourselves
with sneering at?
| And again, Judge, do you not think that in
1888 Mr.. Cleveland lost votes in those States
because of his courageous and honest course
in refusing to sanction what you rightly term
fraudulent Federal pensions?' 1 notice
that you denounce the pensions, but l also
notice that you have not one word of com
mendation for Mr.. Cleveland, who, although
Northern man, firmly prevented the pay
ment of hundreds of fraudulent pensions.
You allege that ''his foolish veto of the River
and Harbor bill, one of the most liberal
| passed by Congress for many years, gave
great offense to many of his followers in this
State" Did you ever examine that bill,
Judge, to see whether, besides being liberal
it was not wasteful, whether it was not pur-
posely made wasteful by Republican Sen
ate? If it was wasteful, tell us what ought
he to have done? Should he have signed it
| with that belief? May be so far personal as
| to ask you whether you would have done SO
with that belief?
May l also ask you from what source you
got your information that his vote gave great
offense to his followers in this State? The re-
turns from the three Congressional districts
upon Tidewater, in this State, show that in
each of them the Democratic vote was larger
in 1888 than in 1884. They also show that
while in the Second district the congressional