St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-06-12
WILL HISTORY REPEAT ITSELF !?

both devoted much time to negotiations
with them. The great rank and file of
the Whig party believed in Henry Clay
and in none other as the great mass Of
the Republicans have clung to Blaine.
This devotion on the part of the people
and fear that his elevation would mean
their downfall stirred up the enmity of
Webster and other leading members of
the party, just as Blaine'S power and in
dependence brought down upon him the
ill will of Roscoe Conkling, Senator Ed
mundS, Simon Cameron and their
friends.
The men who disliked Mr.. Clay were
always strong enough to prevent his
nomination whenever there was any
probability of Whig victory, just as
the enemies of Blaine were strong
though to defeat him for the nomination
in 1876 and 1880, when an election could
have been secured.
CIay's Failures.
Henry Clay was first candidate for
the presidency in 1924. Party lines
were then in a measure Obliterated. and
ali the candidates, Clay, Jackson and
Crawford, were supposed to belong to
the old Republican party of Jefferson,
Madison and Monroe. Clay was the
candidate who received the smallest
vote. and his friends, when the election
was thrown into the house of repre-
sentatives, supported John Quincy
Adams, and Mr.. Clay became secretary
of state. His enemies at once claimed
that Adams and Clay had made the
presidency matter of bargain and sale,
and Old Hickory persuaded the people
to take this view of it, with the result
that in 1928 Mr.. Adams was badly de-
feated. In 1887 Mr.. Clay was given the
Whig nomination but with no thought
of election, as President Jackson was
then first in the hearts of nearly all the
people. In 1886 Mr.. Clay stood aside.
and Gen. William Henry Harrison was
made the nominee.
Jackson's Popularity
carried Mr.. Van Buren, through. Four
years later. however, the financial panic
Of 1887 made the election of the Whig
nominee, whoever he might be, alto
gether probable, and Mr.. Clay desired
the nomination. and desired IL very
much.
The convention met at Harrisburg,
Pa, Dec. 4. 1889. The great Wing
party demanded the nomination OF Clay
then, as the Republican masses de-
manded Blaine last week of the dele
gates who met in Minneapolis. But the
Whig leaders of fifty years ago were
great deal like the Republican leaders
of the present time, and Clay was de-
feated.
1.-THE action of the Harrisburg conven-
tion' says an old biographer, was received
by the great Whig party throughout the
Union with disappointment and sadness
bordering upon anger. The eyes OF the ma
ton were turned upon Mr.. Clay: ana, though
Gen. Harrison was known as all honorable
man, it required all the high reliance OF the
Wbigs on the prudence. foresight and pa
.triotism of the members of the nominating
convention to repress their grief and MUIR
INJURED dlScOntent.
An Historical Parallel.
The methods used to accomplish the
defeat of Mr.. Clay in the Harrisburg
convention so closely resemble the tao
tics of the administration men at Mill
neapolis last week that the story is
worth producing, and as no one can
narrate it in a more interesting manner
than old Senator Thomas Ii. Benton. OF
Missouri, his account as printed in his
Invaluable memoirs Will be given. 1t
follows:
son the part of the Whigs," says
OcudIOI ullO OdihO
were made as in 1836-Gen. William
Henry Harrison, of Ohio, for president,
and John Tyler, of Virginia, for vice
president.
The leading statesmen of the party
were again passed by to make room for
a candidate more sure of being elected.
The success of Gen. Jackson had turned
the attention of those who managed the
presidential nominations to military
men, and All ''odor of gun powder" was
considered a sufficient attraction to
rally the masses, without the civil quail
ifiications, or the actual Military fame
which Gen. jackson possessed.
Availability to use their own Jargon
was the only ability which these man
ayers asked-that is available for the
purpose of the election and for their
own advancement, relying on them
selves to administer the government.
Mr.. Clay, the prominent man and the
Undisputed Head of the Party.
was not deemed available. and it was
determined to set him aside. How to
do it was the question. He was man
of too much power and spirit to be sud-
denly set aside. Gentle and respectful
means were necessary to get him out of
the way; and for that purpose he was
iconcertedly importuned to withdraw
from the canvass.
He would not do so, but wrote letter
submitting himself to the will OF the
convention. When he did so, he Ger
tainly expected an open decision Ia vote
in open convention), every delegate act
ing responSibly and according to the
will of his constituents. Not so the fact.
He submitted himself to the convention;
the convention
Delivered Him to a Committee;
the committee disposed of him in back
chamber. 1t devised a process for get
ting at result which is a curiosity in
the chapter of ingenious inventions
which is study for the complication OF
its machinery-a model contrlvance OF
the few to govern the many-a secure
way to produce an intended result with
out showing the design and withoutleav-
ing a trace behind to show what was
done, and of which none but itself can
be its own delineatOr, and therefore
here it is:
"Ordered, That the delegates from each
state be requested to assemble as delega-
ton, and appoint a committee, not exceed
ing three in number, to receive the views ana
opinions OF such delegation, and communl-
cate the same to the assembled committees OF
all the delegations. to be by them respectively
reported to their principals, and that there
upon the delegates from each state be re-
opested @ to assemble as delegation, and bal
lot for candidates for the Offices of president
and vice president, and having done so to
commit the ballot designating the votes Of
each candidate and by whom given, to its
committee; and thereupon all the commit
tees shall assemble and compare the several
ballots, and report the result OF the same to
their several delegations together with such
facts as may bear upon the nomination; and