Los Angeles herald., 1892-04-21
LETTER BAG.
shall tho West Name Him? ?

Ep1roRs HERALD: At the risk of be-
ing suspected OF that pestiferous malady,
cacoethes scribendi, want to "break
out" or. rather, break into your col
umns again. And upon the old line, i.e.,
concerning the duty of the Chicago con-
yention in furnishing the Democracy
with leader whom they can follow to
victory over our misguided friends, the
Day bv day the logic of events seems
to point out more clearly the advisable
ity of selecting a western presidential
candidate. The tenor of your dispatches
on affairs political makes it quite obvi-
GUS that MIR. Cleveland will have con-
siderable majority of the delegates
favorable to his nomination. It is not
impossible that he may be able to COM
mand the necessary twO-thirds vote
upon the first ballot. But the stubborn
fact remains that the solid delegation
from the state OF New York will be
thrown against him, and the convention
will pause and consider before the i'm
portant work is done and the gauntlet Is
thrown contemptuously at the feet of
the Democratic machine in the Empire
state. The ex-president himself, in a
recent letter to one of his friends, ques-
tions the wisdom of nominating him for
the third time. The loss of Rhode
Island should make the Yankee Democ-
racy somewhat diffident about demand
ing his nomination at all hazards.
Without entering into further discus
sion concerning the propriety or IRA
tionality of the national Democracy in
refusing to turn down Mr.. Cleveland and
take up Senator Hill, it is quite appar-
ent that that is the very thing which
the convention will refuse to do. If
there is very considerable element of
the party profoundly impressed with a
belief in the inexpediency OF renomi-
mating Mr.. Cleveland, it certainly be-
hooves them to cast about for western
candidate upon whom they can concen-
trate. And in pitching upon a candidate
it should not be deemed an absolute sine
qua non that the state from which he
comes shall enter into bonds to 60
Democratic in November. The ques-
ton OF first Importance should be:
Does he unite to sufficient
political stature the warm appreciation
of all the elements within the party?
Such q candidate can carry New York
and Indiana against President Harrison,
and the western states OF indeterminate
political status would more likely gravi-
tate to western candidate than to the
immemorial eastern Democratic candi-
date. The Democratic party is truly
national organization. Its candidate
should be fair exponent OF the con-
sensus OF unprejudiced public opinion
on financial and economic questions,
likely to be found at or near the center
of population. The Republican party
exhibited political astuteness four
years ago in putting west
ern candidate to the fore with
an influential New Yorker, without an
tagonisms, as his running mate. A New
York presidential candidate is always
sure to have considerable segment OF
the party jealous lest another eeg
ment shall have preponderate influence
with the new administration. The
presidential candidate becomes inevi-
tably identified with one or the other
faction of his party, to his undoing at
the polls.
Now is the time for the west to speak.
She must rally to the standard of
Palmer, Campbell or Boies, or should
hold her peace for four years. These
names stand for positive Democracy,
character, ability and western sym
pathies. We can win with either of
them. WIN. S. CREIGHTON.
April 20. 1892.