Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-11-18
WHAT DID Ii?

/
and swept Grover Cleveland into the
presidency? For ourselves we accept it
as verdict of the people in favor of
tariff reform and against Mchinleyism.
We think the people have made a bad
| blunder-but we accept the verdict all
the same and acquiesce in the result as
instructions to the national congress to
| halt and take a step backward in the
matter of protection to American indus
tries. If the American workmen and
farmers don't want any protection in
their industries and products, we are not
in favor of forcing governmental pro-
lection on them. Some say that the
election result is the aftermath of the
congressional political revolution of
$780, which had not yet spent its force.
AS we look at it Harrison was foredoom-
ed to defeat from the moment of his nom
ination, and from the way that nomina-
ton was effected at Minneapolis. He
owed his nomination to the presence in
the convention of nearly 100 oflice-hold-
ers as delegates who came from South
ern States, where There was no POSSIBLE
ity of his carrying an electoral vote.
These and the presence of mercenary
guard of of1ice-holders from other To-
calities were able to overwhelm the
Blaine delegates from States where the
Republican party get their electoral
votes when they elect The mercena-
ries nominated Harrison and not the men
who carry Republican elections through
to success. There was an instructive
feeling, unexpresed, silent but deep, that
Blaine had been driven out and perse-
cuted out of the cabinet uniustly at the
instigation of the administration which
undertook to rob Blaine of his laurels
as the author and apostle of reciprocity
and to place these laurels on President
Harrison's head. It was noticed that
President Iarrison's organ at lndianap-
oils, of which newspaper President
Harrison was himself part owner, as
sailed Blaine bitterly every day during
all the Iperiod of the Minneapolis con-
vention. The administration adherents
everywhere put on the assumption that
the right to denomination actually be-
longed to President Harrison unques-
toned, thus putting the administration
above the Republican party, and super
ceding the organization as the controlling
power IN the party. This assumption
went so far that Harrison claimed the
right to supercede the regular organiza'
ton in the control of the campaign and
/. the machinery to run it. The President
was unwilling to trust any of the Ole
leaders who had secured his election il
lSsS and chilled them practically out OF
the canvass. Thus Clarkson, Quay
Dudley, Platt, Miller and the men who
secured his election in lSSS were relega
ted to the rear, and Tom Carter Wa
brought on from the wilds of the woody
West to run the great campaign of 1892
Carter in his previous career had no pres
tige of victory in his record. BY the influ
r ence of the administration and through
e the influence of Russell Harrson's pape
n Helena. Carter had been elected t.
n Congress from Montana, but so badl,
d did he manage that he was defeated Il
y the polls on seeking a reelection, thel
i found exile at Washington from his for
b mer constituents by being made lant
commissioner, and from there was trans
}. ferred by the President to the control o
the campaign machine of 1892. llarri
son ignored Lincoln's apothegm neve
to swop horses while crossing stream
During his administration Presiden
Harrison early quarreled with Dudley
- Quay and other leaders and APPARENT,
put the seal of his condemnation upol
the "blocks of five" methods upon whicl
he had secured his election in ISIS. Tn,
: professional Republican politicians tool
T. the alarm. They said that Presiden
Harrison by his acts assumes that w
u have stolen the presidency for him, anC
? that while he accepts and enjoys tn
stolen goods we have given him he goe
back on the men whom by assumption
{ he marks as the thieves. l'residen
= Harrison carried out the thought b,
exiting the leaders of 1883 and substitu
ting in the leadership the untried Ton
Carter of Montana. Mr.. Ellin> no doub
!. promised Tom Platt in lSSS that if Har
rlson carried New York he should hav
h place in the cabinet. There is rea
son to believe that President Harri
son was cognizant of this prom
Use. Warner Miller sacrificed him
self inilSSS to secure llarrison's election
When it came to selecting cabinet of
ficer from New York, both Platt anC
Miller were candidates for Il caDine
place. Then President Harrison saiC
he could not appoint either, because t.
: do so would be to excite the enmlty OF
= the one not.appointed and of his friends
also. TheDtPlatt and Miller united in
letter,.to Harrison, saying that if h
would appOiut pitbpr tho onp or tb,