The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-12-01
Wbitney's goneralship at Chicago was

| could be. -Four elements were found i'll
the Democratic party there. The three
most powerful ones were the Hill or reg
ular state Democracy, Tammany in tho
city and the Mclaughlin Democrats of
! Brooklyn. If any one of these three
held aloof the state could not be carried
| The fourth elcment-the anti-Hill or
| ganization-persisted in activity, and rs
long as it endeavored to assert itself the
three organizations sat il their tents.
Few men believed that out of these con-
ditions victory could be organized. The
Republican managers did not believe it
could be done. But there does not APP
pear to be an impossibility with w. G.
Whitney.
Quietly, slowly, without any fuss.
with no theatrical or violent measures,
he caused the anti-Iiill organization to
wither and the three regular Democratic
machines to get together" and blossom
with common energy and enthusiasm.
No other man than w. G. Whitney
could have done this. and lie did it in
such way that not until the election
was but three weeks away did the Re
publican managers believe it had been
accomplished at all. Almost to the last
they were depending upon treachery in
the Democratic camp to help them carry
the state for MISUNDERSTANDING which
of course never showed itself, and which
Mr.. Whitney knew was impossible.
However little we may like the result
of this brilliant management, we must
greatly admire it, and an argument in
favor of my theory that fidelity, fair
play and friendship are more powerful
in,
found III the principle which guided Mr..
Whitney in his work and the methods
which he adopted Peace was not
wrought in New York by trades" or
bargains with the various factions, as
many think. The famous Victoria hotel
dinner, at which Mr. Cleveland had ms
guests the very men who at Chicago had
fought him like tigers and declared he
could never carry New York i'll the cleo
ton, was not the occasion of ratifica-
ton of compact or treaty.
Mr.. Whitney had moved upon the as
sumption that all the leaders Of these
factions or organizations We're, first of
all, Democrats; that if they could be sat
isfied all the past was to be forgotten.
The states wiped clean and the future
to be what they might make it, ire
spective of all past differences. they
would be willing to assume responsible
lty, each In his section or city, for Dem
ocratic success. The Victoria hotel dim
ner gave this assurance. Mr.. Cleveland
satisfied Croker, Murphy, Sheehan, Nc
Laughlin that their cause was com
mon, and that in success all would
share.
This was the crisis of the campaipn.
SO far as New York state was concerned.
Immediately that followed which Whit
ney had foreseen. Responsibility was
accepted by each of the three organiza-
tons, and with this accomplished Whit
ney for the first time felt that the battle
was won. In his philosophical it is
this wholesome phase of human nature
even in politics that l am trying to Law
stress on-the chances are ninety-nine out
OF hundred that the man who accents
responsibility will do his best to succeed
Once in the battle men never desert. II
there are stragglers from the camp, if
there is treachery afoot, look for them
before the fight has begun or not at all
A political campaign is much like il
battle anyway. Get Il man in it with
saber or musket in his hand. and he
Will fight, no matter with what reluc-
lance he may have entered The more
he fights the better he likes fighting:
the more power in his arm the more in
tense his desire for victory. Ii was rec
ognition of this principle of human M.
ture which enabled Whitney to vii.
New York for Cleveland. When the
Hill men and the Tammany men tool,
hold of the work of the campaign they
did not themselves believe they would
fight with so much effectiveness.
AT first they We're somewhat perfume
tory i'll their efforts, Indifferent. That
was seen by all. 1t was seen bv Whit
ney of course. But he did not lose his
head and go rushing about angcring
people by punching them and prodding
them. He bided his time and did not
have long to wait. The enemy did more
in week to rouse them than he could
have done in ten years The battle
warmed them up, and they charged to
win.
What is true i'll this respect of the
Democratic side in New York is true
also of the Republicans. There, too
were factions holding aloof; danger of
indifference, even treachery The Re
publicans, again. had O counterpart of
| the Victoria hotel dinner in the meeting
OF President Harrison with Mr.. Platt
and others at Ophir farm. Here was ac-
ceptance of responsibility which brought
loyalty and earnestness in its wake.
Seliishness is not the dominant motive
III politics. Throughout the country in
the recent campaign thousands of men
gave OF Their time and money to the
party OF their choice through pure love
] IOr TINT h,.it l, 4 L..