New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-07-08
THE POTATO DID IT.

Ono OF the mysteries lHhh hH'S "'N''
bothering the Mugwump misd for the last
four years is how on earth Mr.. cleveland
came to be defeated for reelection
IN 1883. Then he was before the pco-
plc with his strong and vivid personality
and his record of four years III the Executive
office: the real hero of Revenue Reform, ana
the author Of some Of the most inspiring plati-
tudes that ever furnished forth transparency
or stood a torchlight procession on It's head
with a united Democracy behind HIM ana the
Nupwump Contingent just wild over him, ana
after all he didn't get there. Why all that
bubbling and foaming beer went dead in the
bo,rle and the great campaign fzzled ont in
defeat is one Of the things the thoughtful
NIucwump has been sitting on the ground ana
Wandering over ever since. All sorts OF rca-
sons were assigned for the defeat. some Said
il wa, because the old man. after he became
President got a notion that he had made HIM
self. and was curt in his treatment OF the p0-
litcal leaders who had brought him into prom
iueucc and managed his campaigns they SAID
il was an aggravated case OF " big head
The Mugw1lmps knew better; for had he not
ALWAYS treated them with the greatest con
sidcrationp Others said it was because he had
not answered the expectations OF his party III
"turnng the laScalS out" But the Mug
vllmps said that could not be 50, because the
country was fierce for Civil Service reform, ana
he had recognized it for the first year or two
~ his Administration. At the same time he
had made himself solid with the SpoilSmen by
complying with their demands during the last
wear or two Another explanation of 1t was
that he had gone too far in the direction OF
Free Trade but to that the Mugwumps said
Nonsense. that was his strong point the
uconlc are clamorng for Free Trade" The
ONLY theory they gave any countcnancc TO was
that David r. Hill and his followers had
"lluifcd' him.
II now appears that mono OF these was the
rcal cause OF the defeat of 1SSS. 1t was the
Potato that did it. One wouldn't suppose such
deadly mischief lurllcd in the innoccnt-loollng
and apparently innocuouS potato. 1t Is con
cciyablc that great party might slip up on
banana-skin or double itself up on the colicky
cucumber, or tempt its fate by ovcr-indulSchcF
in corn. taken either in its juice or from the
cob but the potato-who would have dreamed
il? Yet that seems, according to the latest
odyiccS 10 be the fact. 1.-The NcW-i OK
Times has been working at the problem for
nearly four years. and has just announced the
discovery. II was the Potato that did il. Po-
tato with a large p. 1t seems that during
the campagn Of 1883 a Republican orator,
inroccntly mistaken or wilfully falSfying, de
nounced the Mills bill to an audience of farm
crS because it put potatoes on the free list.
"Thc Times is always more charitable than
"The Evening POST the latter would never
have admitted that it could have been any
thing but wiful Justification. The Democratic
sneakers according to "The Times" at once
nut on their seven-league boots and started
in pursuit Of that lie" but "ncver could run
il down" While they were busy in one agri
cultural town telling the voters that the Mills
bill had left undsturbcd the duty of - cents
4 bushcl on potatoes ga Republican speaker
in the next town was invoking political death
and destruction upon the men who had struck
4 da,tardly blow at the American farmer"
And 1.-THE Times says: There can be no
doubt that in farming communities the Demo
cratic party lost votes through the triumphant
vitality of the campaign falSehood."
II is great comfort of course, to have the
mystery Of Clcycland's defeat in 1855 50 salts
factorily solved. II will no doubt afford CON
siderable relief to the Mugwump mind. "Thc
Times" deserves much credit for the pcrSStency
with which it has followed up this subject for
four years We congratulate it upon having
disposed Of the mystery Of 1888. Ii will be
ready now to give its undivided attention 10
the next mystery, which will be- What caused
the defeat of 1892? As for 1883 we confess
We had entirely forgotten that the Potato was
so prominent an issue. We do dmIy remom-
Der that there were great many Democratic
paker> prancing round in Scycn-lcaguc boo;S
in tha; campaign but we had completely for
gotten that they were hurrying after the cam