The morning call., 1892-11-13
SOME TINE AFTER The RATTLE.

great number OF surprises. There are
always influences at work that are never
seen on the surface. They escape the calcu-
lasions Of the keenesr politicians. Four
years ago Cleveland was defeated by very
large majority of the electoral votes. The
surprise was greater because it was deemed
that he had given the country one of the
best Democratic administrations ii had ever
had. His friends were confident of his
election. They claimed it as reward for
faithful services. But he did not get it,
His own State voted against him. 1t is
well to recall these facts now that similar
revolution has occurred.
1t was the accepted judgment that Har-
rson had given the country a clean admin
istration. No fault was found with the
man. He had borne himself well in his
high office. But near the close of his term
the country dealt with him much in the
same way as it did with Cleveland tour
years previously.
AT all times some part OF the public is
nursing its grievances. 1t makes little diff
ference whether these are imaginary or
real. Van Buren, was held responsible for
''hard times" The country turned against
him and General Harrison went into Office
on wave of popular enthusiasm. The
good times were coming when he had fairly
settled down to work But death took him
away and the good times were not
brought in.
Tyler as Vice-President succeeded Harri-
son. The country att that time was not quite
as prosperous as usual. The deficiency was
charged to Tyler. During his administra-
ton the influenza prevailed 10 a considerable
extent There was also stringency in the
money market These two facts were asso-
ciated in the public mind, and thus the
! Tyler Grip was evolved. 1t was thought
to be harmless expression at first. But
when a debtor failed to come to time he
cited the Tyler Grip" as the cause. There
were thousands of deinquencies, either
faeetousiv or seriously. attributed to the
same source. Tyler believed that he was
a popular man. He expected to be nomi-
mated and elected to the Office that he held
! by accident. But in the phrase of that day
he could not touch bottom" The country
! settled with Tyler as it had with Van Buren,
for its real and imaginary grievances.
!; E gland the same sudden political
| changes occur Salisbury had the credit in
his own party Of having given the country
! very able administration. That appeared
10 be the idgment Of the country. England
was oud of her Prime Minister, or at least,
! the Tory part of it was. But agriculture
laDgnished, complaints were multiplied
| among the industrial classes, ireland was
not pacifed. and Salisbury was ousted from
Office. Gladstone has three times suffered
defeat in much the same way. Such changes
are the incidents of free governments.
| There comes a time when popularity counts
for very little. Ii appears to be only a
breath that disappears.
Cleveland was carried into Office on
popular current. He was carried out again
by a reversal OF the current Harrison goes
out But the two men had not changed
either in political or moral character. The
country has voted for and against the po-
litical policies which each has represented
The political surprises have carried thou
sands of men out of Office and will bring
| other thousands in Ia many instances
candidates who were nominated as a mere
matter of form, and who were thonght not
TO have ghost of chance" for an cleo
| ton. have been carried into office, as IL
were. by tidal wave. Another may carry
them out at future day, not because they
have not served the public faithfully, but
| by some influence which on the surface
appears only as caprice of the popular
will.
| Political parties frequently gather strength
| by adversely. When defeat overtakes them
there is much sober inquiry into the causes.
| Power and patronage diminish the streng III
| Of political parties. But no administration
has had as much vitality or has been injured
as little by patronage as the Republican.
| When 1t was retired nearly eight years ago
/ by the success of Cleveland. it actually
| gained by the defeat. -Four years later il
was prepared TO recover all its losses. 1t
| will go out of power a few months hence,
| and will in retirement repeat former expert
| ence. II will make temporary defeat the
means Of another victory. There are no
evidences of disintegratiOn, beyond the
shifting Of positions of few individuals
the common incident of both parties. While
these views may not admit Of a positive
| demonstration in all particulars, they ac-
| cord with the average judgment of those
who have closely watched the history of
| parties in this country, and especially with
| that of Republican leaders, who find moth
ing more in the recent reverses than tenn
| porary defeat