New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-06-24
PUT UP TO BE DEFEATED.
HOW THE OPPOSITION HANDICAPPED
CLEVELAND.
PLANK AND THEN A GREENBACKER FOR AS
souArE-TAMMANY's SORROW NOT An
UxM.xED ONE AFTER ALL

souATE-TAMMANY's SORROW NOT An
UNM.xED ONE AFTER ALL
SKETCHES IN THE CONVENTION.
PROM STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF the TRIBUNE
Chicago June 23.-Thc convention. which ads
iourned this afternoon after nominating Grover
Cleveland for President for the third time. has
been. from the moment it began crysallizing In
the arrival of the managers and advance guard
last week until the gavel fell the last time to
day most interesting study as well as dramatic
spectacle Largely viewed in its bearing upon
the history Of parties and party politics rather
than in its relation TO current issues and the indi-
viduas concerned in il and with whom II was
concerned, it may be considered an epoch-makins
event 1t has rather rudely disturbed some ancient
traditions and violated established pro-
ccdents. For the first time in its his
tory the party has nominated Presidential
candidate three times in succession, ana TOT once
and the first time it has said something upon
the great economic question Of d tarih whcn
so outspoken and bold that 1t cannot De mis-
interpreted or misunderstood. The two things
fit together, for the nomination of Cleveland mas
been urged throughout the whole preliminary
canvass solely for the reason that he represented
better than any one else the idea OF the free
Traders that tariff duties should be for revenue
and fraud. 1t was because in his message 40
President he took that position and brought the
majority Of his party squarely up to It, that
the Free Traders clamored for his nomination and
ACCOMPLISHED it, 1t was entirely fit that the
utterance OF the platform on that issue should
be bold and explicit. and incapable Of miscon-
struction.
A SQUARE FIGHT on A CLEAR ISSUE. !
When The Tribune said some months ago that
the Republican party would welcome toe nomina-
ton of Cleveland, because 1T would mean
something because it would be concrete
fact of some political significance, and would
furnish the opportunity for fair hight IN an
open field upon the question OF protection OF
free trade unobscured by the trifiing side issues
or personal antagonsms which so often thrust
themselves impertinently 70 the front, II did not
dare hope that the nomination would he ac-
centuatcd by platform that met the issue
sauarely, and left no chance for ambiguous IN
terpretation or any sort of evasion.
There was something quite fine in the ap-
parent earnestness with which Neal, OF ONO, IN
offering the simple amendment which was supstl'
tuted for the original twaddle and platitndes on
this subject urged upon the convention the face
that the amendment expressed in the cearest and
! simplest way what the party believed and the eX-
pediency of showing the courage Of is CONVICTIONS
by saying it in such way that the moss
ignorant person could not fail to understand IT,
He spoke truly, too, When he said the American
people considered ard determined but one great
public question at time, that though many issues
attracted public attention at one and Che same
time. some one would always overshadow all
others and command the highest place in the
thoughts OF tic people His speech was forcible
and effective, though he came near destroying
the effect by talking too long TO an importunate
audience who called time" on him.
THE QUESTION ovERsHADowING ALL OTHERS.
His view that the question of protection or
free trade is the ovcrshaG0wing one in the present
campaign is undoubtedly c5rrect. The adoption
OF his amendment was a square recognition OF the
fact and that is the only thing Of consequence In
the whole broadside OF platttudes and falschoods
which goes out as the platform Of the party. Thas
alone is vrile and purposeful, specific In state
ment and unmistakablc in meaning and interest.
So much being cheerfuly conccIed for the
candidates and the main issue Of the patform-the
fact being cordially recognized that the result Of
the convention makes possible a fair fight in an
| open feld--it remains TO he said that
| the nomination of Cleveland and the
adoution of free-trade platform to til
him was not So ingenious and candid
a proceeding as mere surface reading might seem
artiAce and intrigue such has rarely been
known even in the mixed and abstruse compli-
cations with which the inner circles Of Democracy
have always puzzled the historian.
| In the nomination OF the candidate there was
| not, as now appears, very much intrigue or
| bargaining of any sort II does not seem to have
| been needed. The conditions did not favor 1t
| if it had been The VicePresidency was not anx-
| ously sought by any one except Gray, OF lndl-
ana and the bargain on that score quickly
made Boes, Pattison, Carlisle and all the rest
were not candidates for the second place. They
| all played for the first or nothing. All their
| hopes were in Cleveland's failure to get two
| thirds and the chances that would arise out OF
the chaos that would follow They failed, and all
the anti-Cleveand combinations failed from too
much leadership and too many teachers. rather
than from any lack of them.
TAMMANY's POSITION
| Then Tammany was recognized the head and
centre Of the opposition, but the skill and cunning
| Of that great organization. as shown on its own
| ground in local and State contests,
were Intellectual in this largest field.
| They were distrusted at every step, and though
they were ready at any moment to drop their
own candidate and take up any one of the favorite
SONS lurking in the background the first indication
OF their doing 1t sent the supporters Of all but
one OF the favorite scampering over TO Cleve-
| land. There was nothing 10 do but 70 hold by
Hill aud hope against hope that the favorite sons
! would catch enough votes 70 keep Cleveland QUO
| Of two-thirs on the iirst ballot and then make
o desperate epdeavor to break him down and
| throw the field open. After that they did not
care what happeDed
Meantime eX-Secretary Whitney was quietly at
work strengthening his lines, putting out feelers
in every direction, conciating everybody. keep
| ing the enthusiasm Of the Cleveland following
| Gained down and within bounds not TO
give unnecessary offence to the opposition, assuring