Los Angeles herald., 1892-05-01
PRACTICAL POLITICS AND THE PREsI-
DENCY.

per'e weekly, fuck or tne MusW WuhiPs'
The United States is really staunchly
Democratic, and all that is needed to
assure Democratic success is that man
should be nominated who can secure the
Democratic vote. Can Mr.. Cleveland
be relied upon to do this as fully as some
other Democrats who could be named?
That is the great point at issue. II there
were general opinion that he could,
he would probably be nominated by ac-
clamation. Such belief not only does
not exist, but many OF the wisest and
most influential leaders of the party
think that the ex-president is deplora-
bly weak in states where he should be
strong.
The recent elections have proved that
any one who calculates upon electing a
Democratic president without the thirty
six electoral votes of New York is crazy.
Simply that and nothing more. Chsun-
cey NJ. Depew says that even the Re-
publicans can't win without New York.
This makes the Empire state, par excel
lence, the leading factor in the coming
struggle. The HERALD has never doubted
it. She has been so since 1876, and in
elusive OF that year, throwing out the
eight to seven machinery. She will be
80 in 1892, and may quite possibly be so
in 1896, and later.
Most Democrats who have kept them
selves informed OF the progress OF poll
tics know why Mr.. Cleveland is weak in
New York. He was unexpectedly weak
in his own state in 1854, when change
of six hundred votes would have made
Blaine president. 1t is now universally
admitted that it was only Gen. Patrick
A. Collins's mastery manipulation OF
the Rev. Burchard's Rum. Romanism
and Rebellion" speech that pulled the
Democratic national ticket through in
that year. That plurality of eleven
hundred was not the Democratic
strength was shown by the fact that, in
the following fall, David Bennett Hill
was elected governor by eleven thousand.
In the fall of 1888 Mr.. Cleveland and
Mr.. Hill were both voted for at the
same election-the first as the Demo-
cratic candidate for president and the
second as the Democratic nominee for
governor of New York. As a result
Mr.. Cleveland lost the Empire state hy
thirteen thousand and Mr.. Hill carried
it by seventeen thousand.
No man of sense, whatever his predi-
lections as to the candidate for presi-
dent, can any longer echo the cry that
Senator Hill was disloyal to Mr.. Cleve-
land in that famous struggle. Senator
Daniel, in his letter to the Richmond
Dispatch, settled that calumny forever.
He says that Mr.. Cleveland himself
assured him that it was an unfounded
lie, and that Governor Hill, also, had
repelled the allegation with righteous
indignation. The New York World
which has always been partial to Mr.
Cleveland, pronounces the charge alb
surd, and SAYS that Mr.. Hill was loya
and cordial in his support of the heat
of the Democratic ticket. AS why
should he not have been? The sures
way to attain the presidency for him
self was to do all he could to have Mr.
Cleveland elected for a second time
There is certainly no intimation that
Mr.. Cleveland's friends desired to rur
him for third term. Gen. Grants
experience would seem to have settled
that phase OF the matter for all time t.
come.
What the secret OF the ex-president'
weakness in New York was in 1854
when he ran for the first time, it woulC
be hard to explain. Perhaps it wal
not so much his weakness as thu
strength OF Blaine. Perhaps men lik'
Henry Ward Beecher and Mugwuml
journals like Harpe-'s Weekly, thu
New York Times and Puck had some
thing to do with it. Whatever tht
cause for the Democratic detection then
we were not left in much doubt about i
in 1888. While he was president th'
term of Postmaster Pearson of New
York expired. There was no obligation
of the civil or snivel service calling TO
the re-appointment OF Mr.. Pearson. Hi
GULL ululSSiOu Idu lOI lOuI yCdiEs Ib wa
to be presumed that there were multi
tudes of good Democrats fully as
competent as Mr.. Pearson who woulC
appreciate the honor of being postmas
ter of New York. Including letter car
riers, who wore uniform, there were, il
all, four thousand employees of the New
York postoffice, whose official life was a
the option of the postmaster.
Notwithstanding these facts, Mr.
Cleveland re-appointed Mr.. Pearson
Multitudes of hardworking Democrat
naturally looked to some recognition O
their services, which they did not re
ceiye. They all had friends, who re
sented the continuation in office of mel
who had voted against Mr.. Cleveland
There was big force OF old Jackson ant
Marcy Democrats who were disgusted a
this favoritism to Republicans on gen
eral principles.
Mr.. Cleveland thus lost the support o
great many Democrats. Did he max
good this dropping off from Mugwuml
accessions? The result scarcely showe'
this. When the great businessmen