Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-02-21
BROWNS BRAIN
Shows Him the Proper Politi-
cal Course to Pursue.
CLEVELAND CANNOT BE IN IT.
He Cannot Consistent with Party Usage,
Enter the. Contest Again.
An Eloquent Letter on the Presidential
Situation from the Veteran Senator,
Joseph e Brown-Doubtful
States Must be Heard.

Below is the letter of ex-senator JOSEPH
E, Brown of Georgia to the Atlanta Con
stltutlon, on the subject of the presidency
which has attracted universal attention:
Editor Constitution
1 regret to see the unfortunate division
among. Democrats which seems to b
sprlnglng up In reference to the choice to b.
made by the national Democratic conven
ton OF candidate for president. The dis
agreement, which seems in some cases to BIZ
little bitter, has sprung up between the
friends OF President Cleveland and Senator
Hill Of New York as rival candidates fol-
the nomination. am personal friend OF
both the gentlemen named. and no Demo
crat has higher appreciation of the valu
able service rendered by each to his country
and the democratic party than / have. En-
PERTAINING this opinion of the contestants
anything like an angry division in the Dem
ocratlc party in reference to their relative
merits and claims, seems to me to be most
unfortunate.
The Democratic party has victory within
its grasp In the next election if it makes nc
objectionable mistake; but to make victory
certain II is necessary that we have a
united Democracy. The two wings of the
party should be ready to make concessions
each to the other if the general good of the
party and the country requires it.
1t seems to me that one of the essential
rules to be adopted by Democracy should
| be to select candidates who are able aud
worthy, who have the confidence of the
people, and who are Democrats whose
records are faultless as TAR as party fealty
is concerned; but as success is very impor-
tant another very essential thing is to have
reference to availability.
While we hope for Democratic gains in
several of the Northwestern states, and
| possibly in one or two of the New England
| states, l fear we cannot count with much
| certainty on carrying any of these Repub-
lican states. To make certain of election it
| will be necessary, therefore, for US to NOM
mate a candidate who can carry all the
| Southern Democratic states and who can
carry New YORK, Connecticut, New Jersey
and Indiana. This makes victory certain.
| Without it we have uncertainty.
| Now it seems to me that one Of the first
| things to be carefully looked after when
the name of candidate is proposed is, can
| he carry the doubtful states just mentionedl
President Cleveland carried them in 1884
| and was elected. He lost them in 1883 and
| was defeated Now, entertaining these
| views, it seems to me that we should take
the earliest steps possible to ascertain what
| is the sentiment of the states just men
| toned. If there is more certainty that Mr..
| Cleveland can carry them than that SEN
| ator Hill can carry them then he should re-
| ceiYe the nomination. II on the other hand
| developments have shown or may show
that Senator Hill will be certain to carry
those states, then the party should not hes
itate to make MIN the standard bearer.
Entertaining this view, do not deem it
essential that the party make selection of
a candidate for president at present; but 1
would wait until we hear from New York
and the other states necessary to our sue
cess, and as both the candidates above
named for the nomination are men of great
ability, either can safely be trusted with
fhe .faNvr hs.h a no II1nc a q am
when we find who is likely to be the most
available then is the time for the Democracy
to make the selection. In the discussion
between Democratic friends as to the avail
ability, all the points in favor of each of
the candidates can with propriety be
brought out and laid before the public so as
to enable the mass of Democracy when they
meet by their representatives in convention
to make wise selection.
The splendid achievements of Senator
Hill and the invaluable services rendered
by him to the Democratic party have been
so often laid before your readers that do
not pretend to discuss them at present.
The merits, great ability and administrative
capacity of President Cleveland are also
being laid before the public daily, and
will not enter into that discussion; but will
take it for granted that both the candidates
are worthy and personally well qualified.
Other things being about equal 1t may be
safe, in examining the claims of President
Cleveland, to inquire what has been the
usage of the Democratic party OF this sub
iect: What was the precedentl
1t has been the common practice, with
the exceptions of Polk, Pierce and
Buchanan, that when Democratic candi-
date has been elected president and has
made fair administration for the party to
give him a second nomination as an indorse-
ment of his course, and to make strong
effort to elect him; but l recollect no in
stance where third nomination has been
given to Democratic president or to any
Democratic candidate, nor do at present
remember any case where either of the
political parties of the United States has
nominated as the candidate of the party a
man who has served q second term in the
presidential chair, or who has served one
term and been nominated for reelection
and defeated by the popular vote. 1t seems
to be sort of unwritten law that each per-
son elected president who makes salts
factory administration shall have an OPP
portunity to get the popular Endorsement if
the populace are with him. If he fails he
is not expected to have another nomination.
You, or some Of your readers, may remem-
Der a case that does not occur to me at
present; but do not remember one where
the same person has been nominated by
either of the great political parties to run
three consecutive times for the Office of
president, whether successful or unsuc-
ceSSIul IN the second eIecGlOu
If this has been the Democratic usage
then the usage is unfavorable to the claims
of President Cleveland. He has been elected
president and served one term. He has
been nominated by the Democratic party
for second term, and with all the machin-
cry, patronage and power of the admins
tration in his hands has been defeated for q
second term. l say, according 10 usage
this seems to dispose of his claims. 1t may
be the will of the Democratic partyto make
an exception in his case to all general rule
of both political parties; but such an action
on the part of the Democratic convention
would be very hazardous and unwise-so
much so that neither of the great parties in
the past has ever dared to venture upon the
experiment
When Gen. Grant was serving out his
second term, with the prestige of his mag
nifcent record as a union general and OF
having been twice elected president, and
never defeated by his party for anything,
the Republican party flushed with power
and popular favor, did not, even for the
qualification of Gen. Grant and his host Of
enthusiastic Republican supporters, dare
risk the experiment of attempting third
nomination, even in case of candidate who
had been successful in both of his previous
races and who at that time was the most |
popular living American. Whether such |
an exception If made BY the Democrats viii |
be wise one when the question Is sub |
mitted to popular vote is yet to be deter
1.or tana1r FOL ban fol