The Indianapolis journal., 1892-06-03
WE SHOULD TAKE NO CHANCES.

WE SHOULD TAKE NO CHANCES.
President Harrison said few days
ago to one of his closest friends: 81 can
cheerfully ride down Pennsylvania ave-
nue. March with any Republican who
may be fairly and honorably nominated
at Minneapolis. / should feel it keenly
if had TO ride down the avenue with q
Democrat
1t is very appropriate usage which
requires the outgoing President to ride
to the Capitol in an open carriage with
the incoming President when the latter
is about To be inaugurated. 1t is a
pleasant sight, suggestive of the dig
nifty of popular suffrage and the stabil-
ity of tire government to see the man
who has held office and power for the
constitutional term assisting in the in
stallation of his successor. The spec
tacle never fails to elicit tumultuous
cheers from the great crowds that wit
ness it in Washington. 1t becomes dou
bly, significant and impressive when
there is change in the politics
of the administration and when q re-
tiriDg President sits beside successor
of opposite politics. The applause
which this spectacle elicits is not more
expressive of triumph on the part of the
victorious party than it is of gratitica-
tion at the courtesy of the act and the
peaceful surrender of official power.
Two Republican Presidents elect have
been TINS escorted to the Capitol by
Democratic redecessors-LincOln by
Buchanan in 1861, and Harrison by
Cleveland in 1889. The years that in
tervened between these dates were the
grandest cycle in the history of the Re-
public. The Inauguration of Lincoln
marked the downfall of the Democratic
party after long period of prostituted
power and the beginning Of q new life
for the government and country. The
inauguration of Harrison marked the
restoration of the Republican party to
power after having been out for one ad-
ministratiOn.
The election of Harrison was only Sec
ond in Importance to that of Lincoln.
When Mr.. Cleveland was elected all
Democrats believed and many Repub-
licans feared it was the end of the Re-
publican party, SO far as control of the
government was concerned. for long
time to come. The Democrats thought
their new lease of power would be as
long as that of the Republican party
just closed, and many Republicans
feared that the Democracy would so in
would be impossible to dislodge them
for many years. There was some ground
for this belief and this fear. There were
indications at the time that the Repub-
lican party had lost it's prestige and its
grip. Under the captainship of its most
popular and magnetic leader 1t had met
with its first defeat, and the opposition
had shown degree of vitality that
seemed to betoken n long term of power.
The moderate success of Cleveland's ad-
ministration strengthened the belief
that the party would continue in
power. No Democrat ever doubted for
moment that he would be reelected,
and many Republicans mistrusted the
ability of the man from Indiana to lead
the party to victory.
They were all mistaken. The Repub-
lican party was never more grandly led
than it WAS by Harrison in 1888, and his
triumphant election attested the wisdom
of his nomination. There is every rea-
son to believe that he was the only Re-
publican who could have been elected
in 1888. Chairman Clarkson. who now
favOrs Blaine, admits that Harrison was
stronger ut the polls four years ago than
Blaine was. THAT year." he says, II
was not among those who favored the
nomination of Blaine. thought then
and / still think that Harrison was a
stronger man for that year." If stronger
that year, why not nowq Has he lost
any of the elements of popular strength
since theng On the contrary, every
body knows he has gained. Mr.. Clark
sons statement is practically an admis-
sion that Harrison saved the Repub-
lican party in 1883. That is also the
opinion of the Journal. When he proved
himself stronger than Blaine he proved
himself the strongest man in the Re-
publican party.
One term Is not enough for n man
who he's rendered such distinguished
service to the party. especially when his
administration has been such as to CON-
mand universal approval. One term is
not enough for man who not only saved
the party in 1888, lifting it from the
slough of defeat in which it was left by
the ill-starred campaign of 1884, but
who has made a victory in 1892 possible.
The Journal believes the denomination
of President Harrison will be guaranty
of victory. while the nomination of any
other person will be an experiment. 1t
will be a blunder amounting almost TO
a crime if the Minneapolis convention
takes any risk of making the President
ride to the Capitol on March A, 1893, with
Democratic successor.