Los Angeles herald., 1892-05-26
THE GREAT STRUGGLE uros US.

We are rapidly approaching the time
when politics will rule the United States
for some months irrespective of political
lines, for substantially every one will be
a politician. We may be fairly said to
be plunged into the maelstrom now, for
the date of the national conventions OF
what may properly be called the
historical parties are SO near that
the hurly-burly already reverberates
around the continent. 1t is the
case Of the war horse of the
scriptural narrative who smelleth
the battle afar off, and who responds
with his shrill and resonant cha ha."
As the Republican national conven-
ton is the first to convene, very prop
erly speculation is hinging around
Minneapolis. The air resounds with
statements that Harrison will be thrown
over for some more popular Republican.
The president has not succeeded in &C.
curing any personal popularity in his
party. By nine out OF ten of its mem
bership he is looked upon as narrow
minded, splenetic little man, who has q
soul very little above that OF ferret.
The president has steered his efforts for
personal popularity in the direc-
ton of the '.goody, goody' ele-
ment of his party. The serious
arraigument of such pietists as
Wanamaker, and men of eimilar
caliber, has had the result of alternating
the more masculine leaders of the party
of great moral ideas. The distinctive
leaders of the Republican party, like
Tom Platt, John s. Clarkson, Matthew
Stanley Quay and J.. Benson Foraker,
to say nothing Of thousand lesser
lights of the organization, do not want
Harrison. James G. Blaine has only to
lift his little sfinger to get the nominal
tion practically by acclamation.
But will he do it? He is the only
man in his party who can stampede
that organization from its official chief.
No other Republican leader has tithe
of his power or popularity. The claim
that John Sherman, even, could carry
the Minneapolis convention over Har-
rison is absurd. It is the present occu-
pant of the White House or Blaine.
On the Democratic side, while the
convention ie later, and the interest is
not therefore so immediate, it cannot
be denied that Cleveland has secured
a great many states that were not
accredited to him originally. Com
monwealth after commonwealth has
either instructed for him or
has given intimations too plain
to be mistaken that he is the
choice of the people. We still adhere to
the opinion, frequently. expressed in the
HERALD, that if Mr.. Cleveland is not
nominated on the first ballot he will not
be nominated at all. But it would be
absurd to seek to deny the fact that his
chances for such nomination have been
lately largely increased. States that were
supposed to be cold towards him have
proved unexpectedly cordial, and COM
munities in the south where he was
thought 20 be weak haYe shown an out
light devotion to his political fortunes.
1t ls pleasant to know that all these |
'bstruse calculations, on the one side |
md the other, will shortly be in tie do |
main of fact. A few weess at most will |
zee the people Of the United States en-
yaged Ii that exciting contest which we
are sometimes tempted to think comes
too often, but whose frequent recurrence
is at least a tribute to the essential de-
of our institutions. 1t might,
come with greater. advantage
once in six years or even in eight, with
ineligibility to reelection, but it is at
hand under the old constitutional con-
ditions, and cannot fail to be highly ex-
citing. aaef