The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-11-08
THE CAMPAIGN.

in many respects been unique. The alb
sence of many of the usual man.
festations of enthusiasm has been
patent to everybody. Certainly
for thirty years there has not
been Preside tial campaign where so
little dependence has been placed on the
spectacular argument. Ii will not be
whether this apparent lack ofenthusiasm
is synonymous with lack of interest, or
whether the interest has been as great as
in previous campaigns but less demon
stative.
Another noticeable thing about the
campaign has been the absence of person
alities. The discussion has been con-
fined almost entirely to questions of pub
of the candidates have received little at
tention This has been due in large
measure probably to the fact that both
the candidates had already been minute
ly inspected by the public, and the pub
lie mind made UP in regard to them.
Their qualifications for the chief execu-
tive Office had also passed beyond the
pale of speculation inasmuch as both of
them had filled the office and filled it
ably. Another reason for the absence of
personalities probably lies in the fact
that the public got a surfeit of that sort
of thing some years ago, and was not in
and 10 toll 70 IF Tn
this respect the campaign has been
model one on both sides.
But the peculiarities of the campaign
do not end here. 1t has been peculiar in
that whereas before it began there APP
peared to be a great gulf between the
attitude of the two parties on the most
pressing questions of the day, as it
proceeded the gulf was filled up to
large extent by the concessions, expla
nations and apologies of the Democratic
party, until the differences between the
parties which were sharply defined at the
outset became obscured. No party ever
made squarer declaration in favor of
the protection policy than did the Re-
publicans, and no party ever made a
squarer declaration in favor of the free
trade or tariff for revenue policy than
did the Democrats. The Republicans
have stood by their declarations firmly,
steadily. The Democratic tariff plank
was not week old before Democratic
organs began to explain it away. to apol-
ogize for it and to claim that it did not
mean what it said. The same is true of
the State bank question. The Demo-
cratic platform declared as strongly in
favor of the revival of State banks as for
a tariff for revenue only, going SO far
as to call for the removal of the only bar
rier which exists, or can exist, against
their revival but for months now the
Democratic organs have been telling us
that this declaration meant nothing, and
that the Interpretation which people put
upon it, and the only one which its Ian
guage permitted, was Republican libel
upon the Democratic party. Not sin
gle one of the issues conspicuously
raised by their platform have the Demo-
Gratis stood up to. They have shllly-shal-
lied on the tariff, they have done the same
on the bank question. If Cleveland is
elected there will be no ground for claim
ing that the country has declared for
tariff for revenue only, or that it wants
revival of the old State bank system
These questions will still remain unset
tied, to be fought out between the rival
wings of the Democratic party. This
uncertainty will be one of the worst fea-
lures of Democratic victory. Itwere
better for the country, if the Democrats
are to succeed, were it definitely known
that Democratic control meant revision
of the tariff to a revenue basis. Then
business could in a measure adjust itself
to the impending change of conditions.
With uncertainty will come paraly-
sis Business men will not dare to move
because they will not know what is COM
ing. Hence a period of stagnation,
period of doubt and hesitation is almost
sure to follow the election of Cleveland.
1t is for this reason that we believe the
great majority of intelligent business
men will be arrayed upon the side of
the Republican party today. They know
just what policy will follow it, But thew
cannot foresee what will follow Demo
cratic triumph. They know that there
must ensue along period of doubt and
uncertainty, a condition that is more
disastrous to business than any other.
because il DESTROYS public confidence