St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-02-10
LET LEADERS DECIDE.
The Presidential Contest Will
Solve It's Own Diff
Guilty.
Judge Macdonald Thinks the
Pivotal States Should
Guide.
Why Cleveland Is Less Strong
Than He Was Four Years
Ago.
Gov. Hills Record as a States
man Beyond Impeach-
ment.

Judge John l.. Macdonald who was
the Democratic predecessor of Congress-
man Hall in the Third district, has very
pronounced opinions on the presidential
situation. Yesterday afternoon he was
the center Of little group In which the
coming national campaign was under
discussion, and expressed himself as
follows:
ii am not one of those who believe
that the existence or success of the
Democratic party depends upon the
nomination of Mr.. Cleveland, or any
other one particular individual. / have
sufficient confidence in the wisdom and
Judgment of the next national cOnven-
ton to believe that its nominee will be
satisfactory to the party at large. be-
lieve that the party leaders IN the other
states are just as wise and anxious for
success as ours are, and think that the
representative men OF such of the states
as can safely be relied upon to cast their
votes in the electoral college for the
Democratic candidate for president
know better than we do whether Cleve-
land or Hill, or Palmer. or German, or
any other of our party leaders would
make the strongest candidate IN their
respective states; and | believe the rep
resentatives of states as doubtful as
ours should listen to those leaders, and
be guided by their opinions in the seIec-
ton of Standard-bearer. l regard it
as decidedly injudicious for the
representatives of states who can
have no assurance that their state
will cast its electoral vote for the candi-
date to attempt to force upon the rep
resentatives of states which can a>can-
didate they do not favor. Mr.. Cleve-
land made good president, but not
good enough to prevent his defeat by
Mr.. Harrison. and L am unable to dis
cover any evidence of his being stronger
now than he was the last time he run.
1t was not the high tariff issue that de-
feated him then. 1t can easily be traced
to other inStrumentalities. or causes,
the most potent of which was the Union
soldier vote. Here in the Northwest.
for Instance, where the low tariff Senti-
ment was strong, the protectionists
deemed it polite to sing low on that
issue, but loud and long land with sue
cess on his pension vetOeS. This was
done in every locality. or section, where
the Union soldier element was strong,
with the same damaging result. ! am
unable to discover anything to convince
Inc that these conditions. which existed
then, have changed, or that those who
voted against him in 1888 will vote for
him i'll 1892. These are considerations
which cannot with wisdom be over
looked by those who desire success. l.
believe that Cleveland was misunder-
stood and placed in wrong attitude be
fore the Union soldiers in 1888: but can
the party afford to undertake the labor
necessary to place him right in the brief
time of the coming canvass?
us not the tariff the all-important
issue, judge"
ut is mistake to suppose that the
changes that were made in the last con-
gressional elections were all due to the
tariff question, and the result of a per-
manent change of views upon it. 1t
was. in part, because the majority of
the people were indignant to think that
the Republican party should presume
upon their indulgence, and have the
effrontery to actually raise the war
tariff, which by the Mills bill we sought
to lower, and because of the prOf1igate
expenditures of the Fifty-frst congress,
which made the immense surplus. which
the Democrats left in the national treas
ury, disappear like the mist in the
morning sum-" In my opinion Cleve-
land is not as strong, in the states to be
be relied Oh to elect Democratic preSi-
dent, as he was i'll 1888. 1t is undeniable
that iii many of those states he has
weakened himself by his extreme views
upon the silver questionable position
of himself and frienus being precisely
that of President Harrison and the
money kings of Wall street. Time has
not sustained his predictions as to the
free coinage of silver. The legislation
of 1890, authorizing the purchase of
100000 ounces OF silver per
month, is practically free coinage:
because that is, with what is needed for
other purposes, about the entire silver
product of the country, and no one will
claim that our volume of currency is
now greater than the business demands
OF the country require. What we need
now is the RECOMMENDATION of silver
legislation that will restore the silver
dollar to parity with gold and repeal
the Infamous laws tina. (by tie Dasest-
of cOnspiracies) debaSed the silver dob
lar. To this Cleveland dixie Harrison
has been opposed"
''What do you think of the political
attitude of the Northwest?''
ut was not the tariff, but the school
question and consequent change of the
German vote, that caused Wisconsin to
change from a Republican to Demo-
cratic state, and it was the liquor ques-
ton, more than any other, which caused
Iowa to become Democratic. 1t is best,
at this time, to be frank and recall to
our mind facts as important as these,
for it can not be denied that a nomina-
ton Is not equivalent to an election.
Before Cleyeland's friends urge his
nomination as vigorously as they do,
they should be able to satisfy the party
that he is stronger than ne was in 1888,
and show where the additional votes
necessary to elect him are coming
from"
WHO is your own choice for presi-
dent?'
My choice today land has been for
more than two years pasD is Gov. David
B. HILL of New York. | favor him be-
cause | regard him as, by all odds. the
strongest candidate the Democratic
party can name, and because | regard
him as we'll and eminently qualified for
the position. The Democrat who thinks
differently does SO because he has al
lowed the Republican press (Which
knows Hills strength and fears iD to lead
him to a wrong conclusion. have
closely watched Gov. Hills course ever
since he has been governor of New
York, and do not hesitate to say that, i'm
my opinion. it merited the magnificent
compliment which he received of a
unanimous election 10 the United States
senate. L assert, without fear of sue
cssSful contradiction, that the friends of
Mr.. Cleveland cannot name quality
that makes him a suitable candidate
that Gov. Hill does not possess; and
that he is free from the weak points i'll |
Dictated. When people undertake to |
beiittle him they forget that his seven |
DOR