Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-02-25
BROWNS BRAIN
Shows Him the Proper PoIiti-
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 Z Brown-Doubtfuf
States Must be Heard.

Below is the letter of ex-senator Joseph
E. Brown Of Georgia to the Atlanta Con-
| stitution, on the subject OF the presidency,
which has attracted universal attention:
Editor Constitution.
I regret to see the unfortunate division
among Democrats which seems to be
springing up in reference to the choice to be
| made by the national Democratic conven-
| ton of candidate Tor president. The dis
agreement, which seems in some cases TO be
| a little bitter, has sprung up between the
| friends of President Cleveland and Senator
| Hill of New York as rival candidates for
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
ocratic 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 1t makes no
objectionable mistake; but to make victory
| certain it is necessary that we have
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 II.
1t seems to me that one of the essential
rules TO be adopted by Democracy should
be to select candidates who are able and
worthy, who have the confidence of the
people, and who are Democrats whose
| records are faultle5s 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, / fear we cannot count with much
! certainty on carrying any OF these Repub-
| Iican 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 mentioneds
President Cleveland carried them in 1854
| and was elected. He lost them in 1888 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 u n he should re-
| ceive the nomination. If o. 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 him the standard bearer
Entertaining this view, do not deem it
essential that the party make q selection of
a candidate for president at present; but l
| 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
I obi ifr oft cafalV flsIlSfpd
the power if he be the most available, and
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 4 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 l 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 it may be
safe, in examining the claims of President
Cleveland, 10 inquire what has been the
usage of the Democratic party on this sub
ject: What was the precedent?
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 ludorse-
ment of his course, and to make strong
IL. L., but I la.rfr,
stance where a third nomination has been
given to a Democratic president or to any
Democratic candidate, nor do l at present
remember any case where either OF the
political parties of the United States has
nominated as the candidate OF the party |
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 q 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. IL he fails he |
is not expected to have another nomination. |
You, or some of your readers, may remem- |
Der q case that does not occur to me at |
present; but l do not remember one where |
the same person has been nominated by |
either of the great political parties to run |
three consecutive times fer the ONCE OF |
president, whether successful or unsuc-
cessful in the second election.
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 L second term, and with all the machin-
cry, patronage and power of the admins
tration in his hands has been defeated for
second term. l say, according to usage
this seems TO dispose of his claims. 1t may
be the will of the Democratic party to make
an exception in his case to all general rule