The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1893-11-30
THE FA1E OF PARRY IDOLS

The history of this country is the
constant shatteIing of party idols. No
party idol Of modern times has ever
reached the summit of his ambition;
while the road to glory is strewn with
the wret ks of idols.
AT present Mckinley is In danger of
becoming party idol. Many think he
has reached that dangerous altitude
now.
In the days when the Whig party was
in its zenith, and the United States
Senate was the forum of the greatest
debates in our history, Henry Clay was
the idol of his party. He was not only
the most conspicuous orator of his time,
but a magnetic man of fascinating
presence, and man who knew more
public men by name than any other
party leader of his day. He was five
C'nes candidate for President and
tl.I r,' times the nominee of his party
in 1874, 1882 and 1874 And yet, in 1874,
when his popularity was 80 great that
IT, las the unanimous choice of his
pa, for President, he was defeated by
| PLAN man from Tennessee, without
national reputation, or large personal
followiug--James K Polk. Mr.. Clay
died in 1852, sadly disappointed man.
Within the memory of the oldest in
habitant, no party idol has ever reached
the Presidency. Just before the war
| n. Z. Banks, of Massachusetts, was q
| popular idol. He shared the popular
| plaudits equally with Schuyler Colfax,
of Indiana. who enjoyed a ten years
adulation, a decade later. Neither
reached the Presidency, although Col
! fax was elected Vice. President in 1868,
| and was defeated for q denomination
at the Philadelphia convention in 1872
In the decade, 1862 to 1872, Colfax en-
joyed more personal popularity than
any other public man, in civil life. He
was as handsome as Mckinley and full
as adroit a politician and trimmer.
Yet he died sour, disappointed and un-
happy.
in The period of intense politics, just
preceding the war, VIM. II. Seward, of
New York, enjoyed great personal
popularity. He was the idol of the
New York Republicans, and his en-
J thusiasts were scattered from the At
lantic to the Rocky mountains, then
our pillar of Hercules. Every one pre-
dicted his nomination for President, in
the Chicago convention of 1860. But
he was defeated, and Abraham Lincoln
then without continental reputation
was nominated in his stead. Although
Seward served with distinction in the
Cabinet during the war, yet he died a
sadly disappointed man.
The next conspicuous idol of his
party was James G. Blaine, one of the
most accomplished and able men the
country has produced, in either party
He seemed to fill the full
measure of the peoples desire
as a publicist, orator and diplomat
And yet at Cincinnati, in 1876, in the
very achme of his popularity, he wat
defeated for the nomination for Pres
ident by the plain, uuostentatiout
Hayes, Notwithstanding the fact tha
he was nominated by Col, Robert G
Ingersoll, the most magnetic orator o,
today, in speech which Is a politica
classic, Again, Blaine won his nOmi.
nation in 1884, and was defeated in thu
election. And every student OF Amer
ican politics knows that Blaine died {
sorely disappointed man.
Gen. Grant was never political idol
His nomination in 1868, was the logi,
of the war. He was nominated beeaus,
he was the greatest general OF the fou
, years war.
"aluOlu, WIN WOO hOlhlhoOCu III iooN
was compromise candidate, who wa
accepted as happy solution of con
flict between Grant for third term
and the venally organized movemen
to nominate John Sherman,
II Looking over the past fields of poll
tical conflict, we must concede that tn
/ American people are nation of ido
, smasheTs.
Hence it is dangerous to dizzy ambi
tion to become the idol of a party.