St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-07-30
A BUSTED TRIuMVIRaTE,

January of 1892 opened with trium-
virate of Democrats filling the public
eye and prints to the exclusion of all
others. Around them and their move
ments all interest clustered. The en-
tries for the presidential race were
being made. By the common consent
of those who assume to cut out and dry
the presidential timber for these con-
ventions, Mr.. Cleveland was out-classed.
The same senators who are now telling
the party what it must do, then were
unanimous that Mr.. Cleveland's silver
letter had taken him out Of the class of
even possibilities. Who should be the
man was felt to be in the hands of the
trio of senators who had assumed the
management of the party.
Men might have their preferences,
but all felt that the decision lay with the
great triumvirate, German, Bill and
Brice, and every one knew that the first
two would not decline should the NOM
lnation come to either. Just what part
In 1t Brice vas playing, what share he
was to have, whether he was merely to
"pay the freight" or was to have some
thing good in the way Of a secretary
ship with large possibilities in it. is
still unwritten history, but one which. if
this tariff fight continue its revelations,
we may expect soon to be let out of the
bag. But it is evident, in the light of
subsequent events, that the game played
by these eminent WORTHLESS was not one
of joint account, Only one common
purpose cemented them, the killing off
of Cleveland's boom; that out of the
way, each of them, possibly including
Brice, was laying pipe and wires for
his own nomination. While the adroit
and plausible German was running his
knife into Cleveland, he was arranging
the plans for his own success; and
while the cunning, flexible and auda-
ciOus Hill was doing the knife act he,
too. was laying pipe.
There is every reason to believe that
neither of them let slip a chance TO
chuck a block before the wheels of the
others scheme, aud that, while playing
jointly to down Cleveland, each was
designing plans to down the other. 1t
was great game, and we'll played. Hill
candidate. He had the machine of his
state party in hand. He was sure of
the state delegation. The idea that New
York was the pivotal state was sedu-
lousy spread. With it went the stout
assertion that Cleveland couldn't carry
it, and Hill could. If Hill could impress
the South the game was his. German
knew that should Hill go South i'll the
guise of a statesman the sham would be
quickly seen there where they had been
breeding statesmen for generations and
knew the real article at a glance. There
is little doubt that German played ON
HIPS vanity until he made that famous
Southern tour, which laid him out as a
candidate.
But the players, each and all of them,
lacked the winning cards. They took
no account Of the great rank and file of
the party. They played with the party
managers, who would manage the pri-
Yates, they supposed. They did not
know the deep hold Mr.. Cleveland had
on the hearts of the mass, nor how
firmly determined they were tina. he
should be again their candidate. The
players played and the managers man
aged, but their schemes went down
before the resistIess will of the mass
like the houses of cardboard they were,
Beaten for the time being, the game
went on for the succession. German
still played the managers. He played
for the support of those who furnish
the SineWS; who put up the stuff %
Hill. shrewder, quicker to learn, has
changed his cards, and is playing to the
galleries. Anyway, whatever the re-
suit in '96. the triumvirate is busted,
and German is calling Hill Iago, and
Hill is calling German the ''iean and
hungry Cassius." And Brice? He is
taking sugar i'll his.