Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1895-05-18
SEEKERS OF The PRESIDENCY,


Mckinley l<Aas AAeag ~RepNeiicanN Bat
no5Ers the Main Issue
American history IS fruitful In the
recooi ~ the failures q men who have
sought the presidency II the nation.
Sinoe the DAYS ~ Andrew jackson
there has not heR sn instance Of 3
mSa who has S,rlve for the ofies
actively toT soy considerable period in
savAno q nominations who has hen
~suoSSSfEl in St,Sininx it. The lis, q
such seekers IS i list Of the most emf
uer1 men q iaeir respective eraS Be-
gaming with Clay. Webster and Cal.
kcGa, il includes further Cas- Doug
las Seward and Chase. and it ends
with BlSine ana sherman. Considers
lions ~ e~N?edieney have ruled out
some a these men. they defeated Clsy
and Seward Personal rivalrles OF
e~a.e3 IL bring about the failure q
o.AsN like Csss ana blaine. There has
oDs2 s fatality about electing cAnii-
dates when 8 nomination was secured.
aS seen in the cases Of Clay, CaSs and
Blaine The position Of an avowed
candidate for the presidency IS the
HOS, 6ifscult one in which q politician
cSn Ne placed Unless he uses the ut
most emancipation he viii be in dan
ger Of masking 8 fatal mistake with a
view 10 the nomination. 1t requires
remarkable wisdom and ssgaci,y 70
sustain himself from hlunders in tao
t&cS here. snd when the prize Of q nom
i1Stion Is gained after long effort. he
he IS al s Disadvantage from his pre-
vious record in reaching an election,
The defeat Of Clsy and Blaine. when
their respective parties had sufiicien;
strength 10 elect a different candidate
in each instance, is proof of this
There has been but one instance OF
s really spontaneous selection Of S
candidate for president with the inll
acQuiesceuce Of his par.yin fifty years
L was that Of Gen. Grant in lsss. We
mean by this a selection which had
been indicated any length Of time be-
torehsn6 as one sure 10 be made. and
81 which there was no danger Of its
defeat by en- alternative nominee.
Gen. Iaylor's in ISIS came nearest to
il, ba, he was opposed by a large Sec
ton al the whig party and made a d.
vision IN its ranks Both Tilden and
Cleveland were taken more asa matter
Of policy than from their strict repre-
sentative character. Neither came for
ward urging his claims Or started a
campaign Tor himself in advance. The
Two Harrisons, Lincoln and Hayes,
Wen none Of them recognized as
seeking the presidency with the con-
spicuousuess OF their rivals, and Polk.
Pierce and Garfield were not known to
be seeking il 2. all.
cor, Mckinley has o the apparent
lead among several rival candidates on
the republican side occupying some
thing the same position that Clay.
Seward and Blaine occupied before
him. He has not 50 strong a following
as had those Of his predecessors, bu,
he has not 50 much 70 fear in an ex-
p~ediency candidate as had they. The
republicans have better prospects of
carrying the next presidential election
than had their party at the time the
other candidates were seeking it.
They do not need TO consult p~articu-
lsrly the personal popularity Of their
candidate with the voters, because the
party itself is almost sure to carry al
most any candidate, provided he does
not make q very serious mistake. Yet
il is easily in the power of Gov. Nc
hiniey 10 make such a mistake, and
present indications are 10 the effect
that he is not free from the danger Of
doing 50. We find this is his DISPOSE
ton 10 avoid meeting squarely the live
issue OF the coming campaign. This
will not be the tariff; the tariff is
much more in the nature Of a dead is
sue: certainly 1t is such in comparison
with another-the currency. 1t is idle
to undertake TO shirk or shift the is
sue Of the currency. 1t is something
10 be settled. The business of the
country demands its settlement and
the people engaged in that business
will not allow that the currency Of the
country shall be ignored in order that
a political triumph may be won in the
interest Of a party, much less OF an in
dividual politician.
II, while Gov. Mckinley is attempt
ing to divert attention from the cur.
rency to the tariff, Mr.. Thomas b.
Reed shall come out as boldly in TAX
ing a stand for sound currency as has
President Cleveland, he will score a
distinct point against his rival. In
that event Gov. Mckinley will be in
great danger Of adding another to the
list OF men who have trained them
selves too much. if we may adopt this
figure, in the race for the presidency,
His only remedy for this mistake will
be in following suit to Mr.. Reed, and
Mr.. Reed will still have the advantage
OF precedence in this important point,
Generalities will hardly do here. zone
dollar to be as good as another"
means not enough In such a connec-
ton. The men who are to nominate
the next republican candidate for the
presidency will make the inquiry as to
whether the present state of affairs in
this respect is TO be continued, and
more of the deprecated metal is to be
put upon the country. Gov. Mckinley
turns the conversation to the tariff
when this question is put to him His
disposition to dodge has afforded fac
opportunity for a holder nan to gain
upon him, and puts him in danger of
adding another to the list of candi.
dates who have made fatal mistakes in
seeking the presidency.-Boston Her
aid.
OPINIONS AND POINTERS.
Bob Ingersoll predicts a repub-