Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1895-05-09
SEEKERS Or fHE PRESIDENCY.


SEEKERS Or the PRESIDENCY.
| Mckinley Leads Among Republicans, But
DodEes the Main Issue.
American history is fruitful in the
record of the failures of men who have
sought the presidency of the nation.
Since the days of Andrew jackson
there has not been an instance of .
man who has striven for the Office
actively for any considerable period in
| advance of nominations who has been
successful in attaining it The list of
| such seekers is list of the most emf
| nent men of their respective eras. Be-
ginning with Clay, Webster and Cal
houn, it includes further Cass, Doug
las, Seward and Chase, and it ends
with Blaine and Sherman. Considers
| tons of expediency have ruled out
| some OF these men; they defeated Clay
| and Seward. Personal rivalries OPP
Grated to bring about the failure of
| others, like Cass and Blaine. There has
been a fatality about electing candi-
dates when a nomination was secured,
| as seen in the cases of Clay, Cass and
Blaine. The position of an avowed
| candidate for the presidency is the
| most difficult one in which a politician
can be placed. Unless he uses the ut
most cifcumspection he will be in dan
ger of making fatal mistake with a
view to the nomination. It requires
remarkable wisdom and sagacity to
sustain himself from blunders in tao
tics here. and when the prize Of nom
ination is gained after long effort, he
h, SC hiS
vious record in reaching an election.
The defeat of Clay and Blaine, when
their respective parties had sufficient
strength to elect different candidate
In each instance. is proof of this.
There has been but one instance of
really spontaneous selection Of q
candidate for president with the full
acquiescence of his party in fifty years.
1t was that of Gen. Grant In 1868. We
mean by this a selection which had
been indicated any length of time be-
forehand as one sure to be made, and
of which there was no danger OF its
defeat by an alternative nominee.
Gen. Tay1or's in 1s45 came nearest to
it, but he was opposed by large sec
ton Of the whig party and made di-
vision in its ranks Both Tilden and
Cleveland were taken more as a matter
of policy than from their strict repre-
sentative character. Neither came for
ward urging his claims or started
campaign for himself in advance The
two Harrisons, Lincoln and Hayes,
were none of them recognized as
seeking the presidency with the con-
spicuousness of their rivals, and Polk,
Pierce and Garfield were not known to
be seeking it at all.
Gov. Mckinley has now 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 so strong following
as had those of his predecessors, but
he has not So much to fear in an ex-
pediency 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 particu-
larly 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 a very serious mistake. Yet
it is easily in the power of Gov. Nc
Kinley to make such mistake, and
present indications are to the effect
that he is not free from the danger of
doing SO. We find this is his DISPOSE
ton to 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 it is such in comparison
with another-the currency. 1t is idle
to undertake to shirk or shift the is
sue Of the currency. It is something
to 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 party, much less Of an in
dividual politician.
If, 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 Fl ne |
opportunity for holder man 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 Ingerson predicts repub-
Hcan return to national power. Bob
evidently believes there is to be one
after aIL-Albany Argus
Wages are increasing as well as
the prices of grain, cotton and other