The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1895-05-17
PRESIDENTIAL. ASpIRANTS.
1shiaiey Lads AmonS Republicans. Bus
D.lsss the Main Issue

sought The presidency % the nation.
Since the days Of Andrew Jackson
there has not been an instance Of a
man who has strivcn for the Office
actively sor any considerable period in
advance Of nominations who has been
successful IN attaining IT, The list OF
such seekers - 4 list Of the most emf
nent men Of their respective eras Bc-
ginning with Clay, Webster and Cal
houa. ~ includes further Cass. Doug
las Seward and Chase, and it ends
with Blaine and sherman. Considera-
tions CT expcdiency have ruled out
some Of these mon; they defeated Clay
and Seward Personal rivalries op-
Grated 20 bring about the failure of
Others. like Cas- and Blaine There has
been = fatality about electing candi-
dates when ! 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 circumspection he will be in dam
Ger Of making a fatal mistake with n
view 20 the nomination. II requires
remarkable wisdom and sagacity to
sustain himself from blundcrs in tao
tics here and when the prize of q NOM
ination Is gaincl after long effort. he
he Is At q disadvantage from his pre-
vious record in reaching an election.
The defeat OF Clay and Blaine. when
their respective parties had sufficient
strength 70 elect a different candidate
II each instance. is proof Of this
There has been but one instance of
. really spontaneous selection Of a
candidate for president with the full
acquiescence OF his party in fifty years.
II was that Of Gen Grant in 1-Js. We
mean by this a selection which had
been indicated any length of time be-
fOrehanG as one sure to be made, and
~ which there was no danger Of its
defeat by an alternative nominee.
Cen Taylor's in Isl. came nearest TO
IT, but he was opposed by large Sec
'ion Of the whig party and made a di-
vision in its ranks Both Tiiden and
Cleveland were taken more as 4 matter
OF policy than from their strict repre-
sentative character. Neither came for
ward urgisg his claims or started q
campaign for himself in advance. The
two Harrisons, Lincoln and Hayes,
were none of them recognized as
seeking the presidency with the con-
s~picuousness OF their rivals. and Polk.
Pierce and Garfield were not known 10
he seeking il at all.
Gov Mckinley has now the apparent
lead among several rival candidates on
the republican side occupying
thing the same position that Clay.
Seward and Blaine occupied before
him lie has not SO strong a following
as had those of his predecessors. but
he has not So much 20 fear in an ex-
pcdicncy candidate as had they. The
republicans have better prospects of
carrying the next presidential election
than had their party al the time the
other candidates were seeking it
larry 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
IL is easily in the power Of Gov. Nc
kinley TO make such a mistake, and
present indications are TO the effect
that he Is not free from the danger Of
doing 80 We find this is his dispose
zion 10 avoid meeting squarely the live
issue of the coming campaign This
will no. be the tariff. the tariff is
much more in the nature Of \ dead is
sue; certainly il is such in comparison
with another-the currency. 1t is idle
20 undertake TO shirk or shift the is
sue Of the currency II is something
To be settled The business of the
country demands its settlement and
she people engaged in hat business
will not allow that the currency Of the
country shall be ignored in order that
> political triumph may be won in the
interest of a party. much less Of an in
.iviiual politician
II. while Gov. Mckinley is attempt
;n- 10 divert attention from the cur
-ency tn the tariff. Mr.. Thomas II
Reed shall come out as boldly in talk
ing a stand for sound currency as has
Cleveland. he will score q
point against his rival. In
that ven Gov. Mckinley will be liz
great danger Of adding another 20 the
list Of men who have trained them-
selves too much If we may adopt this
figure. in the race for the presidency.
only remedy for this mistake will
be in following suit to Mr. Reed, and
,fr. Reed will still have the advantage
u precedence in this important point
will hardly do here. One
dollar TO be as good as another
means not enough in such a connec-
ton The mon who are 70 nominate
the next republican candidate for the
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 10 the tariff
when this question is put 10 him His
to dodge has Afforded . a Ne
opportunity for q holder man 70 gain
upon him. and puts him In danger Of
another TO the list Of candi-
1ates who have made fatal mistakes in
the prcsidency--Boston Her
lld
The Boston Herald says the