Evening star., 1895-06-01
THE PRESIDENCY
Advantages in Beginning the Cam
paign a Year in Advance.
MANY MATTERS MAY Be EXPLAINED
Recent Happenings That Might
Have Proved Disastrous Later.
THE WORK Is EXPENSIVE

| 1t Is observed in political circles that
| some advantages go with the policy of
| opening presidential campaign full year
| in advance of making the nominations.
New positions may be canvassed, old atti-
| tudes explained, suggestions of pith and
moment thrown out, and all in good time
| to prevent the taking of snap judgment by
either side or anybody. Everybody is
| freer-handed. and moves about with less
| fear of being ambushed or in any manner
! suddenly overwhelmed.
Illustrations are offered The speeches
| of Secretary Carlisle might have been peril
! GUS if delayed a year. Made on the very
| eve of the Inauguration of a national con-
| test, they would have provoked an assault
| dangerous to the administration and to
himself. There would have been no ade-
quate time then for such argument in
support of them as is now being advanced.
Taken on one flank by the free silver
democrats, on the other by the free silver
republicans, and pushed hard in front by
| retary would probably have been routed.
AS it is he has time to fortlfy himself, and
! to call to his support all those members
| of his party who, now that the money issue
has become the leading issue. are disposed
| to question the wisdom of the free silver
policy.
The speech of Senator Sherman at Zanes-
vile would likewise have been dangerous
| to him and to his party under other circum-
| stances. 1t was in a measure surprise to
both sides. The gold men were expecting
a much more vigorous deliverance in sup
port of their side of the controversy. while
the silver men were expecting nothing for
their side Mr. Sherman sees something
| more for silver, and within the coming
year is likely to make his meaning very
much clearer. But a years time 1t Is
| thought, will prove valuable even to him.
| By June of next year he will probably. by
a careful working out of the problem, as
he sees it. have demonstrated just how
much further and with what agencies this
government can afford to go in the prem
ises. His latest views are already chal-
lenged. Senator Hill as much as announces
antagonism to them. But Mr.. Sherman is
in the habit of meeting all corners on the
money question, and. as he need not hurry
in the present case, his equipme mt when he
| does take the field is likely to be the most
complete that even he has ever exhibited
MIR. Depew's Dinner.
Mr.. Depew's harmony dinner is another
instance in point. That might have been
dangerous but for the time to fully explain
| it.. Mr.. Depew is not himself very rich
man. His standing in public life rests upon
his wit, his culture, his bonhommie. But
| in his Office as railroad president he touch
es shoulders with many of the richest of
men, and in campaign years in the past
has. some of his friends complain, suffered
in his political ambitions because of the
fact. How readily. therefore. on the eve
of preside dial contest would the demo-
cratic managers have seized upon such
dnncr and fed multitude with it! Mr..
Depcw'S viands would have been multiplied
thousand fold, and his table service de-
scrbed shaming by comparison that of
| royalty itself. Aggregated capital would
have been connected with the function. and
the impression sought to be made that 1t
was bid for the control of the republican
candidate for the presidency. That is pol
iticS when the battle has actually begun.
That Is precisely what happened to Mr..
Blaine in 1854. His New York admirers.
some of whom were very rich men, gave
him dinner while the campaign was in
progress, and it was described by the dem
ocratic newspapers as the richest feast out
side of Bible history. 1t cut big figure in
the contest, and. as interpreted by his op
ponents, cost Mr.. Blaine some votes among
the plain people. But Mr.. Depew has time
in which to describe and interpret his own
dinner, and to show that it had no other
object in view than that confessed to by
himself, and, for that matter, appearing
plainly to everybody without confession
Gov. Morton's Fninting Fit.
The weakness that overlook Gov. Morton
| on the reviewing stand OH Decoration day
was an experience reviewing officer might
| have any year in extreme warm weather,
and the New York leader may congratu-
| late himself that this is an off year in
national affairs. A similar experience,
| though suffered under different crcum-
stances. cost Mr.. Blaine the presidential
| nomination in 1876. He fell in front of a
| church door on a Sunday morning. The
national republican convention was then in
| session at Cincinnati. with Mr.. Blaine in a
| safe and most promising lead. The next
| day would. perhaps, have Witnessed his
nomination. But by the next day his op-
| ponents in the convention had magnified
his attiiction into dangerous sunstroxe,
| likely to result in total incapacity. II not
| chances. He had. however, suffered no
such stroke He enjoyed life and played
| great part in affairs for many years after
| ward. and his physicians have stated that
there was no connection whatever between
his trouble on that hot Sunday morning in
1876 and the trouble which finally subdued
| his once splendid constitution. Gov. Nor
ton has played in better luck so to speak
He has succumbed at a time when the full
| responsibility of the iced water can be
indisputably fixed. 1t Is likewise known
that he was soon again on his feet. and
that he carried out the greater part Of his
program for the day. And he is now back
at his desk again at Albany. looking after
the states business. and looking fully re-
stored to health and strength. The episode
may be entirely forgotten by next year. or.
if recalled, then so will be the splendid
recuperative qualities ne displayed. In
airy event, his presidential prospects are
not likely to be injured by what. in Mr..
Blaine's case proved to be an overwhelm-
ing misfortune.
An Expensive Campaign.
1t does not escape attention that this
long campaign, extending, as 1t WILL over
eighteen months must prove to be very ex-
pensive Both sides will be obliged to raise
for purely legitimate expenses large sums
of money. Stumping bills and printing
bills and bills for clerical help will all be
heavy. But the issue is such that contri-
buttons, it is predicted, will be liberal The
people want the discussion to be thorough,