The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1895-05-07
CLEVELAND rs. DEMOCRACY

Wn0n HfeeloenC OleVelanQ was Hr 81
elected the democracy had been out of
power for twenty-four years. A great
many democrats at ONCE concluded that
it was not the principles of the party,
but the man who headed its ticket had
won the victory. Unfortunately for the
democracy this opinion had no more
firm believer than the president him
self. 1t did not dawn on him all at
once, and so drown him in the sea of
his own greatness, but permeated his
system slowly, but steadily, by what is
known as capillary attraction, and its
effect was the same as usually happens
when large amount of moisture is alb
sorbed by some solid substance-that is,
the substance doing the absorbing be-
comes too large to remain hemmed in
by the surroundings and boundaries
which held it before. In other words,
it swells. In 1889, the process being
reversed, the water dried out of the ex-
president, and he was again selected as
being able to fill the gap at the head of
the democratic ticket. Instead of profit
ing by one case of swelling. the party
tried the same timber for the third
time, only to find that its power for alb
sorption had increased so wonderfully
that instead of believing himself the
servant of the public, he imagined him
self the owner of his own party and the
country too.
There were wise men before Agamem-
non, and certainly wise democrats be-
fore Cleveland. He was the creature of
circumstances, not the creator of them
He imagines he has succeeded in mate
rializing the grim-humored idea of
Diogenes, who, upon being put upon the
block for sale, and asked what he was
good for, or could do, replied: "Sell me
to some man who wants a master for
himself" and 80 imagining, kicks the
platform on which he was elected to
pieces, turns his back to the ladder by
which he has climbed into place, and
spurns as ignoble dust the common peo-
pie who placed him on his pinnacle of
greatness.
A few figures may serve to dispel, not
Mr.. Cleveland's idea of the power of his
leadership, but that of the people who
yet imagine that it was the man and
not the party that won. Let us look at
the result. as shown by the popular
vote: Lincoln was elected by popular
vote of 1856, 1852, against 2,226, ,920 for
Breckenridge and !, 1,374 ,157 for Douglas,
the latter two being both democrats.
Lincoln was reelected by a vote of D.
216,067 against 1,sos,725 for George B.
Mcclellan. majority of 400, 900 votes.
Grant was elected in 1868, by vote of
3,015,0 over Seymour. with 2,709, ,613.
a majority OF 300, 900. He was re-elect-
ed over Greely by vote of 3,507 ,070
against 1884 ,079, majority of 100000,
and this increase was due to democratic
refusal to support the man, instead of
the party. In 1876 Rutherford B.
Hayes received 4,033, $50 to Tilden's
4,284 1856, and was only declared elected
after the famous fifteen commission,
and yet Tilden had 250,O0o majority.
In 1880 Garfield was elected, having
,449 $50 to Hancock's 4, ,442, $50, almost
a tie. Cleveland was elected in 1884,
bis vote being 4,913, ,24s, Blaine's 4.S4s,-
$50; a majority OF 65, 900. In 1888 Har-
rison had 8 AL, ,423 to Cleveland's 1885,
224, a majority against him of 5000.
In 1892 Mr.. Cleveland, for the third
time, asked the greatest favor party
can bestow, from the hands of that
party, which is too small for him, and
received !5,556,91s votes to Mr.. Harri-
sons $780, .10S, majority of $50, $40.
This result was largely due to the ma
chine politicians disgust with Mr.. Har-
rison, who, like his successor, was
larger than the party; and it was not
due to Mr.. Cleveland's popularity. On
the heels of the war Tilden had as large
majority in proportion to the vote as
Cleveland in 90.
A calm survey of the figures does not
show that there was any wild scramble
to vote for Cleyeland. He carried only
his party strength, neither more nor
less; nor more nor less than any other
candidate would have had. The in
crease ofvotes in the presidential elec {
is from 100000 to 9OO, 1000, and a gain
either way is always possible. Yet the
figures show that the democratic party
has always been almost as strong as the
republican, and Mr.. Cleveland's candi
dacy did not add to it's strength.