The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-06-21

| DSeQ. the pOllQc11nS Qomlnateu mar
rison and beat Clay. From that day
onward the political bosses have been
as rule for available men" for the
| presidency. Who was James K Polk :
General Taylor had never voted in his
| life but had defended himself with
some skill at the battle of Buena Vista
| The nomination Of Lincoln was the
selection of a great man by accident.
Seward was the great man before the
Republican convention and Lincoln the
modest, common westerner. Had his
greatness then been known the queS-
| ton may be well put If he had not been
| beaten for that nomination No COM
! bination could stand out against the
''hero of Appomatox" in 1868 nor yet
/ in 1872.
In 1876 a new hero entered the lists
for the presidency. He had g longer
/ personal following than any living
American He was warm, magnetic
brilliant parsonage who knew more
people and could call more names than
any man living. The name of James
G. Baline is still subject for applause
throughout this nation He was just
strong enough to enlist the opposition
Of the politial bosses but not strong
enough to crush them. In &c and 80
the combination of ''bosSes'' defeated
Blaine because he was not an avail
able' man In "a when the party
politicians could no longer defy the
masses of his party who willed TO make
him their standard bearer, he was
beaten at the polls by Republican
votes. Kind-hearted old Horace Gree
ley shed tears because Clay could not
be president, and thousands still regret
that Blaine went TO his grave without
having achieved such distinction. 1t
IS some consolation TO think these men
deserved to succeed while these men
who triumDhed over them have merit
ed the mediocre place in history &C
corded them. The history of Folks
administration does not contain much
about Polk and the same is true of the
administration of Hayes.
1t is likely that political conditions
future. The political boss is apt to
think himself great by little success
and becomes enviouS and jealous. He
feels he ought to control the patronage
Of his locality, and if he cannot exact |
promises" he is mad. There is
enough of the "spoils" in politics" to
build a hope upon and the politicians |
trim for the man who viii reciprocate |
favOrs. This SelfishnesS in politics is |
not likely to be Immediately eradicat- |
ed, hence the political boss will be in |
fuenced in the future as in the past by |
the prospect for leaves and fishes, |
based upon promises for the distribu-
tiOn of patronage.
Mckinley does not touch the great |
popular heart like Clay and Blaine.
He has not the brilliant dashing quail
tiles of these men. The great out
bursts Of popular applause for these,
has q spontaneous emotion, born of a
deep-Seated popular admiration. Dem
onstIationS for these men were gen.
uine and contagious, all other great
demonstrations bear little that is i'm
itation-that is counterfeit Notwith-
this the popular admiration for
Mckinley is real He is the choice of
the mass of the Republican party. He
is man Of ability of character The
people have faith in him. However
much men may differ from him on
questions of public policies, all are
agreed that this parsonage stands out
clear cut, the best representative type
of American manhood. He is not a
great military hero, nor an orator like
Webster, but a substantial, respected,
worthy, honorable, minded, intel
ligent American citizen. He is the
irrsistable choice Of the Republican
party. He is not the choice of the
politicians, but of the Republican
masses despite the politicians. The
party nominated A1cKin-
ley. The Republican bosses could
not prevent it 1t was Mckinley ver-
Sus the ''bOsSes" and Mckinley won.