The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-04-09
The Drift Towards Harrison.

Had General Harrison been shrewd
and cunning politician. bent on turn
ing every event to his own benefit in
stead of q dignified. conscientious and
model citizen pursuing in private life
the same even and upright way that
he uniformly pursued when president.
he could not have fixed the date of his
wedding more opportunely. 1t has
come at the very time when the clash
ing of the interests of seeking aspirants
for the political honor which he only
few months ago voluntarily set aside
has prepared the minds of many Re
publicans to turn with some measure of
eagerness to the one solution at st.
Louis which WOULD concededlj' obviate
factionalism, allay party and sectional
irritation and present to the people as
the nominee for president man con-
cerning whose honesty, ability, high
principle and experience they are thor
oughly assured. 1t Is not clear that
General Harriscn would wish to be
called, even by unanimous draft, back
to the position from which he was
ignorantly and most ungraciously eject
ed by the now well-repented idiocy of
1892; but we are by no means alone in
the belief that circumstances are shap-
ing themselves so as to make more than
possible his nomination at st. Louis.
Says the Washington Post, very
keen observer of events political, and
journal which has exceptional facil-
tiles for estimating at an early moment
the drift of public sentiment: "Of
course, 1t is more than possible that,
between this and the 7th of June, the
whole situation may be transformed.
But, meanwhile, the thoughtful men of
the party are considering the chances
carefully. and there can be no doubt
that they are considering Harrison
among them. And. after all, the coun
try, while 1t might easily do much
worse, can hardly do much better than
with Harrison. He is at least not an
experiment. We know him as a firm,
patriotic, wise. and high-minded chief
magistrate. He is not magnetic. he
has none Of the demagogue's cheap art.
There is nothing about him to generate
enthusiasm. He Is cold, reserved.
sometimes even brusuue. But there is
strength In the man, a selfreliant,
self-contained force that impresses and
inf 1,-tt1
whom he comes in contact. Instinc-
lively men feel that the country's dig
nifty and honor are safe in his hands;
that he will wink at no evil tolerate
no affront, condone no shortcoming in
any quarter. He Is a sound lawyer, an
upright citizen kind neighbor, and
faithful friend. He Is not humbug.
hypocrite, d poseur. He is what he
seems to be--a straightforward, rather
una trative personality. puritanical in
his ideas and his practices, but pure
Of life and thought and passionately
devoted to his country and his flag.
Furthermore, he Is man of simple
habits, Of domestic tastes, democratic
in all his ways, not exalted above his
fellow men but glad and proud to stand
upon their unpretending level The
people have implicit confidence in his
judgment, his integrity, and his pa
triotism. Even when he does what
they do not like. they believe in the
honesty Of his motives and accept the
act with unabated satisfaction. They
have seen him at home, on the battle
field, in congress, and in the executive
chair. and they give their faith and
their esteem in every one Of those ca
pacities."
1t has been said that If Major McKin-
ley were the nominee his own name
would be the party platform. With
reference to the single doctrine Of pro-
lection this is clearly true. But the
name Of Benjamin Harrison, If in any
shift Of politics It should be replaced
by imperlous party demand ut the Re-
publican masthead. would not only be
a platform for protection fully equal
ling in significance the name Of Nc
Kinley, but elso a platform Of safe,
clean and demonstrated all-round
Americanism. such as the party has
had but once since the days of Abra-
ham Lincoln: a platform which would,
In anticipation, unite the brilliant
diplomacy Of Blaine with the solid and.