The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-02-03
THE REPUBLICAN TRoCHA.

The center of political control moves
westward with the center of population,
and the Eastern states see with dis
may their influence waning. This has
been apparent in both political parties
in many directions. Prior to the war
the national conventions were held in
one or another of the cities on the east
ern slope Of the Alleghanies. The Re-
pubIicans broke into the precedent
when they went to Chicago in 1860 and
the Democrats acknowledged the west
ward movement by going tc st. Louis
in 1875. In the selection vf candidates
the Republican party has seldom
gone farther east than Ohio
! and not farther west than Illi-
| nois. The traditions of the Demo-
cratic party were stronger, and it has
made its selections of presidential can
didates since the war from states east
of Ohio, mainly New York, giving the
West the second place. The supersti-
ton that the electoral votes Of New
York, New Jersey and Connecticut
were essential to success has enabled
those states to dictate the nomination
in every convention until 1892.
Mr.. Cleveland was nominated that
year in spite of the fact that he was
a resident of New York and in spite Of
the opposition to him in the three ''piv-
OtaP' states. 1t was the West and
South that forced him upon a reluctant
East and one Of the significant results
of that campaign, indicating q west
ward movement, was his election indie
pendent OF the votes Of those three
states. The effect was seen in 1895
when the convention broke away from
the East and crossed the Mississippi
for its candidate, who, had it made no
more serious mistake, would have been
elected. It is not probable that the
outcome of that election will re-estab-
lish the old presidents, and it is more
than probable that Mr. Cleveland is the
last candidate a Democratic national
convention will take from any Eastern
state for many years. The anti-Demo-
cratic influences are centering so
strongly in the North Atlantic states,
and all prominent Democrats there are
becoming so associated with them, that
Democratic national conventions will
shun candidates from that quarter.
Meanwhile, we may expect to see the
Republicans continuing to take candi-
dates from the West to get votes. while
|
! from the East, the latter furnishing
! the money in consideration of the sup
port Of it's financial interests and, as
against them, Indifferent to the mere
honor Of having the presidency.
The present situation emphasizes the
fof2a Of this movement westward Of
political supremacy. Mr.. MCKINLEY
takes his secretary of state from Ohio;
/ his secretary Of war from Michigan:
/ his secretary Of the treasury from Hi
nois, and his secretary of agriculture
| from Iowa. New England gets only
! the navy department, and it is prob
: able that for the first time the Pacific
slope will have a cabinet chair. Should
Payne go into the postmaster generals
seat from Wisconsin, the Gordon of
states, the Republican trocha, will be
complete and continuous from Ohio to
Iowa. The center of political strength
and influence at the end of the cen
fury thus closely follows the move
ment westward of the center of popu-
+. lation.