The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-07-13
Union, Not Men.

Lexington (ky,) Herald.
There is no more chapce for the nomi-
nation Of Mr.. Cleveland than of Thomas
jefferson or Andrew Jackson; Mr.. Cleve-
land knows this as fully as any man
in America. and he will not he a candi-
date for the nomination. He>will never
initiate Martin Van Buren, and accept q
nomination just to defeat a candidate,
and he has no conceivable interest In
seeking a nomination. But he has an
influence in the country that is quite in
definable but is large. Until 1S92-possi-
bly, then-Mr. Cleveland owed his cleo
ton to every office he held to the votes
Of Republicans who-for one or other
reason-preferred him to the regular Re
he owed his defeat in 1888 to the refusal
of some twenty or thirty thousand Demo-
cratic voters in New York to vote for him
many of whom no doubt voted for Cen
nation in 1894 and In 1892 to the power
of the masses of his party against certain
machines In both conventions his forces
were led with extraordinary skill by very
adroit and able politicians, but the army
behind them was composed in large
measure of militia-of undisciplined vol:
unteers. 1t will be remembered that
in 1892 his own State held snap con-
vention. instructed for Governor Hill and
ordered its delegates to vote as an unit;
and yet he won his nomination against
these terrible odds-so far as we can
recall the first and only time a national
convention deliberately accepted a nomi-
nee against the protest and vote of his
State; and when it Is remembered that
that State was New York the courage
and determination of the convention be-
comes the more remarkable,
1t Is true that the Cleveland leaders
in that convention were very able. adroIt
and skillful; but they could not have
won II the rank and file had not been
behind them. When that convention ad-
journed there were and-Cleveland mem
hRrg of the National Cnpannfftaa NJ n
could not he persuaded that Mr.. Cleve-
land could be elected; and other mem
hers who could not be persuaded that he
could carry New York They were
somewhat shocked at the declaration that
Mr.. Cleveland would be elected without
the vote of New York. though he would
certainly get that vote; and they held
those who intims ted that these members
had better look out for themselves--for
at that time Mr.. Cleveland was stronger
than the machine-as but little short OF
insane. The secret history of the early
days of that remarkable campaign has
never been written so far as known 70
u.s. The mission sent by Croker and
his associates to Mr.. Cleveland and his
answer would be very interesting read
ing. And when that answer was De
livered. Mr.. Croker displayed high and
wise qualities, and Tammany made a
most loyal and skillful fight and to Croker
and Tammany much of the credit OF
carrying New York is due. The energy
woke up that committee; new life and
great skill were exhibited, and the cam
paign was a splendid battle. The coun-
try recalls how complete was the VIC
tory. In the Kentucky convention 1t
was predicted that if Mr.. Cleveland was
nominated at Chicago not only would
he be elected but the Democrats would
retain control Of the House of Represen-
tatfves and regain control OF the Senate;
the prediction came true. The Fifty
third Congress was Democratic, and for
the first time since before the war be-
TWEEN the States the Democracy controll-
ed the Executive and Congress.
To win such a victory required the
united effort Of all Democrats-it re-
quired the utmost skill and capacity;