Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-03
The Cleveland Boom.

Bourke Cochran has repeated In London
the observations he made in Berlin on the
subject of the Cleveland boom. The New
York Herald quotes him thus:
eff the feeling on the subject is general.
and Mr.. Cleveland's nomination is being Sc
riously discussed, that in itself is an extra
ordinary tribute. Should his popularity
prove sufficient to bring about his nominal
ton 1t would be one Of the most remarkable
things in history.
eff. however, there is such nomination,
1t must be the result of a spontaneous de-
mand from the people. 1t cannot be
brought about by any manipulating of the
machinery, for the party managers are
against Mr.. Cleveland That is the most
serious obstacle he would have to over
come.
ITO my mind. it is obvious that If the
public demand is strong enough to force
his nomination on the democratic conven-
ton, it will be strong enough to elect him.
for the opposition to him is strongest in
his own party, and a movement powerful
enough to overcome this, the greatest OBJ
stacle, could hardly be arrested by the
lesser one, as it was in 1892.
Mr. Cochran ought to know that Mr..
Clevelands nomination in 1892 was not the
work of the people. but of politicians, of
party managers. There never was nomi-
nation more distinctly machine made There
were politicians against Mr.. Cleveland.
Cochran. in an aggressive way. and men
like Mr. German and the late Mr.. Brice, in
tentative way, opposed the nomination,
and thought it unwise for the party to
commit itself again to that leadership. But
Mr. Whitney and his cohorts, all politicians
and experts in the game of party manage
ment. brought up the Cleveland side and
swept the deck. The people really had very
little to say about the matter. A dive into
Mr.. Whitney's black satchel was worth
thousand men.
The present Cleveland boom is quite as
little the work of the people. 1t was
started in New York in capitalistic circles
and for capitalistic purposes. This is not
to say that it has no other support. But
it's leading support Is in and near Wall
street. and 1t is distinctly the product of
influences leading up to the trusts. The
people were not thinking Of Mr.. Cleveland
as likely to be an active force again In po-
litical life. Nor can 1t be said that now
that his name has been suggested to them
they are showing any particular interest in
him. The noisy acclaim at st. Louis was
an ebullition of the feeling attaching to the
big show. Every visiting notable got a
loud cheer and the glad hand. But the
Cleveland boomers are industriously at
work. and If money and energy can make
the boom go, go 1t will.
The remark is often made that Mr.. Cleve-
land has achieved his unusual success in
spite of the politicians. 1t is wholly mis-
I leading. AS much as any man ever was, he
is the product of the politicians. Mr.. Man
ming introduced him to national life, and
Mr.. German pulled him through his first
campaign with difficulty. His second nomi-
nation came to him as a matter Of course.
He owed his third to Mr.. Whitney, and If
he secures. he very much desires. a
fourth. he will owe that to well-known po-
litical agencies set In motion by the trusts.