South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-10-26
Campaign Of 1916
Bears Resemblance
to That of 1884

There is nothing new under the
sun, not even in politics. In look
ing over some Of the current publ
cations for the year 1884. one is
struck by the very many points not
only similar. but practically identi-
| cal. between the campaign of Cleve-
| land then and the campaign of Will
son now.
Happily, the present campaign,
| by the high personal characters or
the two presidential candidates is
/ freed from the scurrility and per
sonal abuse and criticism that
marked the campaign of 1884. But
in many other points the candidate
of the democrats then and their
candidate now and the striking fea-
lures of their respective campaigns
are strikingly alike. However un-
| like. individually, in many ways Mr..
Wilson may be from Mr.. Cleveland
ne has many of old Growers quail
ties and the things that Wilson
stands for in this day and time are
very much the same as the things
Cleveland stood for in his time.
As the year 1884 witnessed the
coming over TO the democratic can
didate of many of the best and most
prominent men in the republican
party and from the ranks Of the
independents, so this campaign wit
messed the coming over to the sup
port of Wilson of the same kind OF
men from the republican ranks and
from the progressives and indepen-
dents George William Curtis left
the republican party TO support
Cleveland and Pres't Emeritus
Charles w Eliot leaves the repub-
lican party TO support Wilson.
Harpers Weekly ceased TO be a re-
publican paper and became an ar
dent supporter of Cleveland and the
Springfield (Mass.) Republican pur-
sues a similar course this year. Gar
fields cabinet member, Carl Schurz,
warmly espoused Mr.. Cleveland's
candidacy and Garfield's son, Harry
Z. Garfield, president of Williams
college. advocates the election Of
Wilson: Henry Ward Beecher then,
David Starr Jordan now; Puck then.
Life now. The list could be con-
tinued indefinitely.
The names of men like Edison.
Ford, Congressman Kent, Matthew
Hale. Judge Lindsey, Irving Fischer,
and a host of others who have be-
come Wilson men are easily recall
ed II is interesting TO read the list
of similar men who made the same
81, A.
and Samuel Hoar and Roger Woll-
colt of Massachusetts,. Theodore Ba-
con of New York, James Boutelle of
Ohio. James Clifiin of Illinois, Sim
con r. Baldwin. then a young man,
now the revered old jurist Of Con-
nectiCut, Thomas Wentworth Higgin-
son. Benjamin Thurston and hosts
Of others.
Another point of similarity, one
that makes the present republican
candidates claim to be the "one-
hundred percent American candi-
date" look ludicrous, is the fact that
the republicans in 1884 made a ire
mendous bid for the Irish vote by
| hguratively twisting the British
/ lions tail Harper's Weekly has a
cartoon in its August 16. 1884. num-
I Der labeled The SO-Called Intense
" American Candidate in which
/ is ridiculed the attempt OF arraying
America against England to win the
I Irish-American vote. And in its issue
/ for August 30 Of the same year un-
der the heading Bidding for For
I eign Vote il has the following:
Mr.. Blaine has been presented
as a peculiarly American candidate
who as one earnest advocate de-
| clares. will make Bismarck eat
American pork -
Here is the attempt to play upon
the anti-German prejudice. The Ger
man vote was small those days. the
Irish large. The editorial continues:
The object sought by the coun-
try al this election is not a swagger-
I ing foreign policy nor any kind
I OF demOgOguery OF clustering what
ever. II asks an honest. able and
/ courageous conduct OF public affairs.
beyond the reach OF any suspicion Of
| Illicit private. influence or interest
/ Unless all signs are at fault il de-
sires az the head OF the government
/ the very qualities which Gov Cleve-
! land has shown so conspicuously.
/ Those who suppose that because
/ Gov. Cleveland does not swagger or
I bid for votes he would be less Wig
! orous in protecting the lawful rights
I II citizens abroad than those OF
citizens al home are exceedingly
/ mistaken"
Putting Priest Wilson" in place
OF Gov Cleveland" the above would