Great Falls daily tribune., 1920-10-17
THE HASKIN LETTER By rsz2zsas' z2zzs
PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS.
XVIII-The Cleveland Harrison Weaver Race of 1892
BIZ FREDERICK
AASkLW

Force bill was dead. Its advocates knew
it and did not press for a vote.
Quay DIsgruntled.
In that fight the Democrats were aid
ed and abetted by two eastern Repub
licans, and their victory was due in great
part to Matthew S. Quay and Don Cam
eron, senators from the rock ribbed Re
publican state of Pennsylvania. Quay
was to figure greatly in the coming
events. He had elected Harrison over
great difficulties, and he naturally sup
posed that he was to be rewarded for
his efforts in the manner that politi-
clans are ever rewarded. He found to
his surprise that Harrison credited Prov
idence and not Quay with the victory of
1888. Harrison mortally offended Quay
on his first visit to the White House
after the Inauguration. Harrison also
forgot to reply to the telegram of con-
graduation sent him On the day after
his election by General w. W. Dudley of
mittee, who in 1880 had organized the
famous blocks of five system.
The Republicans believed that they
had been returned to power on the great
issue of protection. The promise was
redeemed and the Mckinley bill, the tar
iff of 1890, was passed. Major McKin-
ley was chairman of the house commit
tee on ways and means and thereby gave
his name to the BILL but many of the
schedules went in over his protest.
Rightly or wrongly, the whole country
of representatives was turned over to
the Democrats. once more, giving them
the largest majority that any party had
ever had in that body. That tremen-
dous victory, which swept over states
that had never elected a Democrat to
any office, disheartened the Republicans
and gave courage to the Democratic
hosts. Then the great fight for nomi-
nations
Harrison was renominated at Mime
apolis by an overwhelming vote The
federal office holders machinery was
loyal to him and the opposition was d-
yided. Blaine had made the great blum
der of resigning his position as secre-
tary of state to make the race. 1t was
as hopeless as CIay's candidacy for the
Whig nomination in 1S48. William Nc
kinney was made permanent chairman
of the convention, and at the last mo-
ment the wavering opposition settled on
him. But Harrison was named on the
first ballot, Blaine's and McKinley's
vote being equal. The blow was too
much for Blaine and he died soon, brok
en- in heart and spirit.
A Fighting Convention.
Cleveland's third nomination was ac-
complished only after one of the hardest
ante-convention fights ever known. He
was opposed by the solid .Zew York del
egation. Governor Hill and the Albany
m<chine joining hands with Tammany
to slay their common enemy. Hill had
held a convention very early in the
year. snap convention as it was
called, and il had instructed the New
York delegation for him
In the convention Bourke Cochran
leaped into fame as an orator. by his
famous speech denouncing Cleveland
General Bragg of Wisconsin voiced the
sentiments Of the Democratic voters
with his shout We love him for the
enemies he has made." The matchless
skill of that archpolitician. William {.
Whitney, accomplished the apparently
impossible. and Cleveland was named as
the Democratic standard bearer for the
third time When the convention ad-
iourned there were knives in the boot
legs of a majority of the Democratic
leaders and it seemed that Republican
success was absolutely assured
Both parties had ''straddled' the