Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-10-06
Presidential Campaigns
XVI. Tho Cleveland blaine Race Of 1894
PyFrcderic j. Haskin.
ny Frederic j. Haskln.

/ 1884 stands As one of the most interesting
| of our history. 1t resulted in the elevation
Of Grover Cleveland 30 the presidential
| office, jthe first Democrat 10 be elected
! after the Civil war, whfrc two terms ri
| Office were the only Interruptions ia L2
years Of Republican asosndancy.
Long before the campaign was over ~
| was realized that the candidate who
| carried New York would be elected. Cleve-
| land carried the state by only Lac
| plurality over Blaine. A change Of 600
| voters in New York would have made
| Blame president. The narrow margin
| resulted IN thousand aifs" and IL is by
some Of these "ifs" that the campaign
will be remembered longest.
The aggressive action on the part Of
the Democrats began with the election
| OF 1882 Garfield had alienated CorlklIng
/ by making Blaine secretary Of State.
Then followed the appointment Of Rob
ertson 10 be collector Of the port of New
York Conkling was so furious that he re-
signed his sea IN the Senate, being inn
itated bv Thomas g. Platt, hIs Junior
colleague, who thereby gained for him
self the sobriquet OF "Me TooP' Conkling
and Platt were soreIy disappointed IN
that they were not triumphantly re-
elected.
The assassination Of Garfield did not
end the factionai disputes IN the party.
President Arthur was Conkling's friend,
but he soon broke with the imperious
New Yorker. Blaine WAS the popular
leader and the idol Of the masses of the
Republican voters. Yet his enemies we're
many and powerful, both within and
without the party. The Democrats looked
upon him as the next nominee for Presi-
dent and trimmed their sails accordingly.
In 1882 the Democrats swept the country
and elected a majority Of the House Of
Representatives.
cr.EvErAHD's NOMINATION.
More than that. they carried the pivotal
state Of New York by majority ~
almost 2O0, 600 with Grover Cleveland AZ
the nominee for governor. Cleveland's 3
career AZ Mayor Of Buffalo and his veto
Of extravagant appropriations had brought
him INTO notice in New York His great
victory, contributed 70 by Republican
factionisrn, caused the whole country %
look 10 him When the Democratic National
Convention met in 1884 he was easily
nominated on the second ballot receiving
the necessary two-thirds vote despite the
violent and even disorderly protests Of
Tammany Hall, then led by John X ely.
The administration opposed Blaine
with all its force, and at atternpted ~ WIN
the nomination for President Arthur
But Blaine was the leader from the be-
ginning and received the nomination Of
the fourth ballot The powerful influence
which had defeated him IN the conventions
Of 1876 and 1880 were still at work, but
their force was expended and Blaine was
nominated for slaughter.
Again there was a third party factor IN
as the anti-Monopoly party and nomi-
mated forPresident no less parsonage than
General Benjamin r. Butler Of Massachu-
sets the premier acrObatic clown Of the
political circus. Six weeks after taking the
anti-Monopoly nomination, Butler ap-
peared as a delegate IN the Democratic
convention actually trying tn get the
Democratic nomination and bidding for
southern support by offering 3 plank
favoring Federal pensions for Confeder-
ate soldiersi
Scandals affecting Blaine's integrity
had been afioar for years, and had been
used against him IN two national conYen-
tions. The Democratic press hailed MS
nomination with the Credit Mobilier
scandal and the Mulligan letters. The
charge was reiterated that Blaine. rs
speaker Of the House OF Representatives
had been influenced IN ms rulings by inan-
cIal considerations
THE USUAL MUD BATTLE.
When the campaign was fairly started.
a scandal about Mr.. Clevelands earlier
life WAS unearthed-the Halpln affair
The Blaine forces made fatal mistake
IN lending official countenance 70 the
spread of the scandal. hen the Demo
cratic Committee considered publishing
the Blaine scandal broadcast, Mr. Cleve-
land vetoed the proposition. That did not
prevent, OF course, the individual Demo-
Gratis from taking up and repeating the
old charges against Blaine which had been
current for eight years. The result was
bitter, nasty, mud-slinging campaign.
Everybody looked upon New York ss
the pivotal state There Mr.. Cleveland
and Mr. Blaine both labored under grest
difficulties. Mr. Blaine had the impla-
cable hatred of Roscoe Conkling. That
alone cost him the presidency. for there
were a thousand Conkling men IN Oneida
county who voted for Cleveland On the
other hand, Cleveland had the enmlty
of Tammany Hall and the intense hatred
of Charles A. Dana, editor Of the New
York Sun, and the ablest journalist IN the
land The Sun was then 3 straightout
Tammany organ. Mr.. Dana had a per-
sonsl grievance against Mr.. .Cleyel and he
inspired the Tammany opposition %
Cleveland, and after the nomination he
bolted the ticket.
Dana and the Sun supported General
Butler, the third party candidate, and
always had good word for the prohibi-
ZIONIST candidate, Governor John y.
st. John Of Kansas, Buffers candidacy
was miserable fasco, and the suns
following voted straight for Blaine when
election day came around.
HOW BLAINE BLUNDERED.
Blaine made a stumping tour Of the
Middle West and was welcomed IS few men
have ever been. There was no doubt in
the minds of either Republicans or Dem
Gratis that he had made many votes for
himself, and that he had swung the tide
in his favor. On his way back East he
stopped in Indiana 20 visit his sister, who
was Mother Superior in a Roman Catholic
Convent. This called attention 90 the
fact that his mother andsisters were devout
Catholics, and was liable 90 inject n re
hglous issue into the campaign.
Instead of going directly 20 his home in
Maine, MIR. Blaine stopped over u New
York City and thereby committed fatal
bhnder He dined with Jay Gould.