Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-10-08
Presidential Campaigns
<yllI The Cleveland d-Harrison-Wea' 'e'
Race of 1892
ny Frederic J, Haskin.

Washington, d. c., Oct. S.-Ihe Demo
eratic landslide of 1892 when Pnieeu
Grover Cleveland for the second 'iine ~
tn. presidential chair marked the ialluic
II he most extraordinary ehor's Js eeJJt
in newer When the Republicans came
h,ck into their own after the end Oh tte
Ar Cleveland administration, they icit
no s,one unturncd, SO far ms legislation
xas eoncerned. 10 make their power ap-
xolutcy and to prevent the possibility oi
another Democratic President.
The first thing the Republicans did
u,b..r th. Harrison administration WAS To
admit SIX new States 20 the Union. thereby
subiccting themselves to the charge tilat
IN : sought 20 assure their party OF twelve
Adj diitionalRcpuhlican Senators ana twenty
additional votes IN the electoral coiicgc'
Tho House Of Representatives was he
puhhcan bv a very narrow margin. lhe
nrmocratic members were urseated by
whnlesA,L, to give their places to kepuhii-
rap contestants. without regard TO the
merits of their claims.
Then followed the attempt to enact the
Fotoa Bill It's authors and proponents
called Il the Federal Election blll, but II
vas SO odious 90 the majority OF the
rsople of both parties that tho name
npphcd by the Democrats stuck TO II
lohgcst This bill provided that all cleo
tibns for Federal offices, that u.s. repre-,
snntativcS and presidential electors, shouin
h. under the direct control OF the tcderai
government That meant "carpet-bag
returning boards in the South, supported
by bayonets of Federal soldiers and pistols
Of Federal deputy marshals, ard q 'soiid
SOUTH" which would have been sohdly
Republican. The fact that the Negroes
vrre not permittcd to vote freely, or that
ueir votes were not counted, was the
principal argument used for the bill, and
the only Argument which gave the cause
shadow of lustihcatlon.
BEATING THE FORCE BILL.
The Force Bill was passed by the House
and went To a Republican Senate. There
The absolute freedom of unlimited debate
gave the Democrats n chance to light the
majority. The Republican Senators from
the Far West were not heartily In sym
pathy with the Force Bill advocates. The
western Republicans had long since ceased
10 wave the 'bloody shirt In campaigns,
And the Westerners had not known the
bitterness of armed conflict. The Demo
Gratis held caucus after caucus and decided
upon their plans with the greatest care.
i, WAS matter Of life and death to them,
and they knew it.
Southern senators of the old rebel
brgadier' type-men OF culture and
polish-were assigned man for man. to
paw court TO the rough diamonds OF the
West who were their colleagues on the
other side of that chasm marked by the
center aisle of the Senate chamber The
talk went on increasingly tor days and
NIGHTS. The whole country was discussing
the probability Of the Senates adopting
n cloture rule to limit debate.
Finally. about O'Clock ono morning,
senator Daniel az Virginia left his Crutches
In the cloak room and shufiied on the floor.
senator Vest az Missouri was speaking.
Uc had been speaking for hours and
hours Daniel whispered TO HIM Its all
r,pht, we have enough votes 10 beat 1T.
senator Stratford of California Is with US.
"let me finish my speech, said Vest.
And he went on to put a proper rhetorical
ard oratorical finish on the speech that was
uoapt for nothing but to gam time. The
Force Bill was dead. Its advocates knew
IL and did not press for vote
QUAY DIsGRUNTLED.
In that fight the Democrats were aided
afd ahcttcd bv two eastern Republicans.
q thclr victory was due IN great part to
Matthew : QUAY and Don Cameron.
:, nators from the rock-ubbcd Republican
state of PENNSYLVANIA Quay was to
fa7Ire greatly in the coming events He had
elected Harrison over great difficulties, and
a. naturally supposed that he was to be
rewarded for his efforts IN the manner
that politicians are ever rewarded. He
found 10 hIs surprise that Harrison credit
al Providence and not QUAY with the
victory OF ISIS Harrison mortallv Of
Tended Quay on his first visit to the White
House after the inauguration. Harrison
also forgot to reply 70 telegram Of con-
graduation sent To him on the day after
rs election by General +. W Dudley Of
Indiana. treasurer Of the national COM
nittee. who IN 1850 had organized the
famous ''blocks OF FIVE" system.
The Republicans believed that they