The American Presidential campaign is this time a most miserable
business. So equal are the parties, that every American not bemused by party feeling admits that the result depends upon the importance attached to certain "scandals." Mr. Cleveland, the candidate of the Democracy and of the "Independent "—that is, honest—Republicans, is admitted to be a man of high political character, incapable of corruption, and an able administrator ; but it is also admitted that as a young man he formed an irregular connection, and has an ille- gitimate son. When cross-questioned, he toll his friends to tell the exact truth, and the truth is that. That, it is believed, will cost him thousands of votes in the stricter denominations, and is costing him the support of the influential " Women's Rights " societies. Mr. Blaine, on the other hand, in letters which he does not deny—the "Mulligan letters "— showed that he sought as a younger man to make money out of his political position ; but the effective charge against him will be an alleged irregularity in his marriage, pro- bably quite imaginary, for his explanation that he was twice married to the same lady, on a legal opinion that the first marriage might be assailed for want of legal form, looks true,—as this also offends the denominations. All this is very contemptible. If the agitation really proceeded from a desire that the candidate for the Presidency should be a man of pure life, that would indicate a fine tone in the American masses; but it is notorious that this is not the motive of the discussiou. The object is to obscure the great political issues by a flood of gossip, and the plan succeeds. It is exactly the kiud of plan which should be defeated by the ballot, if the ballot were worth anything ; but the ballot only releases instead of defeating private malice.
Previous page
