the cleveland era-第23节
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rrison's side and against Blaine； Senator Cullom remarks in his memoirs that Harrison had 〃a very cold； distant temperament；〃 and that 〃he was probably the most unsatisfactory President we ever had in the White House to those who must necessarily come into personal contact with him。〃 Cullom is of the opinion that 〃jealousy was probably at the bottom of their disaffection；〃 but it appears to be certain that at this time Blaine had renounced all ambition to be President and energetically discouraged any movement in favor of his candidacy。 On February 6； 1892； he wrote to the chairman of the Republican National Committee that he was not a candidate and that his name would not go before the convention。 President Harrison went ahead with his arrangements for renomination； with no sign of opposition from Blaine。 Then suddenly； on the eve of the convention； something happenedexactly what has yet to be discoveredwhich caused Blaine to resign the office of Secretary of State。 It soon became known that Blaine's name would be presented； although he had not announced himself as a candidate。 Blaine's health was then broken； and it was impossible that he could have imagined that his action would defeat Harrison。 It could not have been meant for more than a protest。 Harrison was renominated on the first ballot with Blaine a poor second in the poll。
In the Democratic convention； Cleveland； too； was renominated on the first ballot； in the face of a bitter and outspoken opposition。 The solid vote of his own State； New York； was polled against him under the unit rule； and went in favor of David B。 Hill。 But even with this large block of votes to stand upon； Hill was able to get only 113 votes in all； while Cleveland received 616。 Genuine acceptance of his leadership； however； did not at all correspond with this vote。 Cleveland had come out squarely against free silver； and at least eight of the Democratic state conventionsin Colorado； Florida； Georgia； Idaho； Kansas； Nevada； South Carolina； and Texascame out just as definitely in favor of free silver。 But even delegates who were opposed to Cleveland； and who listened with glee to excoriating speeches against him forthwith； voted for him as the candidate of greatest popular strength。 They then solaced their feelings by nominating a free silver man for Vice…President； who was made the more acceptable by his opposition to civil service reform。 The ticket thus straddled the main issue； and the platform was similarly ambiguous。 It denounced the Silver Purchase Act as 〃a cowardly makeshift〃 which should be repealed； and it declared in favor of 〃the coinage of both gold and silver without discrimination；〃 with the provision that 〃the dollar unit of coinage of both metals must be of equal intrinsic and exchangeable value。〃 The Prohibition party in that year came out for the 〃free and unlimited coinage of silver and gold。〃 A more significant sign of the times was the organization of the 〃People's party；〃 which held its first convention and nominated the old Greenback leader； James B。 Weaver of Iowa； on a free silver platform。
The campaign was accompanied by labor disturbances of unusual extent and violence。 Shortly after the meeting of the national conventions； a contest began between the powerful Amalgamated Association of Steel and Iron Workers； the strongest of the trade…unions； and the Carnegie Company over a new wage scale introduced in the Homestead mills。 The strike began on June 29； 1892； and local authority at once succumbed to the strikers。 In anticipation of this eventuality； the company had arranged to have three hundred Pinkerton men act as guards。 They arrived in Pittsburgh during the night of the 5th of July and embarked on barges which were towed up the river to Homestead。 As they approached； the strikers turned out to meet them； and an engagement ensued in which men were killed or wounded on both sides and the Pinkerton men were defeated and driven away。 For a short time； the strikers were in complete possession of the town and of the company's property。 They preserved order fairly well but kept a strict watch that no strike breakers should approach or attempt to resume work。 The government of Pennsylvania was； for a time； completely superseded in that region by the power of the Amalgamated Association； until a large force of troops entered Homestead on the 12th of July and remained in possession of the place for several months。 The contest between the strikers and the company caused great excitement throughout the country； and a foreign anarchist from New York attempted to assassinate Mr。 Frick； the managing director of the company。 Though this strike was caused by narrow differences concerning only the most highly paid classes of workers； it continued for some months and then ended in the complete defeat of the union。
On the same day that the militia arrived at Homestead； a more bloody and destructive conflict occurred in the Coeur d'Alene district of Idaho； where the workers in the silver mines were on strike。 Nonunion men were imported and put into some of the mines。 The strikers； armed with rifles and dynamite； thereupon attacked the nonunion men and drove them off； but many lives were lost in the struggle and much property was destroyed。 The strikers proved too strong for any force which state authority could muster； but upon the call of the Governor； President Harrison ordered federal troops to the scene and under martial law order was soon restored。
Further evidence of popular unrest was given in August by a strike of the switchmen in the Buffalo railway yards； which paralyzed traffic until several thousand state troops were put on guard。 About the same time； there were outbreaks in the Tennessee coal districts in protest against the employment of convict labor in the mines。 Bands of strikers seized the mines； and in some places turned loose the convicts and in other places escorted them back to prison。 As a result of this disturbance； during 1892 state troops were permanently stationed in the mining districts； and eventually the convicts were put back at labor in the mines。
Such occurrences infused bitterness into the campaign of 1892 and strongly affected the election returns。 Weaver carried Colorado； Idaho； Kansas； and Nevada； and he got one electoral vote in Oregon and in North Dakota； but even if these twenty…two electoral votes had gone to Harrison； he would still have been far behind Cleveland； who received 277 electoral votes out of a total of 444。 Harrison ran only about 381；000 behind Cleveland in the popular vote； but in four States； the Democrats had nominated no electors and their votes had contributed to the poll of over a million for Weaver。 The Democratic victory was so sweeping that it gained the Senate as well as the House； and now for the first time a Democratic President was in accord with both branches of Congress。 It was soon to appear； however； that this party accord was merely nominal。
CHAPTER IX。 THE FREE SILVER REVOLT
The avenging consequences of the Silver Purchase Act moved so rapidly that when John Griffin Carlisle took office as Secretary of the Treasury in 1893； the gold reserve had fallen to 100；982；410only 982；410 above the limit indicated by the Act of 1882and the public credit was shaken by the fact that it was an open question whether the government obligation to pay a dollar was worth so much or only one half so much。 The latter interpretation； indeed； seemed impending。 The new Secretary's first step was to adopt the makeshift expedient of his predecessors。 He appealed to the banks for gold and backed up by patriotic exhortation from the press； he did obtain almost twenty…five millions in gold in exchange for notes。 But as even more notes drawing out the gold were presented for redemption； the Secretary's efforts were no more successful than carrying water in a sieve。
Of the notes presented for redemption during March and April； nearly one…half were treasury notes of 1890； which by law the Secretary might redeem 〃in gold or silver coin at his discretion。〃 The public was now alarmed by a rumor that Secretary Carlisle； who while in Congress had voted for free silver； would resort to silver payments on this class of notes； and regarded his statements as being noncommittal on the point。 Popular alarm was； to some extent； dispelled by a statement from President Cleveland； on the 23rd of April； declaring flatly and unmistakably that redemption in gold would be maintained。 But the financial situation throughout the country was such that nothing could stave off the impending panic。 Failures were increasing in number； some large firms broke under the strain； and the final stroke came on the 5th of May when the National Cordage Company went into bankruptcy。 As often happens in the history of panics； the event was trivial in comparison with the consequences。 This company was of a type that is the reproach of American jurisprudencethe marauding corporation。 In the very month in which it failed； it declared a large cash dividend。 Its stock； which had sold at 147 in January； fell in May to below ten dollars a share。 Though the Philadelphia and Reading Railway Company； which failed in February； had a capital of 40；000；000 and a debt of mor
