It appears to be assumed in America that the Republican
party must win, but that is premature. It is not certain what policy the Democrat Convention, still to meet at Chicago, will adopt, or what candidate they will ultimately prefer. They can hardly, in the face of Mr. Cleveland's opinion, accept the silver cry ; but they may " straddle," and so attract much of the silver vote, which otherwise will either be passive or will be given to a Third Party candidate, probably the nominee of the Populists. The precise strength of the silver men in the West is still unknown. and unknown, too, is the amount of the opposition which Mr. McKinley, as a fanatic for Protection, will evoke. It is not probable that Mr. Cleve- land will be nominated by his party, the prejudice against a third term being very strong ; but no rival name has as yet received any general adhesion from the Democrats, who are unusually deficient in leaders at once conspicuous and popular. It must not be forgotten that, although the Pre- sidential election takes place in November, Mr. Cleveland occupies the White House till March, 1897. The framers of the Constitution, in their eagerness to avoid popular commo- tion, made heavy drafts upon the public stock of patience.
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