do not believe any Republican has
any doubt. It does not follow that because a man is President, or
nominated as such, he ought to be lauded to the skies. We have in
this republic no gods or demigods. I know General Harrison as well
as one man ever knew another after an intimate acquaintance for
ten years. He is a man of fine character, so far as I understand,
without blemish or reproach. His ability is marked and is now
recognized by all parties, I may say, in all parts of the world.
He has the lawyer's habit of taking the opposite side of a question,
but before he acts he is apt to be on the right side. When in the
Senate he did not show the versatility of talent he has exhibited
as President. All his utterances have been marked with dignity
suited to his high position, yet with delicate appropriateness and
precision that will admit no criticism. I have no controversy with
Mr. Cleveland. I think he is better than his party. On important
and critical questions he has been firmly right. But in the choice
between them for the high office to which they aspire no Republican
should hesitate to vote for Harrison, and an honest Democrat should,
in view of the tendencies of the Democratic party on the questions
I have discussed, decide to go and do likewise."

The next meeting of note that I attended was at the Academy of
Music in Philadelphia. I do not recall any meeting that I ever
addressed within four walls more striking and impressive than this,
not only in numbers and intelligence, but in apparent sympathy with
the speaker. Of the persons mentioned by me those who received
the loudest applause were in their order Blaine, McKinley and
Harrison. In opening I said:

"When I was invited to speak to you I was told that this was to be
a meeting of business men, to consider business questions involved
in a presidential election. I will, therefore, confine myself to
business issues distinctly made between the two great political
parties of our country. The people of this city of Philadelphia,
the greatest manufacturing city on the American continent, are as
well, or better, prepared to decide these issues wisely as any
other equal number of American citizens. I assume you are not much
troubled with third parties. The temperance question will be
settled by each individual to suit himself. The only Farmers'
Alliance I know of here is the Farmers' club, who dine sumptuously
with each other as often as they can