UNITED STATES POLITICS.

Auckland Star, Volume XIX, Issue 271, 16 November 1888, Page 2

UNITED STATES POLITICS.

Went the return of General Harrison u 3 President of tho United States, and th 0 consequent subsidence of what has beon called "the Sackville - VVcsfc incident,1' the politics of tho United States once more, to a great extent, loso their interest for outsiders. It may be well, however, before relegating the matter to the limbo of forgotf ulnoss, to glance at the neb results of tho'changes which have been effected. By the return of General Harrison, tho Republican party reassume the responsibilities and divide the spoils of oiiice, of which they had a monopoly for a quarter of a century prior to the ousting of their candidate in 1884 by Mr Cleveland. The distincbivq points of American Republicanism are rabid Protectionism and Centralism. Tho Democrats, however, sailed into power at tho election four years ago on the cry of administrative reform, and during Mr Cleveland's tcrni of office much good work was done in that direction. It is claimed that President Cleveland has votoed more Bills granting public money for pensions and similar objects than all his predecessors put together. In his efforts to more sharply define parry lines on tho taritf question, 11 r Cleveland laid himself open to the charge of having froe-trade and British proclivities, and the election contest just decided virtually tinned upon his avowed policy' of reducing the tariff duties, as against the uncompromising protectionism of his opponent. Tho ' most noticeable result of the election is therefore an emphatic declaration by the people of tho United States that they will not allow of any tampering with the principles and practice of protection, under which tihey rightly maintain the nation has inado unprecedented progress in wealth, power and material prosperity.

It must not- bo supposed that antiEnglish fooling had much to do with the victory of General Harrison, yet it is somewhat remarkable to. find that the now President has a family history which stamps him as a Republican oi the Republicans, and an uncompromising foe to monarchy. His descent has been traced from a Major-Qeneral Harrison, who, in 1660, was hanged, drawn, and quartered at London as a regicide. He was one of those who tried Charles 1., and his descendants when they went to America were found on tho side of the Revolutionists. One of thorn, Benjamin Harrison, took an active part in the revolutionary war, and signed the Declaration of independence. His e»n, William Henry, in 184t, when he was 68 years of age, became President, after a contest of more than usual intensity, but died at the White House a month afterwards, Benjamin Harrison, who has, jusb been elected, is his grandson. Benjamin was born in his grandfather's house, at North Bend, Ohio, on the 20th August, 1833. After having been admitted to tho bar ho took up his abode in Indianapolis, the capital of tho adjoining State, and speedily gained a reputation both as lawyer arid public speaker. While he filled the office of reporter of the Supremo Court of Indiana the War of Secession broke out, and, leaving hia family and profession, he volunteered into the army, and was appointed lieutenant. Before the war closed he had attained fcherankof Brigadier-General, arid his popularity continuing after he resumed his professional practice, he was nominated as Republican candidate for Governor of Indianain 1876, and was elected a United States Senator in 1881. Although Lord Salisbury ha 3 stated that General Harrison's election as President disposes of the Sackville-West incident, it is evident that a President with a history and character such as we have sketched will not be inclined to look with special favour on anything English.

Another circumstanop which may hinder a pacific settlement of the recen^ AngloAmerican unpleasantness is the probable appointment of Mr J. G. Blame as Secretary of State, which has already been bruited. Mr Blame is a man of great ability, although grave imputations have been cast upon his political purity, and was Secretary of State in President Garfield's administration. He was the Republican candidate against ex-President Cleveland in 1884, when he polled 4,845,022 votes against 4,910,975 recorded for Mr Cleveland. Mr Blame is a confirmed protectionist, and on the occasion when lie last contested the Presidency he succeeded in drawing away many Irish voters from the' Democratic party by his pledges to pursue an aggresBivo policy towards Great Britain. The conjunction of Btarrison land Blame may therefore be expected to result in the adoption by the United States Government of eevorev tactics than hitherto havo been pursued in dealing with Anglo. American questions, Ib U to be hoped, however, tlia| there \vi\\ bean absenoeofbhogapyj'Qt^ehnicniothodsofßh'ow. Ing antklSugUsh biris which affected

by Mr Cleveland in his spasmodic efforts to make his election sure. On the whole, the change effected by the recent election will be to steady the relations between England and the United States, butit marks a distinctly retrograde step so far as regards the promotion of the more extended trading relations between the United States, England, and the colonies.