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
conventions--in Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas,
Nevada, South Carolina, and Texas--came 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.
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