New-York tribune., 1868-03-19
POLITICS IN MASSACHUSETTS,.
THE STATE AT THE CHICAGO CONVENTION.


happy result OF the New Hampshire election, held
two DAYS previous made everybody goodnatured,
iubilant and reasonably eODciliatOry. The party
had TO elect three delegates to thdAhCagO COnven-
ton. and there can hardly be said to have been more
than five prominent candidates. The four elected
ones were Lieut.-Gov. Clahn, Harry Alexander, jr,
of Springfield. George b. Loring of Salem and Fran
els w. Bird of Walpole. / name them in the order
of preference indicated for them by the delegates
who gave Mr.. Claflin 9O4 votes Mr.. Alexander ~
Mr. LOrng Gas, and Mr.. Bird GG2. Mr.. Claiin was
not upon the ground and had few active canvassers
in his favor but on the other hand, he had TINS ad-
vantage, that there was special opposition To MIN
from any quarter; general if not universal good Will
and respect for him. and feeling among the friends
of the other candidates that his name was good one
TO be borne upon thertckets. MrAleXander was snb-
ected TO raid at a late hour, from the delegation
representing his residence and la votes cast for
Ex-Mayor Briggs of Springfield were deducted from
him on that score. A hundred votes were cast for
Gen. Cogswel of Salem aud this was the
result of an appeal bv Mr.. Edward Atkn-
son to put soldier ON the ticket ana
was probably at the expense, mainly of DR.. LOring
also of Salem, who was scratched" somewhat after
Mr.. Atkinson's speech. AS for Mr. Bird, he encOun-
tered the sort of opposition which able, independent
and positive men almost always have TO meet. The
HOOsac Tunnel opposed him. though 1t yielded par
tally at late hour under threat OF retaliation from
Mr.. Birds friends who were too powerful body OF
in the politics and legislation of the State to be
lightly treated. dare say the friends of the Agil-
cultural College, the believers In peurO-pneumOnld,
the mOnomanacs among the Boston merchants who
make speciality of the Oucry about the rum OF BOs-
ton Harbor, the friends of the legislative grant TO
PrOvincetOwn HarbOT, and numberless other people
who have encountered the gentleman from Walpole
in the newspaper pamphlets within the last dozen
years and who have felt the weight OF his influence
in the Legislature in committees aud at the dinners
at George YOUng's, were all stirred up TO OPP
position. 1t may be said with truth think
that no man in Massachusetts, has so many
enemies and no man 50 many friends, as
Mr.. F. W. Bird. That he will exercise good deal of
was bitter quarrel in Essex County, especially in
the neigh bOrhOOd of Salem. in regard TO Dr. LOrngS
preensiOns TO place upon the delegation As the Doc
tornOw bids fair 10 be pretty prominent figure IN our
politics, may be excused saying something about
him in detail. He is the son of Unitarian clergy
man in AndOver (nOw deceased, graduate OF Har-
ward medically educated of early anti-Slavery pre-
dectiOns-at time physician, superintendent |
steward or what-not of Chelsea Marine Hospital
gOOd-OOking. excellent speaker for lyceums and
miscellaneous gatherings. though not strong IN de-
bate: the owner of farm of $50 close TO the
city of Salem; admitted ~ be an excellent agricu
turist Theoretically, and pIactcally; very well |
known by sight and hearing TO the people, especially
of the country towns and of very popular and agree
able manners said ne was at hTst an ant-SlaveTy
man. How it happened that he became, for the |
dozen years before 1863 one of the most violent
of the Southern sort of Democrats have been
able to make out, but so it was. Some of the |
Salem Republicans. after electing him to the |
Legislature two years, placing him on the Re
become the regular candidate of the party |
for the Senate have an idea that they can now make
sive record" 1t seems to me that they are barred
by their toleraion acts for five years past At any
rate am, and so shall only allude to what Is every
where known about Dr. Lorng's former political
history. The real objection to the Doctor seems to
be that he has brought into the Republican party
the peculiar tactics of the Democratic party by no
means intend to affirm that there not plenty of
Republicans who never were Democrats, who have |
the general idea as to what is proper mode of
conducting political canvass the old Democratic
leaders But to very large proportion of Republi- |
this style of doing business is not quite the /
thing The oldtashiOned, hgh-toned, Federal, |
Wing gentleman of Massachusetts was as tricky as
anybody else, If occasion required but the compe-
ttOn for places not, in his day, very great, and
he seldom detected, and schooner exposed. That
"cycle of Cathay,' the seven years administration
of Gov Briggs, if not as full of intricacies as the
coalition" which followed It, owes its better char
acter in this respect mainly to the absence OF temp
tation, to the Overwhelming majorites of the Wing
party, and to the sense of pride If not Of honor.
which compelled the leaders to keep silence as to the
secret dOings of themselves and their party There
which made NT. Boutwell, Governor and Mr.. Sumner |
Senator, and placed Gen. Wilson and Gen. Banks in
the Chair of the State Senate and House brought |
death into political world and all our woe; and |
Judge b. r. Curtis, you recollect declared that bar
gain to be an indctabe Oifense at common law. But
there Is no good reason 10 suppose that 1t was any
more corrupt than the bargains which were made
inside of the Whg party previous to lSS especially
by the cotton manufacturers, headed by Mr. Abbott
Lawrence, who did much to demOralze the politics |
of the State But the Republicans here fatter them
selves that they have the advantage IN Tespecta6iy
over the old Wings and the coaltlonlsts, and the |
KnOw-N0things: and that the administrations OF
Gov. Andrew and Gov. Bullock have been cleaner
than any others of recent times BE this as IT may
and possibly self-TighteOusnesS alone would claim
lt-there Is an impression that some OF the Demo
.,raiic converts like DR.. Loring and Gen. Butler be-
ing exceedingly ambitious men, not quite scru
Dulous enough as to means, when they have pnr-
pose to accomplish At Worcester, the other day, as
fhaye said or ntimated, there was strong Essex
county opposition to DR.. Lorng, led by Mr. WlllardP
Phillips Free-SOer of 1913, and son OF the late
stephen C. Phillips. 1t was finally COMPROMISED
however the opposition queed. and 1t is under,
stood that the Doctor will do what he can 10 SEND
Mr. Phillips as a delegate from the Essex District
Whether ne can aGd SdG heber hs Mr. AeV of Lynn and
his friends will also consent are questions TO pe de
termincd hereafter, The District cannot do better
Onght to be said about Dr. lormg without mention
ING that while in the Legislature he took ground IN
favor of the ProhibtOry Law, stuck to IT al great
risk during the excitement of 1861, when most Uen
of ordinary sagacity saw that the law was DOOked
for defeat and shared its fate, at least Temporarily
being defeated by Gen. Sutton, Incense AW hePnb-
lcan in the canvass for the state Senate his mas
moi hurt the Doctor this Spring for although there
IL no apparent change of public sentiment IN favor
of The Prohibltory Law vet there is unmist9kabe
reaction against the L. l.. l., which IS goca aeal
broken up except in the Legislature. Of the four
delegates ,hOsen to Chicago two Mr. Ctaiiin and Mr.;
Iori1g ar prohbitonists Mr.. Bird rs an enemy OF |
all secret Olitical orders and Mr Alexander Is under
the ban of the order because he Xoted III tne otae
mentioned that Col. Rogers, publisher OF 1he boston
Jo,rnaI was the fifth man whom have considered |
prominent candidate lie received & 40 votes ron
All quarters of the State. and from the friends OF all
other candidates. Col. Rogers is man OF excellent
sense and capacity, and Thorough Republican; and
in addition is the manager of the most widely crcu-
lated and influential paper in New-England II Is
matter of regret that his qualifications ana clallhs
were not recognized by maJGr1y@ @ Si tne sSTs
Rogers Alley, COgswell and Capt. Joseph Tucker OF
Ienox were chosen altemates The Convention de-
clared itself in favor OF Senator Wilson for wee
President on the ticket with Grant. There was an
unexpected degree of unanmlty IN tins declaration
cannot say that there is very general expectation