National Republican., 1874-06-08
THE PREsIDEYTIAL QUESTION

considerable speculation and discussion II
many Of the principal journals of the csun
try, and, II we may believe the publ
prints. topics of no little interest to many o
our leading statesmen and politicians. Fo
instance, the correspondent Of q Westerl
journal assures US that certain prominen
Senator, now in Washington, Is in the hsbi
Of holding meetings of leading Congress
men. at his residence in this city for th
purpose Of consultation as TO the presen
and future of The Republican party. W.
are assured that this gentleman. who g on
Of the strongest men 10 the party. Is Of tn
opinion that 1t Is losing its hold upon th'
country, that Il has no welldefned polio,
upon anything. but split into half doze,
factions. like the clans Of the old Scots, 1t i
no longer the firm. compact unbroken body
that 1t was five, or even two years ago
There is undoubtedly more truth than po,
etry in the picture, but what, Of Il. W.
need never again expect to sec, on eithel
side. the political unity and unanimity tina
characterized the Republican and Demo
cratic parties Of ten years ago. The wal
for the Union, the abolition Of slavery
and. IN later years, the reconstruc
ton of the Southern States. were
questions Of such transcendGnt magni
tude and importance that they absorbed
the undivided thought and attention Of the
North. As our armies stood. solid and un.
broken in the front, the people who kept
their ranks filed stood solid behind them
at the polls, in the council chambers and
In the balls of legislation. To do so was
tho supreme and commanding duty OF the
hour We had one grand, central, living
idea to rally around and sustain. The
minor questions Of the hour were secondary
and subsidiary. But now that the war OF
the rebellion and the problems Of recon
struction hSye been committed to the his.
or five years old when the nation was
startled by the first gun of rebellion In the
Charleston harbor viii be voter In 1876,
we must not be surprised that the questions
which were dRarfed or forgotten during all
those long years again rise into prominence
and importance that We have many issues
and many leaders, or seeming political chaos,
divided councils and dissatisfaction and gen.
crsl political. unrest. To our mind the
situation affords Canse for eongratulation,
rather than regret. With the Senator 70
whom we have alluded, we may miss the
unbroken line, the rigid discipline, and
when ths order h issued, the unqualified
obedience Of other years, and become
alarmed that the ties Of party are worn SO
tightly Ia seemingly important contests;
but AFTER ALL Il only marks the independ-
ence. the intelligence and the capability
for self government Of the people. Parties
are not any moro infallible than individuals,
and the party, which exacts receives, and
expects blind devotion from Its followers,
must In the very nature Of things be party
Of ignorance and cannot continue TO exist.
The fact that the Republican party is
seemingly rent INTO factions, with divided
interests and ambitions, is TO our mind the
certain evidence Of its success In the near
future. fs divided because of its rare in
tsRgence, its progress and advancement
toward government Of the peopiefor the
people and by the people of which the
fathers Of the Government never dreamed
Of attaining Take. for instance, one, State
in the West, Wisconsin. While other por-
tions Of the country have been sitting with
folded arms, speculating upon the railroad
problem. eDdeavoriDg to evolve some plan
by which the power of the monopolies
could be curbed. that vigorous young Com.
monwealth has placed 8 law upon her
statute-books, assumed the power which it
was declared neither the State nor all the
States combined possessed, and now In q
few months her law officers will be defend
ing ber action in the Supreme Court of the
United States. In this Wisconsin set up
little party Of her own, ignored national
and sentimental politics for the time being,
and created "a faction" But does any one
doubt that when OF another time she shall
be called upon to pass upon issues that affect
the welfare Of the whole country, she will
swing with like freedom and independ-
ence 10 the party and the platform repre-
senting the best interests Of the country
Among the issues Of the Presidential cam
psign. ss they present themselves at present,
this railroad question holds no small
prominence. Senator Carpenter, having
identified himself with in way suffi-
cient to arrest public attention, may be
said to be entered for the Presidential race
The Wisconsin orator possesses many ele-
ments Of strength. Handsome. popular,
an orator, q lawyer, 9 statesman and a sue
cessful politician. with good deal Of mag
netissn and position which keeps him
constantly in the eye Of the public as pre-
siding officer Of the Senate, his opportuni-
ties of service and of achievement are fully
equal 70 those of any other man In the
country: The same body furnishes at least
three other candidates for the Presidency
on the Republican side, namely, Mr.. Nor
ton. Mr.. Conkling, Gen. Logan, and, If we
would take President from Rhode Island,
Mr. Anthony. Few parties in our history
ever produced bolder leader than Mr.
Morton. Hiswondeful viii power has sus-
tanned him beneath burden of physical liz :
trinity which would have been sufficient To-
crush any ordinary man. A superb politi-
clan. capable Of fmaklng and attracting friends
and Of holding them to his fortunes with
bands Of steel, Mr.. Morton wiz, In certain
contingencies, prove formidable opponent
in the Struggle for 9 nomination: Intel
lsctually and morally, Mr.. Conklins almost
commands q nomination Of the hands Of the.
party. Hsis one Of the most secomplisbed
men in public life. the worthy representa-
tive of one Of the greatest, II NOT the great
est, States In the Union We can imagine
9 contingency in which his nomination and
election would be an absolute certainty.
Gen. Logan represents what may be called
the siGS of the party No man
Is more populaS. on the I" stump. : =