Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-12-21
From the Washington Correspondence Of the Ne
York Tribune.
THE PRESIDENCI

WASHINGTON, Dec. Is. There are two names
now in all mems mouths in connection with the
republican nomination for the Presidency. The
other candidates, whose claims have been pressed
before the public for two three years past, are
now scarcely mentioned; and il the talk among
Congressman and other politicians here represents
the feeling throughout the country, the chances Of
these candidates are very small Senator Morton
has still few advocates in the West, but they are
diminishing in number every day, and he can
scarcely lead the delegation from his own State
into the Convention with an unbroken 'front.'
Senator Conkling is in even worse plight In fact
his only resource, aside from his ambition, is
q band of otlice-holders in New York, who have
no popular support behind them. Gov. Hayes
has respectable following in Ohio but the tide of
feeling in his favor, raised by his brilliant cam
paign last fall, is rapidly subsiding, and he is not
in position to do anything to turn the ebbing
current. As an expediency candidate he. Aas still
good deal of negative strength, and in case the
evenly matched that neither can win, he may be
brought forward as compromise candidate. The
other whilom candidates are no longer worthy of
serious mention.
The recent irrcsolute, undecided condition of
the public mind on the Presidential question was
taken by shallow observers as an indication OF a
| scarcity of able public leaders and of general
decay in politics. In reality it only showed that
the people have become unusually cautious and
critical They are determined that the next Pres
ident shall have intellectual ability moral worth,
and experience in public affairs, and among the
men who have these essential qualifications they
mean 10 "get the best" Perhaps the sitting pro-
cess to which they have been subjecting amSi-
tious craftsmanship will go on still further, with
rev Ena.esssls tas them to work upon, but just
now the only candidates are the eX-Speaher ana
the Secretary OF the Treasury.
Mr.. Blaine has important advantage, but 1t
is attended with great peril. Any day he chooses
he can speak to the whole country. Whatever he
may say in his place in the House is certain to be
printed and read the next morning throughout the
| country. During the entire period which inter-
| venes before the National Convention assemblies
he will command public attention. If he uses his
opportunity wisely he will greatly improve his
prospects, but il he makes mistakes they will be
likely in the present temper ofthe people, toprove
fatal. Mr. Blaines errors are always those OF omis
sion rather than commission. From excess Of
caution he has often let opportunities pass by that
holder man would have grasped, but he has new
| er made any serious blunders. From the time he
entered the House in 1863 and was assigned to a
place almost at the foot OF a second-rate commit
tee, his growth has been rapid and uninterrupted,
until he is now the recognized chief of the repub
llcan party in Congress. lie is strict party man.
All his successes have been won within the party
| lines. lie is, however, capable of bold and indie
pendent thought, is free to crticse the errors Of
his party in circles where there is no newspaper
man present to take notes. and, although by no
word spoken in public has he ever condemned
the most glaring faults of the Administration,
| his influence has always been exerted to prevent
their repetition and to secure their correction, and
| to lift the republican organization above the low
| level where the President has placed ii. If he
had not been hampered by his ambition to be
President Grants successor he might have stood
| beside Senators Sumner and SchurZ in the strug-
| gle for reform. The ey-Speaker has never done
| anything notably original in politics, with the
| single exception Of the constitutional amendment
| on the Schurz question. lie has exhibited great
shrewdness ia iorestalling those who were trying
to make lever Of the question to lift Gen. Grant
| into third term, and he must be credited also
with statesmanlike forethought in seeking to take
the question out Of politics before it could become
| a disturbing and perhaps dangerous element.
/ Mr.. Blaine has strong personal magnetism, and
natural qualities OF leadership. His strength in
| the nominating convention will come from Cali
| fornia as well as from Maine.
| Secretary Bristow, although talked OF as Pres-
dental candidate ever since he brought order out
| Of the chaos left by Mr.. Richardson in the Treas
| ury department, owes his present prominence to
his battle with the Whisky Ring. 1t is plain that
he has the stuff of reformer in him, and that is
| the kind Of man for whom thousands of republic
cans have been looking for the past two or three
years There are only Two important issues now
| before the publie-admin stratye reform and
specie ayraents. Mr.. Biistow stands in the att-
tnde Of representative of both these ideas-a po-
sition that be has fairly earned. Furthermore, to
hfve plucked lanrels from President Grants Ad-