The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1875-12-24
THE PRESIDENCY.
only Two Republican Candidates.


SPLENDID RECORD.
Correspondent of the New York Tribnne1
WASHINGTON, Dec. 16.--iThere are two
names now In oil mems mouths in con.
nection with the Republican nomination
for the Presidency. The other candi.
dates. whose claims have been pressed
before tho public for two or three years
past, are now scarcely mentioned; and
II the talk among Congressman and
other politicians here represents the
feeling throughout the country. tho
chances Of these candidates IRE very
small. Senator Morton has still u few
advocates in the West, but they IRE iii.
minishing In number every day. and he
can scarcely lcad the delegation from
his own State into the convention with
an unbrolsen front. Senator ConklnV
is IN even n worse plight. IN fact his
only resource, aside from his own am.
bition. Is - band Of office holders in New
York. who have no popular support be.
hind them. Gov. Hayes has ~ respecta.
bic following in Ohio, but the tide Of
feeling In his favor. raised by his bril-.
liant campaign last fall, Is rapidly sub.
siding, and he Is not In ~ position TO do
anything 10 turn the cbbing current.
As an expediency candidate he has still
u good deal of negative strength, and In
prize prove SO evenly matched that
neither can win, he may be brought for.
ward as u cotlprolnise candidate. The
other whlom candidates are no longer
worthy Of serious mention.
The recent iriesOlutc. undecided con-
ditiou Of the public mind on the Presi-
Dental question was taken by shallow
observers rs M indication Of ~ scarcity
Of able public leaders, and Of general
decay IN politics. IN reality, IL only
showed that the people have become
unusually cautious and critical. They
are determined that the next President
shall have intellectual ability. moral
worth, and experience in public affairs,
and among the men who have these
essential qualifications they mean to
"get the best" Perhaps the sitting pro-
cess to which they have been subjeeting
ambitious statesmanship will go on
still further, with new materials for
them to work upon, but just now tho
only candidates are the OK Speaker and
the Secretary Of the Treasury.
Mr.. Blaine has one important ndyan-
tape. but il is attended with great peril
Any day he chooses he can speak TO the
whole country. Whatever ho 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 intervsnes before
the National Convention assemblies he
will command public attention If no
uses his opportunity wisely he will
greatly improve his prospects. but " he
makes mistakes they will be likely, In
tho present temper OF Tho people, To
prove fatal.
Mr. Blnne's errors ore always those
Of omission rather than Of commission.
From excess Of caution he has often let
opportunities pass by that u holder man
would have grasped, but he has never
made any serious plumbers From the
time he entered the House in 1868, and
assigned to u place almost at the foot OF
sccond-rate committee, his growth
| has been rapid and uninterrupted, until
he IL now the recognized chief Of the
Republican purity IN Congress. He Is u
| strict party man. All his successes have
been won within the purity lines. He IL,
however, capable Of bold aud independ-
ent thought, Is free To criticise the er-
rors 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 even
tho most glaripg faults OF the Admins
tration, his influence has always been
exerted to prevent their repetition and
to secure their correction, and to LIT
|
low level whore the President has
placed II.
IT he had not been hampered by his
ambition to be President Grants sue
cessor, he might have stood beside Sen.
ators summon and Schurz in the strug.
gle for reform. The cx-Speaker has
never done anything notably original
in politics, with the single exception OF
the constitutional amendment on the
Schurz question. He has exhibited
great shrewdhcs8 in forcstalling those
who were trying 10 make u lever Of the
question 10 lift Gen. Grant into third
term. and he must be credited also with
statesinanlikc forctbought in seekiDg
to take the question out Of politics be-
fore it could become u disturbing and
perhaps ~ dangerous element. Mi.
Blaine has strong personal magnetism,
md natural qualities of leadership.
His strength in tho nominating conven..
ton will come from California as well
rs from Maine.
Secretary Bristow, although talked
Of Us Presidential candidate ever since
he brought order ont u the chaos LETT
bv Mr.. Richardson in tho Treasury De-
partment, owes his present prominence
10 his battlc with the Whisky Ring. "
Is plain that he has the stuff OF % re-,
former i'm him, and that Is the kind 2i
man for whom thousands Of Republi-
cans have been looking for the past two
or three years. There are only two i'm
portant issues now before the public
administrative reform and specie
payments. Mr.. Bristow stands
In the attitude Of u representa-.
tive Of both these ideas u position that
he has fairly earned. Furthermore TO
have plucked lanrels from President
Grants Administration Is % distinction!
which argues IN uncommon degree oi
merit. People may well say that since
the Secretary has accomplished. 80
much in the midst Of 50 many embaf,
easements he would, were the great
powers Of the Executive office placed IN
his hands, reform the Government In
all it's branches. IT would not be fair TO
Mr.. Blaine to say that all the Republic
cans who desire reform are supporting
the Secretary.
1t is truo. however, that the reform
element throughout the country as q
body h turning its eyes toward Mr.,
Bristow as the coming man, not FROG
any distrust Of his rival, but from ads
miration of the Secretary's efforts 70
bring thieves to justice. Mr.. Bristow's
way to the goal Of the nomination ",
however, as uncertain US that OF ms
competitors. lie comes from u South,