The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-01-13
The Presidential Race.

There are, ut the present moment, not
less than thirty or forty more or less emf
rent politicians, who are suffering from
that peculiar disease, whose early stages
are so insidious and whose later develop
9nents are so likely to overcome the
strongest moral constitution. We mean,
of course, the Presidential mania. The
disease which so seriously n fectcd Web
stcr and Clay, which wore out and pros
tratcd Chase, and which drove Mr.. Gree
ley through lunacy TO death, is prevail
ing, at the present time, to a more alarm
ing extent than at any other period N our
history. Almost every State has its can
didate for the Presidency. In this State
we have nearly Il dozen of them. The
Tightening may strike any Il of the
many. Each expects to be the chosen
victim. Each secretly r~ejoices in any in
t~ication of the weakness of the others.
Nearly all have II horror of Third
Term" and a terror of Grant.
1t is Il curious situation. In such a
scrub race, over uneven ground, conceal
I'd pitfalls and high barred fences, and
through all manner of underbrush, it is
3lard to predict who will come in first, at
the finish. Blaine makes a vigorous for
ward brush for a while, when Morton
suddenly comes to the fore through some
dense copse that no one else would have
thought of penetrating, Then both dis
appear, and Mr.. Bowlcs seizes the occa-
sion to nominate Charles Francis Adams.
Before he is coughcd down-Bowles, we
mcan-Bristow suddenly dashcs ahead
of all other competitors, and the hero of
.he war against the Whiskey Ring seems
TO have an easy race of it. That is pro-
vidcd Grant does not run. That contin-
gency seems to interfere with all srecu-
lations and to battle the prophets exceed
inglY.
Meantime, there are several candidates
who, just at present, court the privilege
of being unobserved. Among these men
are some of the strongest leaders in the
Republican party. Each hopes that the
convention will be free to makeits choice,
unfettered by instructions to support any
particular candidate. Each believes that
in the course of the contest over a variety
of nominees, his own peculiar fitness or
availability will be made apparent to the
managers of the convention.
In the Democratic party there is an
equal degree of uncertainty as to the re-
suit. Mr.. Tilden's chances have been
growing less and less, since the Ohio and
Pennsylvania campaigns. The same con
tests had the result to retire the ablest
statesman in the party, Senator Thurman,
ITo was honest and true, but lie showed a
lack Of aggressive courage. So, while
lie has MORALLY offended the Soft Money
Democrats, the Hard Money men have
rejected him as a leader. Tie eloquent,
courageous and high spirited Senator
from Delaware, Mr. Bayard, has advanced
u long distance ahead of his competitors.
His letter on the currency question has
cndeared him to all the Hard Money
Democrats of the North, while the South
era Democrats admire his pluck, and
would far rather trust him to protect
Southern interests, unplcdgcd, than any
other Northern politician; no matter what
the latter might promise or perform. His
most formidable rival is Hendricks, who
has an %oioaginous quality that enables
him to slip smoothly through great in
testine conflicts in the party, without
rubbing hard against anybody.
Meanwhile, there is a quiet movement
going on, whose object is TO nominate
Mr.. Adams, as the opposition candidate
against Grant, for the projectors CT this
movement have satisfied themselves that
Grant will inevitably be nominated.
Some of the manipulators of the Cincin-
matt Convention of 1872 are in this scheme
TO compel the Democrats to nominate Mr..
Adams. They are doing their work
quietly, Mr.. Bowles having agreed not to
nominate Mr.. Adams more than once a
week. The combination includes distin-
guisl.ed journalists. financiers and re-
tired statesmen of various calibrcs. Its
work is mainly done, at present. by Wig
orous correspondence. If there is any
power in the movement il ought TO effect
something of decided significance within
thirty days.-N \. Ecening Kait.