The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-06-07
AFTER Bls ine Wbe

those two or three hundred votes pledged
to him at CINCINNATI? A week ego the
man from Maine stood at the head of the
long roll of Republican sspirsnts for the
presidential nomination. In the tangible
item OF the number Of delegates positively
INSTRUCTED, as in the less patpable, but no
less significant consideration OF popularity
with the press and people, Mr.. Blaine
\ easily led all OF his competitors. His
chances for winning the grand prizs
at Cincinnati next week were of the
brightest. Now all this Is charged.
The last transaction in which this gentle
man has figured has been too much for
the loyalty even of his devoted adherents.
By the bold step Of wrestling damaging
documentary evidence from the hands of
q dangerous witness, be has avoided the
exposure he feared; but he has done 50 at
the cost of creating sentiment OF distrust
and suspicion OF his motives that has
proved fatal to his hopes. The public con-
6dencs that survived previous disclosures
has succumbed. to this last self-crimi-
mating step ofthe accused, and Mr.. Blaine
has become political corpse. 1t now re-
mains tor his sdherents to do jus
tice to such virtues of the de-
parted as are perceptible to the con-
iding eye of friendship, and Tor
his opponents to preserve decorous
silence as to the faults for which political
as we'll as physical death is supposed to
bespeak tender treatment. Another post
morGem duty, in which friends and ere
mics will probably be ready to unite, is
the administration of the political effects
of the decedent, chief among which are
the two or three hundred votes before al
luded to. The course taken by Mr..
Blsine's delegates after they abandon their
first choice-and such abandonment has
now become a matter of course-.s 8
profitable subject of speculation, since
upon it depends the result of the Cincin-
natl convention. II any one of
the other candidates now prominently be-
| fore the people can attract to himself
this now Incorporated force, his success
| is assured. Is there any candidate who
can do thisf The man who is to succeed
to the position of Blaine at the head of the
Republican running nHsJ possess certain
definite qualifications. He must be in
the Republican party and in the
county which Blaine represents and
must be able. to control the
party machinery. He must be
man who has not been conspicuous and
bitter in his opposition to the great deiunct
bond negotiator; for even from his politi-
cal grave he will exercise a certain
negative force, and though he
can do nothing for himself, he can still
do much against his enemies. Morton
can not hope for the most beggsrly Access
sion from the scattered forces of the over
thrown chief. He has been his most pit
ter aud INSCRIPTIONS enemy from the
first. He it was who fired the first OF Ia
series, of mines by which the triumphant
gentleman from Maine W as hoisted. He is
Western man while Blaine is from New
England, and was the candidate par ex-
cellence of Wall street. Senator Morton
may exult over his rivals TALL, but IL will
be barren victory for him. Bristow
is out of the question. Mr.. Blsines
delegates are too well trained and too COM
psratively devoted to the machine system
of politics to fall into the ranks OF the inn
practicable. They belong to the large
branch of the Radical party that demands
not reform, but success. The New York
Herald suggests, since Illinois is conspic-
uous among the Blaine STATES that his
seattle cred forces will crystalline about
Washburne, but this is going far out of
the way for a disposition of them which
may be found near at hand. Every vote
that has been instructed for Blaine can be
transferred to Senator CopkliDg without
loss of consistency. He has nearly
the. same geographical afinities;
he is equally acceptable to the
money interest; and most significant OF
all, he has firmer grip upon the most ssr-
vicesble levers of the Radical political ma
chine than Blaine himself. Mo. than any
other man he combines the various quail
ties necessary to attract Blsine's lsst dele
gates, and, barring some further explosion,
may be regarded as the coming man at
Cincinnati. II Senator Conkling's chances
are the best for the Republican nomins-
ton, the probabilities of his election, II
nominated, are OF the lowest. The quail
ties that insure his success at Cincinnati
viii insure his defeat at the polls.
He has Blaine's political vices
without his political virtues. He
IL thoroughly identified with the corrupt
policy OF the present admins ration. and
is the living, moving principle Of the
machine system of politics, in which
Blaine was a mere outside amateur. At
the same time he lacks the element OF per-
sonal magnetism and popularity with the
masses, which constituted Mr.. Blsine's
strongest point. Conkling's growing
prospects indicate the nomination of the