Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-06-24
TIE REPUBLICAN CONVENTION AT
CINCINNATI.


cal chiefs is over, and none of them
have won. The race is MOTTO the swift |
nor the strong but he who could stay
and bide his time till the mutual ami
mosities and jealousies of the more
noted combatants had broken down
their strength, has at length walked
over the course.
The nominees of the Republican
party as candidates for the presidency
are Rutherford B. Hayes, of Ohio, and
William A. Wheeler, of New York.
1t is always of interest to study the
working Of the machinery by which
great party tries to bring its best or
most available man to the front, and,
as in this instance we are at least i'm
partial, not wishing any one Of the can
didates to win, perhaps our readers
will be willing to accept our guidance in
following out the process.
Long before voting commenced it
was evident that Mr.. Blaine was the
favorite of the largest number of dele
gates. and many supposed thath would
be nominated on the first ballot.
This was not to be. A majority of
all was required for nomination and
he got only 285-while 379 was neces-
sary to a choice. We give the votes
on first ballot. Blaine, 285; Bristow,
lib; Morton, 124; Hayes, 81; Hart
ranft, So; Conkling, 80; jewell, IL;
Wheeler, 3.
OF these Messrs. Blaine, Bristow,
Morton, Hartranft and COnkling got
thesolid votes of the States they live in,
viz: Maine, Kentucky Indiana, Penn
sylvania, and New York; besides these
Mr.. Bristow, received the solid votes
of Delaware, Florida, Iowa, Kansas,
Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ore
gon and eight of the extreme western
States and territories; Morton got the
solid vote of Arkansas besides his own
State 1t was evident that nothing
but a strong combination could beat
Blaine, as his first vote was more than
double that of any of his competitors.
Second ballot: Blaine, 298; Bris:ow.
ia; Morton, Ill; Hayes Ga; Hartranft,
63; Conkling SO; Wheeler, 3; Wash
burne, l.
Showing gain for Blaine, Bristow,
Hayes, Hartranft and loss for Nor
ton and Conkling.
This looked promising for Blaine,
but it was also ominous for him as it
portended the removal of Morton and
Conkling from the track and it was
pretty well understood that their votes
would not be given to Blaine. Hart
ranft too unless he staid to get the
nomination would probably on retire
ment yield strength to some other
than Blaine.
Third ballot: Blaine, 293; Bristow,
12l; Morton, Ia; Hayes, 68; Conkling,
so; Wheeler, 3.
Slight loss for Blaine, correspond
ling gain for Bristow and Hayes, New
York still solid for Conkling.
In the 4th, 5th, and 9th, ballots
Blaine still remained largely ahead
getting his highest vote at the 9Th, viz.
308 but still II short of the number
required. Bristow on the other hand
after rising at the 4th, to 126 declined
after that, standing Ill at the 9th
Morton and Conkling had gradually
declined from the beginning but still
retained nearly the solid vote of their
own States. Hayes commencing at 81,
steadily gained throughout the race
standing at the 9th ballot lib. Hart
ranft rose gradually during the first 4,
but after this declined, standing so at
the 9th. No others got vote enough to
be worth recording.
Hence the only two candidates who
had not declined in numbers from their
first vote were at the end of the 9th
Blaine, 308; Hayes, 113 But now
came the time for all but Blaine, Bris-
tow and Hayes to retire and the
momentous question was who would
acquire the votes thus set free? Of
the New York votes, all save 9, of the
Indiana votes all save 5, were given to
to Hayes, while Pennsylvania, was
nearly equally divided between Blaine
and Hayes: Bristow in this last vote
was abandoned almost entirely, receiv-
ing p. The race therefore was really
between Blaine and Hayes and was
decided in favor of the latter as fol-
lows:
Blaine, 35l; Hayes, 384;
This result cOnvinces us that it was
a forgone conclusion with the men
welding the larger constituencies that
neither BristOw nor Blaine, should
win; and the only real question was who
was to be the lucky man on whom the
opposition to these men should con-
centrate at the last push-the steady
increase of Hayes vote while all
others declined determined this ques-
ton and the result was as we have
stated. The battle was made not for q
position, but for negation.
We subjoin the seven ballots in de-
foil