New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-04-12
THE PRESIDENCY.
FACTIONS IN EACH PARTY.

A
| WASHINGTON April 1O.-In spite of the Belknap
scandal, in spite of the probability of further reve-
atons of corruption in high Administration circles
and in spite of the Connecticut election the leading
| Republicans here confident of winning the APP
| preaching Presidential contest While the Demo-
Gratis are nervous and anxious, they express serene
assurance that all is going WELL BY leading Repub-
| lcans do not mean the members Of the White
House caba in the Senate, who are casting about for
some scheme combination to proonS the reign OF
Grantism under another head, but tho men who
comprehend and influence public opinion, and are
| trusted by the Republican masses as honest and
patriotic think their checrfulness arises largely
from the conviction that the party is going 10 unload
at Cincinnati and the belief that with thoroughly
good ticket it will commend itself to the people
once more as sound and trustworthy, and as much
better entitled the whole to administer the Gov
ernment than its rival. According to their theory
of the canvass, no developments which the Demo-
cratic House can make will affect the Republican
vote if the ticket made at Cincinnati is satisfactory
to the best elements in tho party. The personal
character and public record of the nominee Tor
President WILL they argue, be accepted as better
assurance of administrative reform than the profess
sons of an opposition without principle or cohesive
force except what comes from greed for Office.
The Republicans in Congress are divided into
three pretty well defined classes in their views as to
the proper nomination to make at Cincinnati There
are first the men who wish to make administrative
reform and warfare upon the rings the distinctive
and Overshadowing idea of the CANVASS and to ex-
press this idea markedly in the selection of candi-
date Availability in other srects they do not stop
to consider. purify the Government! Down with
the thieves w they would make the battle cry. The
argument they propose to present 10 the people is as
follows: The Democrats are corrupt and unworthy
of your trust We acknowledge that the Repub-
loan party has also been corrupt but it has washed
itself and is once more clean. Ii alone gives you
the assurance of an upright administration" These
men have al gravitated 10 Mr. Bristow for the sole
reason that he las attracted the attention of the
| country ly his practical efforts to accomplish a
great reform in the revenue service. few months
ago this element just ready to attach itself to
Mr. Jewell or TO any other man of ability who might
manifest an earnest desire for correcting abuses and
furnishing rascals but it happened that Mr.. Brst0w
had both The opportunity and the courage to ac-
complish something in the right direction. He has
won the hearts Of the reformers and they have no
though now OF looking elsewhere for a candidate.
| The second class of Republicans believe in organi-
cation and work. Sentiment is good thing, they
think, out without discipline and effort it can't
accomplish much. They, too, want a thorough re-
| form il the motives and methods of the National
Administration, but they insist that for the Repub-
mean party 70 make tnlS tue uOhlldut ISSUE III tHo
| canvass would be ruinous. 1t would, they say, DO
pleading guilty to the indictment which the Demo-
Gratis will bring against it, and trying to escape
judgment by loud protestations of an intention to
reform. The party would be thrown upon the de-
fensive from the start. "YOu are corrupt" the
Democrats would shout increasingly, and the
Republicans could only answer "Wo know
we are but going 10 do better"
The programme of this element is to give the coun-
try an assurance of practical reform by the char
acter and anecedents of the nominee for President
and to make a sharp. aggressive fight the South
ern question: Mr. Blaine is of course, its leader
and candidate. With consummate sagacity no
sounded the keynote of this policy in his amnesty
speech last Winter. Many of his best friends then
thought he had made frightful blunder, bot he
understood the temper of the Republican masses
better than they The New-Hampshire can
vass showed that questions of currency
or administrative reform have cffaced the
memories Of the war, and that the prejudces of
that period are easily revived, and when once
aroused oye-master all others. 1t is due to tho
Blaine movement to add that its most active pro-
motors desire an entirely order of things at
Washington and believe that the ex-Speaker's in
stincts experience intimate knowledge OF men and
affairs and ambition to make brilliant Administers
ton are the best assurances OF the accomplishments
by him of ali practicable reforms in the public
vice.
now come TO the third element that shows itselfm
the Republican party represented here. IL might
be called the allied White House and Senate Ring.
am aware that 'Ring" is hard name TO apply to
political combination, but there is no other word
that so well describes this organization. 1t en-
braces the thick-and-thn supporters of the Admin
stration in both houses but its focus Is in the Sem
| ate among the men who have done their best for
| many years 10 convert the Government into
| sort of ogarchy in which they could deal
out the offices and exercise dictaoral powers gem
orally 1t has presumably the countenance of Presi-
| dent Grant and openly the support of the Kitchen
| Cabinet. the District Ring, the Custom-house Ring,
the Indian Ring the southern carpet-bag politicians
the Maryland jobbers, the theyish contractors, the
| straw bddeIs-ln short, of the whole knaysh crew
| that have found protection aud plumber under tho
wing of the present Administration. Ire
purpose, of tins unhoy comoinatoh =
| TO prolong the existence of Grantism with
| Mr.. Morton Mr.. Conkng as President. They
| hope To control the Cincinnati Convention by com.
| binng the forces OF the dsreputable politicians OF
the south with the olice-holders of the North. How
they expect to carry the election III they sue
! ceed in packing the Convention is a mystery.
| In this classification | have made no mention or
the Hayes element because is purely local affair."
| If il fails to have its man taken up "A compromise
candidate, its members will grayitate some To the
| Blaine aud some 10 the Bristow party.
Turning for a moment to the Democratic camp,
find four shades of opinion 10 the candidates who
ought to be named at st. Louis but there is nothing
| like fractional organizations to carry out these
| opinions. One class wants thorougn-going old
fashioned party man ike Gov hendricks OF senator
| Thurman: another thinks Tildcn the most available
| candidates because he best represents the reform
idea which they claim must dominate the canvass IL
il is 10 be made successful one third class, and
| ranidy growing one, advocates the selection OF
former Republican like Judge Davis, or ex-Gov. Cur
fin or eX Gov Walker with aylcw to deachng Sec