Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-07-11
A DespOndent Democrat.

Tribune reporter called Thursday on Banton
Duncan Of Louisville, who is st the New York
Hotel, to learn his views on the nomination OF
Tllden by the St. Louis Convention. Mr.. Dun
can said decidedly that he thought was the very
worst nomination that could have been made that
there had been the same mistake as in 1872. that
of considering men and not principles, but now
the democrats had not nominated so good man
as then. The whole sentiment of the West he
said was against Tilden. At Terre Haute, Ind,
on the Saturday succeeding the nomination,
mass meeting was called, which was very largely
attended, and both the platform and nomination
of the St. Louis Convention were repudiated and
third party was demanded. At Richmond In
DIANA the same thing was done. MIR. Duncan
predicted that Tilden would lose Ohio by 10000
and Indiana by 10000. Tildcns hope lay in car
rying the entire South, with the exception OF
South Carolina, and New York, New Jersey, Con-
necticut Oregon and California. He needed lSj
electoral votes to be elected. The five Northern
and Western States just mentioned had 50 votes,
and the South, without South Carolina, had l3l,
making 100. Thus a change of votes defeat
Tilden. As he had no strength in the West, there
was no likelihood that he would carry single
Western State, and if any one of the States which
he expected went against him he could not be
elected. Of these, Louisiana and Mississippi
were republican on fair vote Mr.. Duncan be-
lieved that Gen. Sheridan would undoubtedly see
that every republican vote was cast and counted.
Florida owing to the large negro vote, would
probably go republican, while there was very lit
lie doubt but that Connecticut, Oregon and Cali
fornia would 60 for Hayes, and possibly also New
Jersey. With such large losses as these, ilden
certainly could not gain enough elsewhere to be
elected.
Mr.. Duncan's preference was for Hancock, and
he declared that with him the West would have
been secure, and also number of the Southern
States thus making his election sure thing pat
the Convention would rot listen to the voices Of
the delegates; it was so thoroughly organized and
hacked ia the interest of Tilden that all the re-
monstrance. Of the other delegates were UNDECIDED.
The Western men were Disguised with the way
the Convention was rum the management was
arbitrary and despotic, and the hall was filled with
the claquers of Tilden Their organization was
systematic and thorough, and statement was
made in St. Louis that the man who organized the
claQue received large sum of money. For the
truth of this Mr.. Duncan could not vouch, but
that the organization was complete was unmls-
taxable.
The Chairman Of the Executive Committee of
West Virginia, Mr. Duncan sad had demanded
another Convention and another nom nation.
The Pennsylvania delegates in st. Louis gave up
any idea that Tilden would carry their State.
The late democratic candidate for Governor of
lows, Gen. Tuttle had pronounced for Hayes,
saving that he could not support Tilden. Alta rat
ifcation meeting in Dayton, Ohio, Nallandigham's
old district, Mr.. Houk, a delegate to St. Louis,
having been called upon for speech denounced
both the platform and the nomination.
Mr. Duncan added that it was not by any means
sure that Hendricks would accept the nomination
for Vice President. On the day after the nomination
he received at least 500 kilograms urging him to
accept, and almost an equal number from his
friends urging him to decline. His principles and
those of Tilden were so utterly antagonlstic that
there was little doubt that he would decline, as if
he accepted he would undoubtedly drag down his
friends with him in defeat, as they would stick to
him.
The platform adopted, while really hard
money document was SO written that it read both
ways, and did not suit either party. In nominal
ing hard money man for President and soft
money man for Vice President, and adopting
doubleface platform, an effort was made to con
ciliate all democrats, but the result had been that
neither branch of the party was satisfied. MIR.
Duncan expected that there would be another
Convention and third candidate nominated. The
West would probably take Peter Cooper, and MIR.
Duncan made the following suggestion Gas the
platform is double-faced one, and the nominees
are utterly antagonistic in their principles, the
only feasible plan to unite all democrats would be
to nominate Peter Cooper for President and Ill
den for Vice President, and add a greenback plat
form to the St. Louis platform as an amendment,
and then all democrats could 90 in. The platform
and nominees would then be more double
faced than they now are, and would be much
more acceptable to the West, and there would be
only two tickets in the field.
With the present candidate, Mr.. Duncan be-
lieved that Hayes would be elected, and that the
democrats had thrown away the best opportunity
that they ever had for success. In Tildens de-
feat, Congress also would undoubtedly be lost.
In that case Mr.. Duncan did not think that there
would ever be another National democratic Con-
vention, but the party would be entirely and final
" broken up.-NeW York Tribune.