The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-04-05
The Canvass for the Presfdency-
Changing Clouds-The Outlook OF
To-Day.

called seasonable canvass in this, that it
has all of Aprirs waywardness- to-day,
storm; tomorrow, sunshine. Those who are
weatherwise in politics fancy one day that
the skies favor Blaine the next day it IS
thought they favor Conkling the third day
all is mystery. The politicians scan the
skies very much as Polonius did when
Hamlet sought to tell him of the cloud that
was like q weasel, a camel, and awhale. The
Belknap business was the eruption of po-
litical Vesuvius and covered the fair hopes of
Grant and the camp Of Cesarites, who saw in
his reelection their only chance of power,
as effectually as the Cities of the Plain were
covered with the molten lava from the
mountain crater. Since that misfortune the
Presidency has been in condi-
ton of perplexing uncertainty. No
one man has grown up in the re-
publican party with the commanding
influence possessed in the old days by Jack
son in the democracy and by Clay over the
| wings. The effect ofJeffersonian ideas in the
older politics was to develop worthy men as
candidates for the highest offices of the State.
But in the later days, ever since the over
shadowing power Of this military admins
tration, we have had stunted growth of
statesmen. Whenever a republican showed
signs Of growing beyond the range Of Presi-
dental influence he was rooted out, even as
Sumner, Schurz and their colleagues were
rooted out by caucus dictation. Time and
again the HERALD warned the republican
- khn
Of prescription and dismanning which
seemed to animate the President, who felt,
like the later Bonaparte, that as soon as any
leader differed from him he should 60 to
some political Cayenne or New Caledonia.
Consequently now, when the party needs
statesmen, we have scraggy brood of
scheming politicians swarming in the fore
ground, with the real statesmen, if there are
any, utterly overlooked and forgotten.
When party submits to the degradations
imposed upon it by President like Grant,
to Belknaps in the Cabinet, Cramers in
diplomacy, and favoritism everywhere;
when it consents that tho President shall
treat his high Office like captured enemy's
camp, as pillage for himself and his
troopers, what better can we expect than
the prostitution, the APATHY" everywhere
seen in the republican party? This was
shown in the Connecticut election, which
was lost to the republicans from republican
''apathy" alone. Instead of coming into the
fight With some great statesman and leader at
its head-some one like Lincoln or Clay
the party really does not know what to do
This uncertainty gives the canvass pic
turesque value. 1t is like tiger hunting in
the Indian jungles. We do not know where
the animal is going to come out, nor what
kind Of an animal it will prove, or whether
there will be one tiger or half dozen, or
whether the party will kill the tiger or the
tiger the party. Two months ago and even
a purblind politician could have seen that
Grant was the favorite that he had the Con-
vention, and fair prospect of carrying
the country through the aid of foolish
confederates like Toombs and Hill
Then came the corruption eruption,
and all was changed. Then came the
Andersonville pronunciamento of Blaine,
and the revival Of the war cries of the re-
bellion, and for time it looked as if we
were to have the issues Of the war over again
a canvass of prescription and passion. But
people began to ask odd questions about
Blaine and how he earned his money, and
| whether he could stand the burning, blazing
disintegrating test Of a canvass for the Presi-
dency, and Blaine began to recede. Then
came swell of the tide from the West, which
people said meant that Morton, with the West
| and the South at his back, was on the as
cending wave. Then came ripple from
Ohio, which meant Hayes; a strong reform
wave from st. Louis and Chicago, which
seemed to portend Bristow, and gentle riv-
ulet from Springfield, Mass, fiourishing
Yankee town which benefcent Creator has
endowed with Sam Bowles, and which we
were told really meant Adams. The last
current is from Harrisburg, and murmurs
the rugged name of Hartranft. But in the
ar depths of the rolling food we see it's
moving genius in the venerable form of
Simon Cameron
Simon Cameron, old gray, seventy-seven-
stalking around Pennsylvania like an Indian
warrior; canny, rich, bold; who for two
generations has ruled Central Pennsylvania
as the Highland chieftain the mountain
fastness; governing with fcudal strength,
obeyed with tribal devotion, combining in
his character all the political craft of Seward
and Weed-Simon Cameron comes on the
scene and bids fair to dominate the Conven-
ton of Cincinnati, as sixteen years ago he
dominated the Convention at Chicago.
Well, what does Lord Simon, Chief of the
Camcrons, mean? That question is as inn
portant now as it was sixteen years ago,
feverish counsel in Chicago praying Simon
to not abandon Seward. For Pennsylvania
is a great State-with more votes than any
other but New York-and whoever speaks