River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1876-05-11
The Republican Nominee for President.

More recent developments make it
more than probable that Blaine is the
coming man as Republican candidate
for President. He will not go into
convention with majority Of the del.
egates, but will so far lead his strong.
est competitors that after a few bal.
lots in which local pets will be duly
complimented, enough second choice"
men will come to him to insAre his
majority. Bristow is really his
only formidable competitor. Conk-
ling and Morton will at first control
quite a force, but neither has ''the
ghost of show" fox nomination, and
if nominated would not have 1.-THE
ghost of ashow' of anelection. Hayes
has a good local showing, but will not
spread himself over much territory.
BriStow would make by all odds the
strongest candidate. He would be
supported by every Republican and by
nine-tenths of the Independents. The
people want man that will make it a
part of his regular business for the
next four years to hunt down corrup-
ton; that will take off his coat, roll
up his sleeves. and take daily exercise
in cleaning out the Augean stable of
the national government. Without
controversy Bristow is just such a
man, but being "a terror to eyil.doers"
he is. as matter of course. not in IA
vor with rings and men that con.
troll conventions. Their fear of de-
feat with any other man would be the
only thing that would bring them to
his support. However, the sentiment
of the intelligent, independent pa
triotism of the country will have a
strong unconscious influence upon the
convention and may possibly bring
him to the surface should there be a
protracted clock" on other leading
candidates.
Blaine is in some respects strong,
None of the possible candidates would
bring into the battle anything like as
much personal pluck, force and mag.
netism as he would. But while we
are glad to believe him to be himself
an upright man, and while we find
him brave and eloquent in his attacks
upon the criminals of the past, we
never find him, active and sharp as
his friends claim him to be, at
lacking the ''wickedness in high plac-
es" of to-day. Situated as he has
been, he would have been a power for
good, had he not closed his nostrils to
the stencil of corruption that has
tainted the political atmosphere at
the National Capitol for the last five
years. Moreover, his is not that dig
niied craftsmanship that character
lied Webster, Clay. Lincoln or Sum
ner. When compared with them he
impresses us as after all but bright,
brilliant debater, rather than sound
statesman
One circumstance has been especial
ly fortunate for Mr.. Blaine, he was
the first that got into the field when it
was still question whether OF not U.
5. Grant would make an effort for
another election. The Republican
party, at heart tired and sick of him,
took the first opportunity offered to
commit itself to another, and hence
the surprising uprising in its ranks in
favor of Blaine. This gave him an
impetus and advantage that will hard
ly be overcome in the coming convo.
cation-an impetus that will send him
forward long distance should he win
the prize at Cincinnati, though he
might, nevertheless, even then, come
far short Of an election. In Judge
Davis he would find formidable com.
petitor-'a foeman worthy of his
steel. ="
On the whole we deem the fact Of
who will he the Republican nominee
for President one Of the most uncer.
tain events of the future, unless it be
thevery uncertain factyet to be settled,
of who will be our next President.
This, of all others, is the all-absorbing
question Of the day, and the interest
now felt in it will in no way abate un.
til IL Ia settled.