The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-02-29
The Campaign for the Presidency.
From the ". = Herald.s

From the ". Y Herald.s
The presidency is the growing question.
We are on the verge Of March. In three
months the candidates will be in nomi-
nation, the platforms will be constructed
and summer will find US in the blazing
heat of the canvass The centennial,
which will open In May, will have spent its
force. There may be little cessation
of political hostilities to hear the joy-bells
ring on the Fourth of July, but from now
until November the presidency will be the
absorbing issue. Thus far we have the
preliminary signs of the campaign, the
picket-fring that opens the battle Indiana
has spoken for Morton. The once promis-
ing Colfax has passed into an eclipse as
total as that which fell upon Aaron Burr,
and no one mentions his name in q state of
which for four years ago he was the
favorite son. There has been a general
sitting of candidates, In the past they
kept floating into prominence every four
years until they died Of old age. Clay and
Webster were Wing candidates. always
running and never reaching the goal. =
Cass, Marcy, Dickinson, Douglas were
ever disturbing Democratic conventions
with claims which were never to be realiz-
ed Seward, Mclean, Fremont, Chase
and Sumner were for years persistent and
unavailiug claimants for the suffrages of
the Republican party. 1t is a singular
feature that, laying aside General Grant,
none of the old-fashioned candidates are
now in the field. The claims of Governor
Seymour have been merged in those OF
Governor Tilden. Of the candidates who
were prominent in the Chicago convention
which nominated Lincoln only Cameron,
now lives, and he is not an aspirant tor
the presidency.
Who, then, are to lead this campaign
The new men who have come to the front
are numerous and gifted. There never
were so many candidates, Every section
and nearly every state has its choice. New
York has Dix. Evarts, Morgan, Fish,
Wheeler and Conkling, with Conkling
ahead as the natural choice of the state
aud the leader of the administration forces
New England presents Boutwell,, Hawley,
Charles Francis Adams, Edmunds, Jewell,
Anthony and Blaine, with Blaine leading.
The west has Bristow. Morton, Hayes,
Sherman, Logan and Washburne, with
Morton in advance. From the south no
one comes, while Pennsylvania dominates
Hartranft, in the hope of gaining for him
national recognition, On the Democratic
side we have from New York Tilden,
Church, and Seymour New England has
John Quincy Adams, Castor and Ingersoll.
Pennsylvania will be satisfied with either
Black, Randall, Packer or Hancock. The
west has Kerr, Thurman, Hendricks,
Pendleton and Allen. From Delaware we
have the accomplished and high-ton
Bayard. The south presents no name
whatever. Virginia, the mother of states.
men, has no son in training for the
supreme honor. In this myriad of names
all of them good men and true-any one
is competent to hold the presidency, There
are few who have especial prominence
The leading Republican candidates are
Conkling Blaine and Morton, with the
chances in favor of Mr.. Conkling as The
man whom the president, once that he
sinks his own ambition, will most delight
TO honor. ConkliDg represents the dis
cipline, Blaine the radicalism of the party
Morton the eyer present and arrogan
pretension of the Mississippi Valley Il
rule the nation. Mr.. Washburn ha
negative strength, but so have Fish anC
Eyarts and Bristow and many others. s.
far as New York is concerned the choice 0
the party is Conkling. and any other nam
just now is not worth considering. Mr.
Conkling can most probably nominate him
self, or whoever he pleases. We Nigh
have Conkling and Blaine from the east. a
we once had Grant and Coalfax from tn
west, or the names might be reversed. |
the event of the contest between ConkIing
Blaine and Morton waxing wroth, and u
reconciliation possible, then the Repuf
licans have in their reserve some splendi
names. Fish, Boutwell,, Bristow Vast
burne, Evarts-any one of whom could b
selected as Fierce and Polk were selected
a compromise between conflictiD
interests, and one sure to please tn
country.
On the Democratic side the leading cal
didates are Tilden, Hendricks and Bayar,
Tilden represents the reform movemeI
in New York, the vast prestige of Il
Empire State. Hendricks is the choice
the west, while Bayard would be accou
promise between the north and soutl
The Democratic party is now harmoniou
not as when Breckenridge and Dougl;
struggled There are no sectional qua
rels, no personal rivalries. The only que
ton disturbing is finance, and that disturb
Republicans and Democrats alike. I'll
Democrats mean to win. There is jea
ousy Of New York which may defeat Ii
den, and the still further fact, thi
may not be without its effect upon supe
stitious politicians, that as New Yol
named tho three last ndidates-Seymou
Mcclellan and Greeley-it may be well
change the state, if only for luck's SAX
The fear of rag money may defeat al
western Democrat, and the two infuenc,
combining seem to point to Bayard as II
candidate with the fewest angles. But
this contest should become bitter-if IL
three rivals should destroy one another
the Democrats, like the Republicans, ha,
fine list in reserve. Church, JoI
Quincy Adams, Kerr, Hancock, are a
good men; so that, no matter how the COZ
ventions go, we have the assurance thi
worthy men will be placed in nomination
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