The New York herald., 1876-01-26
"Morton and Blaine"

We find the ticket named above proposed
be the net result of the last two weeks of de-
bate in the House of Representatives. The
sight of it will probably make Mr.. Blaine
shiver. 1t sounds like studied insult to
him, and yet we do not doubt that the
proposition is made in perfect good faith,
for it is entirely logical To that part of the
republican party which expects to carry the
Presidential campaign on the policy of sec
tional hatred and unconstitutional interfer-
ence, on the ''bloody shirt" in fact Mr..
Morton is and always will be the favorite,
the man in whose ruthless will and ignorant
fanaticism they justly have the greatest con-
fidence. No other man in their party, un-
less it is General Grant. has given such
constant and repeated pledges has shown
himself so ready at all times and at
all hazards to carry out a dark and violent
policy in the South. No other Northern re-
publican has been so steadfast or so close an
ally of the worst carpet -baggers in the South;
none has SO often defended their bad cause,
or has shown himself so perpetually in ac-
cord with them. Hence for that part of the
Northern and Southern republican party
which seeks to perpetuate its power by an
appeal to the worst passions, by crying out
''rebel" and murder" Mr.. Morton is the
foreordained candidate. In that field he is
master. If they pay Mr.. Blaine the poor
compliment of asking him to be second to
Senator Morton it is not because they trust
him entirely; in spite of his recent outbreak
about JEFF Davis they do not believe in
him. He is an intelligent man, and that
is something against him with this class ;
he is man of moderate views, and this
makes him an object of suspicion to them ;
he has never brought personal bitterness into
political relations and that is, in their ver-
nacular, to be ''weak." They do not forget,
moreover, that he was known last winter to
have been opposed to the Force bill, as well
as to General Grants violent Arkansas policy.'
For all these reasons Mr.. Blaine is no favorite
with this class of republican politicians, and
that they think it judicious to offer him the
second place on their ticket is an evidence,
first, of his strength in the party, and second,
it is concession to the moderate wing of
the party.
OF course it is an offensive suggestion to
Mr.. Blaine and to his friends and admirers.
But we ask them to reflect whether he has
not himself to blame for it. He has recently
stirred up very acrimonious and long-con-
tinued debate in the House, in which the
''bloody shirt" figured largely. The sober
conclusion of many men was that he was
making bid for the support of faction
whose confidence he had lost last winter.
So the leaders of that faction seem to have
understood him, and he has now their reply.
''You have done admirably" they say; 1--WE
are satisfied with you; behold your reward
you shall play second fiddle to Mr.. Morton
on the republican ticket"
Mr.. Blaine's friends ought to warn him
that that is about as far as he can get on that
line. If he chooses the ''bloody shirt" policy
he must play second to Senator Morton, and
he must make up his mind to give all his
own strength to the Morton side; for if that
policy is to rule in the Cincinnati Conven-
ton it will take Morton and Blaine both to
beat General Grant