The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-06-16
Tho Halt IT Cincinnati-Bsd Tor
Blaine.


The action of the Republican Convention
yesterday is both tribute to Blaines
strength and a proof of his weakness. IL
was like drawing the cork from bottle OF
champagne and then leaving it to stand for
sixteen hours before pouringit. Its foaming'
effervescing quality will be pretty well dead
ened by the delay. Blaine's power to carry
the Convention depended on q coup
dsmain; on sudden. enthusiastic rush, TAX
ing certain delegations captive by one OF
those unrefecting impulses which operate
like contagion in an excited. tumultuous
assembly. Two cffectual checks were put
upon this order of tactics by the action OF
the Convention yesterday, one OF these
checks lying in the rules adopted for regu-
lating the proceedings, and the other in the
adjournment without ballot. The rules
will prevent wild stampede to Blaine
on a sudden change Of votes in the
midst of a balloting. That part of
the fourth rule which will prevent the
Convention from being carried away by fit
of contagious enthusiasm against its delib-
crate judgment is in these words :-"And
vote it shall so stand until the ballot is an
nounced, unless in case of numerical error"
This guards against the danger which besets
all such bodies of being carried off their feet
in a moment Of excitement, when IN unex-
pected gain by particular candidate leads
to change of vote by some delega-
ton, followed by q storm Of applause, caus-
ing other delegations to follow, and setting
the Convention crazy in favor of q candidate
who is not the deliberate choice Of delegates
This rule makes it certain that Blaine can
not carry the Convention by storm, and that
if he receives an unexpected accession of
strength on particular ballot there will be
an interval Of cool reflection before any
delegation which has already voted against
him can transfer its vote. This protection
against ambuscades and sudden surprises
is unfavorable to the tactics OF the
Blaine men. But a more important
check to their hopes and expectations
is the adjournment of the Convention yes
terday without ballot 1t is decisive
proof that, at the hour of adjournment,
Blaine had not made such inroads into the
delegations supporting other candidates as
would give him majority on the second
ballot. If his friends had got pledges
enough from members of the other delega-
tons to secure his nomination his secret
supporters, united with his open support
ers, could have prevented an adjournment
and have nominated him yesterday
on second ballot. The statement
that the hall cannot be lighted in
gument. The Convention adjourned at six,
when there were yet two full hours of day
light. There might have been at least
three ballots before the shades of evening
began to settle upon the Convention. The
adjournment was piece of strategy, and
not necessity imposed by want of gas
lights 1t gives the opponents of Blaine
time for making combinations against him,
and damps the enthusiasm of his supporters
by delay. He is more likely to lose than
to gain by postponing the ballotings Yet
the fact that his opponents did not dare to
come to close quarters with him yesterday is
signal proof of his strength but, on the
other hand, the ability of his opponents to
stave off the balloting proves that he had
not majority at the hour of adjournment.
A successful combination against him is per-
haps impossible, except upon Governor
Hayes or a new candidate, and if his oppo-
nents should be unable to agree upon man
the nomination of Blaine and the destruc-
ton of the republican party may BIO in the
chapter of events.
The applause which greeted the speeches
made in nominating the several candidates
counts for little. Bristow got nearly as
much of this kind of support as Blaine, and
the enthusiasm for Bristow was protest
against Blaines nomination. The strong
Endorsement Of Bristow from Massachusetts,
and Vermont shows that Blaine is not strong
in New England, where he is best known.
Blaine had more claquers in the Convention
than any other candidate, but this is o nero
consequence Of the division among his OPP
ponents. 1t is possible that he may be nomi-
mated to-day, but if he is it will be the
knell Of the republican party.
Blaine and Bayard I'm New York.
No candidate whose relations to railway
operations are rs open to suspicion as are