New-York tribune., 1876-06-19
BLAINE'S DEFEAT.

AND THE NOMINATIONS.
lBr TELEGRAPH THE TRIBUNE.i
CoIuMBUs June 1S.-Now that Gov. Hayes as a
Presidential candidate is an accepted and accom-
plshed fact the great question is how it all came
sbout On this point the politicians who were still
remaining in Cincinnati yesterday and here to-day.
renresenting not only Mr.. Blaine but Senator Nor
con senator COnkling and Secretary Bristow, seem
substantially agreed that the defeat of Mr. Blaine
was not due to a combination previously perfected,
but TO the bad generalship of his own friends and
the fears of a canvass on the defensive. On the
evening before the ballotng, and all through the
night attempts to bring about combinations against
Mr.. Blaine had failed. The interests were too
hostile to be reconciled The friends of each candl-
date thought he entitled to the votes of his op-
ponents, or at all events could not see Their way
clear to giving his votes to any of the men most ire
ouentlv named. Mr.. Norton and Mr.. Conkling
we're of course out of the question as COM
promise candidates; and as between Gov. Hayes and
Mr. Bristow, no agreement could be reached because
the Bristow men still hoped to see the anti-Blaine
vote concentrate on their candidate. Indeed when
the Indiana delegation retired for consultation after
the sixth and before the seventh and final ballot, MT
Bristows friends stil hoped for success and labored
for change Of that delegation from Morton to Bis
tow. This change had indeed been promised TO them.
and the decision of the Indiana delegation late the
night before to adhere to Mr. Morton until the bitter
end was part of this programme. But the change
10 Mr. Brstow was the one change that none Of the
large delegations could make. Pennsylvania, it was
said had been canvassed and not a single delegate
had been found who would vote for Mr.. BTlstow
When the men who had promised to deliver the vote
of Indiana came to look into the matter they found
they had promised something they could not per-
form; and as for New York. intimate friends OF Mr.
Conkling on that delegation, men who shared his
antpathes as well as his ambitions, declared months
sgo that they would rather vote for Mr. Blaine than
ee Mr. BristOw nominated
It's TO be sure useless speculation that concerns
itself now with the questions to how Mr.. Blame
might have been nominated if this or that had not
happened but ii is worth noting that there seems In
be general agreement that he would have been re-
eeiyng to-day congratulations on his success II ~
had not been for two tactical blunders on the
mar, Of his friends Mr. Blaine lost the day when
Mr. Rlaiue's friends attacked Donald Cameron. 1t
IL a singular thing indeed that, attacked and de-
feated as n Cameron never was before, he was yet
able to decide the contest as Pennsylvania and Cam
eron have always done before change OF the ZS
votes that were cast for Gov. Hayes to Mr. Blaine
would have nominated Mr.. Blaine, and he could
have had those votes if his friends had not made
their assault upon Secretary Cameron. MI. Cam
eron IS reported as saying Friday night
would have cast So votes for Mr. Blaine on the
sixth ballot The point is very simple one
There were 40 or 45 votes for Mr.. Blaine in the
Pennsylvania delegation Mr.. Cameron, when he
found that he could not deliver them to Mr. Conk
ling had spent days in personal appeals to the dele
gates to induce them to stand by Gov HartTanft for
snumber of ballots He had good success because
It was a small favor to grant and would not inter-
fere with break for Mr. Blaine at the proper mo-
ment in which 1t was expected that Mr.. Cameron
himself would Join in order to save himself the ap-
pearance of defeat and get the credit of the nona-
tion But by laterplan several Blaine delegates were
10 rise in the Convention the second ballot ana
protest against the recording of their votes for Gov
Hartranft and demand the lght to be counted for
Mr. Blaine. This 1t was thought would start the
Blaine break in the Pennsylvania delegation and
thus hasten the break in other delegations like New
York and Ohio where Blaine, votes were known to
be tied up This plan carried out. The appeal
was made. The Convention and Mr. Mcpherson
promptly decided in their favor.
With this the mischief was only half done. 1t was
all done when Col. Ingersol Of Illinois, who pro
posed the name Of Mr.. Blaine to the Convention in
that great prairie speech, appeared to second the
claim of these four Blaine men to a right to vote,
and when Eugene Hale, Mr.. Blaine's direct repre-
sentative, followed on the side This raised
the issue at between Mr.. Blame and his oppo-
nents. In the ballot that followed, Mr. Blaine won
There were a few delegates in Massachusetts and
elsewhere who voted for the principle involved and
these few served to increase Mr.. Blaine's vote The
difficulty was that this action broke up the rule by
which Mr. Blaine light afterwarnd have had the solid
Yoteot Pennsylvania in spite Of Mr. Cameron if neces
sary. and made an enemy of him. One Of the most
effective Of the Blaine workers said yesterday in
CINCINNATI that If Col IngeTsOll and Mr. Hale
had not rallied the Blaine vote to this side, 80
Blaine men would have voted with Mr.. Cameron on
the ground of party usage. Mr. Cameron would
have been satisfied with his victory, and Pennsyl-
vania would have given Mr.. Blaine the nomination.
When 1t was to the interest of the Blaine to
eOnciliate the whole Pennsylvania delegation, they
anronted its leader aud good portion of the deega
tion Itself. The leader would not have been a
Cameron if he had not struck back.
The agreement on Gov. Hayes seems to have been
made practically on the spur Of the moment The
sixth ballot showed Mr. Blaine with 3Os votes and
the seventh would nominate him. In the interval
something must be done to defeat Mr. Blaine, and in
the imminent danger all his opponents rallied.
Even then when the Indiana delegation went out,
Mr. Bristow's friends in hopes it would cast its
solid vote for Mr. BristOw has been already said,
and that he might be ptted for this great encounter
against Mr.. Blaine; but BrIstow was impossible.
Goy. Hayes had no enemies record in which there
was no danger. He had hundred votes already,
and Gov. Hayes was taken. There seems TO have
Deem little plan concert about it. The large dele
cations retired and the result arrived at In the
Drefest possible time. In the New-York delegation
there were no speeches, and no discussion OF any
KIND. There was only time to call the roll, and
each delegate named his choice. 1t all ran way.