Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-02-16
Presidential.

]
careful use Of the nine digits and asupple-
mentary cipher At the present date sew
eral Presidents have been triumphanty
borne into tbe official chair by skillfu man
ipulation Of prospects and figures Nor
ton, Blaine, Tilden, Hendricks, Bristow
Adams, and the present incumbent, have each
been elected and defeated in the places where
editors and correspondents are the electors,
and types are the ballots.
II is quite clear, however strong may be
the convictions Of sundry men that they are
the only available candidates, or are alone
competent to meet the present exigencies Of
national politics, that the Presidentmakers--
the leading politicians Of the country-have
not yet determined who they will "run." The
people, of course, have nothing TO say In
these days ne know better than to let the
people vote for any candidate who has not
been properly endorsed and commended 10y a
caucus orconyention The people," whom
the politicians talk about so much and use so
skillfully, have nothing to say about who shall
be Governor or President. Their privilege
is confined to voting. They ratify at the
ballot box the dicta Of the conventions. At
present the men who have matters in charge
have not made up their minds as to the for
tunate men whom the people may vote for
The arena is open for individual asprants
to display themselves, and create a political
interest for themselves so that il they fail Of
the great prize Of the Presidency, they may
in the end. In this grand game Of the polti-
clans there are a good many prizes. A
secretaryship, residence at the court of
st. James or near Versailles are prizes that
would satisfy ambition, and if the leading
and powerful candidates should gracefully re-
linquish aspirations that they cannot realize,
and muster their clans to aid the successful
chieftain, they may find that second or
third Or fourth prize at the close Of the race
is not thing to be despised, and gives them
strong hackers when the next presidential
race comes off. That is the reason why
there are so many strong candidates just
now The Presidency is not the only goal.
Then it is necessary for the " leaders to
have a man in Office whom they can control.
They are content with this or that candi-
date, provided they influence him and make
him the obedient servant Of their wishes.
They are not anxious for eminent abilities,
for a splendid historical career, for indie
pendence and high integrity; but they want
a compliant disposition, readiness to recog.
nizs who "mads tho President" and those
by whose influence he was invested with the
insignia Of office. The "leaders" do not
want leader, but a servant facile, dextrou,
and of good reputation, for whom they can
ask the popular suffrage with some degree
of assurance, but Of whom they may be Ger
tain that he will be faithful to his makers
Sometimes the leaders are deceived, and
their man turns out to be leader himself
adroit and mastery as Lincoln independ
ent and self-willed as johnson.
The " issues of the next contest are not
yet fully defined There was an attempt to
put the old war feelings, the memories OF
Andersonville into it but this is the centen
NAL year, and the sober thought Of the PEG
pie seems to be, that there had better be Q
forgetting of the things which are behind
and a looking forward to the things which
are before. 1t is an evident blunder to try
and make the dead past an issue in the iv
ing present. Then the sectional" issue II
being talked OF but this is trifle danger
Gus, and is apt to explode in the owners
hands 1t is like the dynamite cask. 1t il
designed Tor selfish uses, but is quite ikel.
10 send destruction into the camp OF thos
VINO use It, IL would be apt to make tn
South sohdly democratic, and divide hope
iessly the North IL Is very dangerous IS
sue and no party that has any provision LEI
VIII be hkely TO endorse IT. The hnancia
issue Is III distressing state IL divide
poth the parties ana gives them vast dea
oil tfeuoie' ANA TINS issue Is not simpl.
respecting the resumption oil specie pay
mehts, out IL includes questions oil currency
and VINO shall furnish IT. that are deepe
thsn the pam one oil metallic basis
mere Is not much difference oil opinion o.
Tue mere question o' the necessity
currency that Is coh'ertioIe INTO specie
Inc u'ierehee comes IN when inc que'
''on arises as 10 VINO snal lurh'Sh I'd
currency one Insists that the govern
,neh' shal Pro'iue 'ne currency ana lssu
iessi 'ehuer III greehoacAs 'na' WIN Cost IN
peoPie ho'nihg III Interest," anu withura" IN
""''Vi'' o''A ''''u''''o'' ""io" 0os'' VI
peop'' o. 'a'se al interest anu "''o'nei II
''''' o' '"e "''"u'a","e"'o VI 'ne s'eei''aoA
anu al increase Oh national banks, ~ hafdl
, ioohS As II .i,e 'nah0i"i issue oouiu ne saiei
iieuuisu WIN Men minus are not se'tie
On IT, new iorh ana ONO are diViue
ABOUT H. pennsylvania Is quite doubtful
anu o'ler states are on inc anxious seats
II Is qui'e evident 'ha' 'iere Is 10 DC oohsio
eraoie uouoie ueai'lg on 'his matter III IN
coihi"g CANVASS N great many promise
are W oe iiaue vi pi"uorhs' 'na' VIII
broken III 'he administration IL we ms
take not each party IL quietly getting read
10 make tlis issue as niue damaging 10 II
SELL ana as greatly damaging 10 us rival a
possible out neither party Is gong to d
4 III