Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1876-03-01
The Presidential Year.

In less Than Jour mOntnS Tue nOullIl'i-
tons for President will be made. and from
this time forward every week will more
and more fix public sentiment in the two
parties rs to what men shall head the
tickets.
The eastern democrats want a hard
money man like Tilden OF Bayard, but the
prospect is they cannot have one. The
uneasy movements of the inflationists OF
the democratic majority in the House OF
Representatives. threaten to break out soon
beyond the control of the would be lead
ers; and when the grcenbacN men get a
chance to free their minds, it will be APP
parent that, while they may not be able to
put fully developed Ohio rag money man
on the presidential ticket, they will be able
to force the nomination Of u compromise
candidate like Hendricks.
On the republican side two men are now
far in the lead of all others, james 6.
Blaine and Benjamin II. Bristow. The in
dicatons given the last week are unex-
pectedlv in favor Of him whom the Wis
consin repub licans somewhat oratorcally
call " the nations gifted son, james q.
Blaine" Mr.. Blaine is gifted, and in a far
better sense than too many of our public
men. He is the leader of the republicans
in the House by right Of his power. And
while the Maine statesman is said by the
democrats in Il body, and by a fair shar eof
| indie pen,lents to be no statesman it is pref
tv diff cult to point out any leading repub-
lican Who is, all in all, superior to him.
Mr. Bristow has done in his department
a much needed work, and is the most
prominent representative to-day of eff
cient, honest work in the executive de-
partmcnts His thorough republicanism
is doubted by no one for, Kentucky born,
he fought for the Union and has since
been in thorough sympathy with the anti
slavery settlements Of the war. OF course
his position has not given him SO good an
opportunity to voice his opinions as that
enioped by Blaine.
The Kentucky republicans want him
for President and if they were backed by
those south Of them and by their neigh
borS Of Ohio and Indiana, could no doubt
have him. But there is no reason to have
much faith in the southern delegation.
that will come to Cincinnati, for they will
come inclined to 90 for Grant much Il,
ANYBODY, and when they find a third term
impossible, are more than likely to he
found supporting the worst candidate that
NAV be in the field The Ohio folks want
Gov. Hayes who is a very good man. but
not one that has strength outside his own
state, and the Indiana men want Morton
who would be a very heavy load for the
party to carry through :; campaign.
In this state of affairs the strength thai
Mr. Blaine is developing in the north-wes
has in it great possibilities. The danger
to a New England man is that the yrca
west looks upon him as Il Yankee. wei
enough in the House or Senate, bat no
large enough or broad enough to sprca'
over the Mississippi Valley and thu
= -
me- apparently does not exist ag;,ln>
Blaine and i'll its absence lies his hope.
! III four week. the republicans Of Yer
? mont meet at Burlington to choose dele
J gates to Cincinnati We do not doub, thu
four-iiftlls of the republican voters, if :I>ke,
for their choice, would say Blaine OF Sri>
< tow. while most Of the Blaine men woult
name Bri>tow Us their second choice an'
.. most of the Bri>tow men would NAME
Blaine rs theirs We 10 not believe tn
: Vermont delegation will 60 instructed o
; pledged for any one. but that it will be
composed Of leading men who will Labor
, to secure the nomination OF 4 presldcntla
I candidate who VIII command the conf
: ,lcnce Of honest men whose hearts wer,
with the Mon, and against the rebellion
=, and the causes which led to it.