The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-06-21
The next President.

The republican convention, which
met at Cincinnati on Wednesday
last, had before it as candidates for
the presidential nomination the fol-
lowing illustrious gentlemen, viz. :
Messrs. Blaine, of Me-; Bristow, of
KY; Morton, Of Ind; Conkling, of
N. "; Jewell, Of Md; Hartranft,
of Penn. Washburne, Of ILL.,; Nor
gan, of N Y; and Hayes, of Ohio.
Of these Messrs. Blaine, Morton,
Conkling, and Washburn may be
classed as professional politicians
who have become such by choice.
Messrs. Morgan, Jewell and Hart
ranft, were made politicians by CON-
binations of circumstances for which
they are not wholly responsible, but
which their ambitions have led them
to take immediate advantage of:
Mr.. Bristow may, also, belong to
this class; but we know SO little of
his history that we do not feel at
liberty to place him in the same
category with the others we have
named. He owes his prominence
to the fact of his being reformer,
and if his future conduct is consist
ent with his past record he will de-
serve to rank as one Of the first men
Of the nation.
Mr.. r. B. Hayes, upon whom the
nomination fell by some unaccount-
able accident, is not politician at
all, in the ordinary significance of
that term, but worthy, honorable,
high minded citizen. Qualified by
nature and education to fill any po-
sition in the land, he is nevertheless
so unobtrusive and partial to private
life that the wonder is that he has
not wholly escaped attention. In
spite Of himself, however, his extra
ordinary executive abilities, high at
tainments and unilnpeachable integ-
rity have led to his being thrice
called to the governorship Of the
great State of Ohio and twice to
represent his district in congress;
and while he has not made himself
prominent in discharging the duties
of these offices, he has, nevertheless,
so conducted himself that even his
enemies have sought in vain for pre-
texts for censure.
His political opponents urge
against him that his virtues are of
the negative sort; chat he lacks pos
tive qualities. But this is not true.
\ man possessed of only negative
virtues and with no desire to push
hi4nself forward into public favor
would not be the one that a party.
would select as it's standard-bearer
in doubtful contest; yet on every
occasion of Mr.. Hayes being put!
in nomination in Ohio, it was When
1t was believed by his party that no
.other candidate of theirs could pos
5ibly succeed Last year, when he
ranfor governor against VIM. Allen,
even prominent republicans of that
State conceded that he was the only
republican candidate" who could
carry the State. and they doubted
whether he. could. In the army, if
we are not greatly mistaken, he was
promoted from the position Of line
officer to a brigadier-generalship,
and, for time, had command of
division, and we will venture the
assertion that neither those in his
command nor those whom that CON-
mand fought against ever suspected
that he was "a man wholly destitute
of positive qualities. Again, he
became an eminent lawyer, although
not reared strictly in the profession,
and only positive ability could have
crowned his efforts with success.
Ofall the men named for the nom;
ination by the republicans we think