The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1876-06-29
Thursday, June 80, 1875.
THE DEMOCRATIC CONvEN-
TION.

luisTest upon tue aIlIou VI tht
Democratic National Convention,
now in session in ST. Louis. The
body is composed Of 738 delegates
from the States and Territories, Of
whom according to Democratic pre-
cedent hitherto, two-thirds, or 1872
votes will be requisite to effect
n nomination. Upon them devolves
the delicate task Of presenting a
ticket that will beat, if possible, the
combination that has been placed in
the field by the Republican Conven-
ton at Cincinnati. This, under the
existing circumstances, is task of no
slight difficulty.
The candidates most prominently
talked Of for the nomination are
Governor Samuel J. Tilden, Of New
York, Ex-Governor Allen and Sena-
tor Thurman of Ohio, Senator Hen
bricks, of Indiana, and Senator Bay
ard Of Delaware. General Winfield
Scott Hancock, as the representative
of military prestige, is still talked of
to some extent, and the nomination
of Charles Francis Adams of Massa-
chusetts, is desired by the idealists
or Reform Liberals of both parties
As to these last names, however, it
may be said in the case Of Hancock,
that the regime of military glory is
now practically passe in this country,
for the time being at least. A bril-
liant war record, though great help
is not an indispensable requisite to
political advancement. Mr.. Adams,
on the other hand, is reported to
have said, that "all he wished in
thus Centennial election .xaS- to-staud
he expected that such incredible
modesty, in this age of Lrass and
push should not have its wish.
BY far the most generally popular
Of these candidates is Governor Til
den, who made an immense political
capital for himself and widespread
popularity by his successful assaults
upon the New York canal rings. It
isa question, though, whether the
adherents Of the rival candidates can
be so far induced to conccde to his
superior claims, and yield their par
tisan prejudiccs in his favor, as to
secure for his nomination the reauir-
ed two-thirds majority. And that
they should SO harmonic is far more
important for the Democrats than
for the Republican party.
With the prestige of sixteen years
Of unbrokcn success and the consoh-
dation Of strength attained bv
continuous possession, for SO long a
time, of the Government with its
powerful machinery, it would be
much easier for the Republicans to
carry the day with an obscure or
comparatively negative candidate
than for the Democrats 10 do
SO. Hence the necessity for them
To put forward candidate that will
arouse enthusiasm on some live issues
Of the day. Tilden seems to occupy
about the same position before the
nation IN the Democratic party as
Bristow did in the Republican, but
with better chance for nomination.
Probably the leading bone of con.
tention in the Democratic ranks this
year will be the money question.
Allen, OF Ohio, is perhaps the most
pronounced advocate of continued
imitation of the currency. while Til
den Is an uncompromising adherent
to the hard money" platform. 1t
is difficult to see how compromise
ON this issue can be effected 10 the
satisfaction of both wings of the
party. There is a strong faction in
the country who insis. on having
cheap money and plenty of it, while
the great mass of the party through
out the manufacturing States, and
especially ON the Pacific coast, are
solid for a return to specie.
AS eounter-check to the hard.
ship of the two-thir,is rule comes in
the "unit vote. principle, which is
also one of the usages peculiar to
Democratic procedure, whereby a
majority of the delegates from any
State casts the vote of the cnsir.