The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-05-16


publicans or quasi republicans, and consist
in unequal proportions, of soreheads and
sentimentalists, the sentimentalists being
the mere tenders or encourage of the sore
heads. Disappointed ex-oflice- holders and
ex-candidates for office make SO large figure
in the gathering that the public will not fail
to note their presence and speculate on their
motives. A few of the most prominent may
serve as samples of their quality. Mr..
Schurz, long favorite and popular stump
speaker on the republican side, was rewarded
first with the mission to Spain, then with q
high command in the army, and was elected
Senator from Missouri when so large pro-
portion of the Missouri democrats were
DISTINGUISHED that the republicans had a
majority. When his Senatorial term was
half ont and the Acknowledgement of
the democrats was removed, giving them
control of the State, Mr.. Schurz broke with
the republican party, of which he was SO dis
tinguished and honored a member, losing its
favor and yet failing to be reelected by the
democrats. So he is out of public life and
dissatisfied with both political parties Mr..
John Jay has been jealous republican, was
appointed Minister to Austria, had falling
out with the administration, and now ap-
pears in this conference as member from
New York. Mr.. David A. Wells was nur-
tured as a republican, gained great distinc-
ton as Commissioner of Internal Revenue,
has been several years out of place, ran this
spring as democratic candidate for Con-
gress, was defeated, and now consults on
the welfare of the nation in sympathetic
company. Quite q proportion of the
leading spirits in this affair have their
grievances, but would, nevertheless, be glad
to return to the republican communion if
they could do SO on terms that would save
their pride. If they could make o reform
candidate for the Presidency believe that
they helped him to a nomination they
would support him with zeal in the canvass,
and thereby re-establish title to recogni-
ton by the party. The soreheads who got
up this conference saw that it would not
quite do to have it consist entirely of men
Of their own stamp, and so they have con-
trived to merge themselves in body of well
meaning, disinterested gentlemen, who are
eminent and venerable in their own walks
of life, but are babes and stockings in poll
tics.
This bevy of political flies has lighted on
the wheels of the republican coach, and
when it gets in motion they are prepared to
claim their share of the credit, and cry out
to the horses that pull the vehicle, "What a
dust we raise |" That they can exert
no real influence on the nomination
is obvious to all bystanders The greater
part of the delegates to Cincinnati have been
chosen and will follow the wishes Of their
constituencies So far as they look to the
country at large they will try to please the
republican party, not the soreheads and SEN
timentalists who assume to instruct them
without any warrant from regular constitu-
encies or any right to speak for republicans
who are'inside the party. Nothing will be
done at Cincinnati either to please or dis
please these self-constituted advisers. They
will be as completely ignored as if they had
never existed. There is no advice which
they could offer to the Convention which
would not be superduous or mistaken.
On the currency question the Cincinnati
Convention is certain TO go right, in order
that it may take advantage of the in
sane blunder of the Western democrats.
The imitation platform put forth in Ohio
last year made it point Of strategy for the
republicans to unite as solid phalanx for
hard money, and their brilliant success on
that platform makes their future course so
clear that the Cincinnati Convention cannot
miss the right road On the other great
question of the administrative re-
form-the policy of the republicans is
marked out for them with equal certainty by
their democratic opponents, though in diff
ferent way. The Cincinnati Convention will
be constrained to nominate an honest man
by the fact that the democratic canvass will
consist almost wholly of vehement and in
cessant denunciations of the corruption of
the republican party The democratic lead
ers have spent the whole winter ut Washing
ton in storing their magazines and arsenals
with weapons and ammunition for this kind
of attack. There is a preponderance of
chances that Governor 1ilden will be placed
whether he is or not the democratic plan
of campaign will be the same. They
will make it their chief business to keep up
incessant discharges along their whole line
of the missiles they have been SO indus
triously accommodating since the meeting of
Congress. 1t is not what the Fifth avenue
conference may tell tn EN-, it is what they
themselves know Of the democratic plans
that will cause the republicans at Cincinnati
to be careful and wary and fortify them
selves on the side where they must meet
tho brunt of the democratic attack. 1t is,
therefore, altogether probable that the coach
will be drawn in the same direction for
which the flies on the wheels are buzzing
and give them the excuse they seek for ex-
chan ino CONCENTRATIONS with the horses