The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1878-09-18
Ghs 9ailg Arsas.
(N.Y. SUM-


xne srand Movement Frosted.
iii On. Z. SUM-
Besides shelving Blaine as a cand;dat.
Tor president, driving little Eugene Hal,
70 the shades of private life, waking n,
Ancient Hamlin from Rip Van WinkI
sleep, and demoralizing the republican par
" on the eve of the fall elections, the re-
SUIT 10 Maine has had another effect
which has not been taken into account. I,
mas blasted the Grant movement. with an
early frost. from which recovery is hardly
probable. Mr.. Blaine recently declared
Tor it, as rejecting the sentiment of .
present majority Of the republican party,
ana other men of prominence have been
helping it with all their influence In the
most effective way
/ That regular campaign for a third
term was organized and directed with skill
on this side, seconded by Grants efforts in
Europe. no longer admits of the least
doubt, LII the scheme was not planned
before he went abroad, it has certainly
taken shape and been industriously worked
up 10 the last eight or ten months. with
the arttul appliances known to shrewd pol
ltlclans. Grant himself is cunning, and
did not require much instruction after the
general plan is marked out. A part OF
the programme was that he should come
| home by way of California, and be greeted
with series of preconcerted receptions,
on the largest possible scale, from San
francisco to New York.
Though quite willing to take any ordi-
nary chances promising success, Grant has
| an innate dread of defeat, and has no in
cllnation to be the scapegoat of others. or
to lead torlorn hope, He will not need
TO De told that with the foundation of the
republican party in New England under
mined by detection that cannot he re.
paired In time for 1880, if ever. he would
De beaten as no other candidate has ever
been, it nominated two years hence. The
popular repugnance to third term. and
the corruption, ring rule, and robberles Of
Grantism, would have crushed him in anv
event, had he possessed far more strength
than his friends have ever claimed
But this upheaval in Maine which Is
the nrst blast OF an angry storm that will
carry all before it in several other states
Is an admonition which no man like Grant
Is likely to disregard. He will be told
that the capitalists OF the country. the
| national banks, and the railroad CORPORA
tlons will all unite upon him, and that
tneir union means an election at any price,
his instincts and his personal associations
ana his tastes being all in this direction. he
Will accept this assurance as in the main
true, the wish being father to the thought.
tempting as the suggestion is, it has
drawbacks. A combination Of wealth and
corporate power would lead almost neces
sarliy to union OF popular elements,
against which they could not stand, and
might provoke condition of things which
all good men would deplore in any political
contest. Capital is naturally conservative.
and would depart from safe moorings if il
ever consented to engage in struggle like
that proposed. National banks depend up-
on Congress for their charters, and on the
people for their support Railroad corpo
rations have no strength TO sacrifice in
politics, and are 10 no condition to invite
risks.
When Gen. Grant comes to reflect on
the surroundings OF the next republican
candidate, he will be very apt to conclude
that discretio is the better part of valor, |
and refuse to be put up merely TO be |
knocked down like ninepin. Should he. |
from any weakness, yield to the tempta-
tion, and allow himself to be conquered by |
the politicians, his career will probably |
close in clouds,ike those which dark ened |
1t before the great opportunity came that
rescued him from ruin, and worse. The
next republican candid ate will be the last
under the existing organization. An over
wheiming defeat will lead to new forma-
ton, out of which may grow a grea: party
n the future, when their opponents shall
have run in the beaten track of success
and proven their incapacity to bear it.