New-York tribune., 1879-06-02
ECHOES FROM CINCINNATI.

CONSIDERATIONS WHICH FINALLY PREVALED-No
QUESTION OF GRANT or ANTI-GRANT-IHE
STRONGEST CANDIDATE CHosEN-oBJECTloNS
TO JUDGE TAFT
[FRoM sTAPF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRTBUSE'l
CrxcfNyAT1. Ohio. May 29.-I see a good deal OF
nonsense telegraphed from Washington about
the Republican nomination for Governor 1t is
reported that the Grant men look upon Judge 1afts
defeat as heavy blow for their chief,
and are much cast down in consequence
If this he true the Grant men are crying before
they are hurt. There was no question OF Grant OF
anti-Grant in the convention. Judge Taft was not
put forward rs the champion, OF Mr.. roster AS lhe
antagonist of the ex-President / do not believe
Taft lost dozen votes because of his former asso-
citation with Grant as a Cabinet officer, or roster
gained dozen because it was generally understood
that he is not favorable to the third term project
Many Grant men voted for Foster; mauyantl-Grant
men were among the most active supporters OF lait
Furthermore, there Is no definite division Of the
Ohio Republicans into Grant and anti-Grant camps
majority Of them, including nearly all the leaders
and the most sensible among the rank and ile have
not made up their minds who is the best man to
nominate for the Presidency next year and think 1t
is too early to come any final conclusions on the
subject. Anything like partisanship for one candl-
date or another is rarely met with.
Another silly statement coming from Washington
is that many Republicans there think that while
Foster VIII be elected he will not get as many votes
by 10000 as Taft would have received. Now the
truth is it was the fear that Taft could not get the
whole Republican vote which led the convention TO
prefer Foster large number Of delegates came
here undecided between the two candidates. having
no personal acquaintance local influences to bias
their Judgment The verdict of these coOl-headcd
men, after they had looked the question over care
fully settled the contest in favor of Foster The
question was not which candidate was the more
stalwart. nor which had more personal friends, nor
which favored Grant were the relations OF the
two men to the next Senatorial contest considered,
but the question was which, all things considered,
waSthc more ayailableman TO run against the stron9-
est man the Democrats can nominate The choice
fell upon Foster because he has no weak points
which the Democrats can assail IN this campaign,
tackled on the question Of the Bible in the schools
and the temperance question. His decision that
School Boards have right TO prescribe what shall
and what shall not be read in the schools good
law, and was sustained by the Supreme Court, but
the statement in the opinion accompanying thG de-
cisiOn, that under the constitution OF ONO
the Christian. Mahometan and jewish religions
stand on an equal footing although equally good
law offended the religious senslbilites OF many eX-
cecnt people, whose recollection Of Ii would have
been freshened up and kept alive by Democratic
newspapers and campaign documents. 1t is said
that The Enquirer had cartoon already engraved
for publication the morning after the convention,
representing Taft pitching lot of B!bles out of q
SChOOl-hOu5e window. Ihe erect or suCn pictures
on people who, though Republicans, care very
little for politics and a great deal for religion,
might have been sufficient TO turn the scale III
close contest.
On the temperance question Judge Taft was
equally open to assault. During the crusade
movement be made speech before meeting of
brewers, in the course of which he said that n man
who signed a pledge, signed away his free
agency, and therefore his manhood. This speech is
in print. and had its author been nominated the
Democrats would have put it into the hands OF
every one Of the thousands of Republicans who
few years The real meaning of Wednesdays re-
suit is that the Republicans of Ohio greatly admire
Judge Taft as a brave manly, independent, upright
and incOTuptbc statesman, and their representa-
tiYcs in the convention would gladly have nOmt-
mated him had not the question of eXpediency stood
III the way. The fact that ne came within eight
votes of a nomination in spite of the valid objec-
tons TO him the score of availability, shows how
strong is his hold on the affections of his party
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