Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-05-29
rHE oH1C SURPRISE.

The surprise WnlCh the Olto A@SP0S
6can Convention gave the country yes
terdav. in the defeat OF TAFT and the
nomination of FosrER, subtracts from
the Ohio campaign much, though not
all. of its significance in national poll
tics The nomination OF TAFT would
have made Ohio the battle ground upon
which would been fought to death all
the Old enmities, the bitterness and
hate which uncharitable partisanshlP
has kept alive since the collapse OF the
rebellion. II would have been bloody
shirt campaign in its fullest, hercest
sense. II would have had for its aim
not only TAFT and his deputy mar
shals as beginning, but GRANT
with his troops and a strong
Government" as its ultimate end
ing. And we are almost sorry that
the Cincinnati Convention did not give
us an opportunity OF squelching the life
cut of this monster ghost OF the rebellion
here and now.
The success of Foster puts different
phase upon the situation. As we have
said. il takes a good deal OF the life out
OF the campaign. Fosters strength has
heretofore been considered to be among
the liberal members Of his party, though
he made his surrender 10 the stalwarts
rather earlier than HAYES did, and IN
the most cringing manner. He made his
hopeless run Tor Congress last
wear with the understanding that
me would be remembered IN
the Convention Of 1879. The promise
has been fulfilled. The goods have
been delivered, and that, too, directly by
the hands of the Administration at
Washington. There is no trouble IN
fixing his complete Identification as one
of the links in the chain that is being
forged by HAYES, SHERMAN x Co, Tor
SuEEuAN's benefit.
FoSrER's nomination, therefore, means
SHERMAN for the Republican candidacy
i'm the next Presidential campaign. IL
means an initial campaign upon the plat
form already announced by SHERMAN
as the national platform upon which he
would aspire to the Presidency. The
platform adopted by the Convention
Yesterday is no more and no less than
that contained i'm the SHERMAN letter,
through which, the other day, he found
it convenient to announce himself for
the Presidency. FOSTER will represent
him i'm the Ohio campaign As the cham
piou of troops az the ballot box, and a
national supremacy to the degree OF OBJ
i,rrating the states and merging all
power in a central government.
We hardly think that THURMAN will
regard the resultoi the campaign, which
ever way it may 90, OF sufficient mo-
meut 10 justify him in making the sacri-
lice 10 would cost him to enter the race.
10 {, not SO much the electoral votes Of
Ohio, rs the prestige that is sought by
the Presidential candidates in success
ml campaign there upon the issues that
may be regarded As national Yet there
is nothing i'm the present campaign so
distinctly and closely allied with
the national campaign in 1880,
as 20 determine with certainty
N re Ohio would be found
m the latter, whatever be the
result Of the State election. PO-
Htcally, Ohio is understood to be the
most uncertain state in the Union. A
change of 1000 votes from one side to
the other is sufficient to alter the COM
plcxion Of the state, and that can be
accomplished easily in either Of the
large cities by an extra effort on the part
Of either OF the contestants. Cincin-
natl. Cleveland or Columbus, has an
uncertain. independent kind Of German
element, that can and may alone turn
tine scale in the present campaign, and
also lu the National campaign.
AtD-ather We do not see that the game
iu ohio is worth the powder that is be-
iu- and will be expended upon it. 1t
would only be in the event OF an eX-
r.cdinglv close contest for the Presi-
dcrcv that such close economy in the
political resources of the nation could
br justified We think there will be a
sufficient Democratic margin i'm the ma
tiuull contest 20 enable them % give
Ohio away. At any rate the Demo
cracy can afford now To leave the
State in the hands OF Uncle Dick
Er~uor, who will only need to carry a
ballot box tranSfxed with a bayonet
around over the State rs symbOlical
of the thing me is fighting TO destroy.
I'm the meantime, however, il will be
interesting % watch the dying struggles
of the GRANT host, AMI TO witness the
writing OF the CONSUMES, the LOGANs
and the CuANpLEES as JouN SHERMAN
gradually ilsteus his fingers upon their
nvorite'S throttle and stranglcs him to
death. There viii be music in the Re
publican camp hcncetarth more divert
ing than that which follows the tactics
between the Democrats and Republi-
cans at Washington.
Ir is reas,uriug To find that the cities
which were ayishyd 10y yellow fever
last year seem alive TO the necessity OF
precautionary measures this summer,
An" Auxiliary sanitary Association has
just been organized at Memphis, to as
sl-t the local authorities in improving
tl, sanitary condition Of the city and
educating the people TO q knowledge