The New York herald., 1879-02-26
Diversity of Leaders and Of Views
Among the Democrats.
MAINsPRIyG OF THE GRANT MOVEMENT.
The Uncertain Quantity Of Mr.
Tilden'S Methods.
POSSIBILITY OF DIVIDING THE SOUTH.
TrRoM JOUR- SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

= that while il is a little early to up the legis
In i've results political conclusions may be stated
win, some deg. of accuracy. Partisan pohtics
have had less uIect on legislation this winter than
is usuaa the DO htical debates have been neither n
merous nor imp ortant. The Teller Committee. the
only politic u com established at this session.
bss been of small account. and under the quietlng
aud busiuessIike influence of the administra-
tcn and with both parties extremely anx-
ious to avoid mis- axes. Congress has manly
bnsied itself with the appropriation bills. and
merely pot al measures. such as attempts
on the currency have broken down in committee or
in the houses. nevertheless, as politicians from all
parts of the count assembled here so the news
and views of every state easily. gathered and
compared here than at any other point, and out OF
this comparison com conclusions on which whether
thew are correct or a large nuInber-of important
act.
Well in the first place. the last threeunonths have
undoubtedly made the republicans more and the
democrats less hopeful of success next year than
they were before Congress met. When Congress as
sembled on the 1st of December, the shrewdest re-
publicans privately gave up the contest in 1850.
They did not that fheir party could elect the
President hence the general concurrence in the
Grant movement at that tinD.
If we can eiect Grant that will drag out of the
slough" said u prominent republican early in De-
cemper of he is .beaten he is out of the way. and
that is gain to the party which he hangs like
Old Man of the Sea-
The democrats atthat time of the same mind.
They had no doubt that they could beat Grant whom
they believed strong any other republican candi
date in contingencies but the weakest OF all in
others.
A cHANGEi
All this is now changed. is very easy to tell
precisely the reasons Sl the fact is that the repub
leans are at this time encouraged and hope
ful, and the democrats know that defeat is
looking them in the face. The main reason,
perhaps is that the session has perceptibly in
creased the dissensions in the democratic
party and its general Decentralization as an orgaDiza
ton. while the republicans arc, undoubtedly, more
united than when the session opened. The demo-
cratic party as it assembled here, has too many
officers and too few privates. If Mr.. Banning. of
Ohio. could enforce on irs party such measure as
the Army Reorganization ebill-a measure retiring on
half pay pay at all large share of the demo-
cratic commanders-ths' 'vould greatly help it. 1t is,
they say the army u.s. greatly overoIfcered. has
too many Presidential candidates. too many candi-
dates for the Speakership, too many men who would
like to be charmeu of committees, or who are or
would like to be eminent in some way. and each of
whom is engaged in cutting the throats of all the
Others, or TO speak accurately, in undermining
his rivals.
THE NAME
The democrats torn to pieces by energetic Pres
identia candidates. while the republicans rally about
the name OF Grant, with whom they confident OF
beating sherman If the ast7,te Secretary of the
Treasury should loom mp too strong in the conven-
ton and whom they can drop If it should any
time be convenient to drop him for some one else
than sherman. They than they willing
to confess in this matter to their President IL Mr..
Hayes like General Grant in 1876. had a hankering
for another term. IT, like jackson. he bent
advancing the fortunes of favorite. or. like Bu-
chanan. marring those of some one he dctestod
his party would to-day be in more de-
moralized condition than the democrats But
the President does not want a second trim
and has no candidate of his own: he leaves
Presidential rivaries entirely alone and the party
machinery moves, therefore, without any friction
from the White House. The republican candidates
are not fighting each other-at least. not to the
party's injury. No of them is in haste to
init himself his party TO any particular policy for
1880 aud the republicans have the further advantage
that they occupy the interior lines-to military
terin--tic States they count carrying in the
centre while the democrats troubled with an
Eastern and Western policy, each irreconcilable
with the othernot to speak of Southern policy of
internal improvements aud subsidies, which is op-
posed both In the East and West.
CANDIDATES AND POLICIES.
As politics stand at this time the republican Presi-
Dental candidates represent substantially policy
and whether mel. are for Grant or Conkling or
Blaine. Evartr. or washsurnc Garfield shcr-
man. they differ only to candidates and not TO
nieasur-s which are left for next years events to
finally decide. But with the democrats 10 is very diff
fcrcnt Their candidates represent different policies
Thurman who heads the 'Oho movement" repre-
tcnts the policy OF paper money imitation, and he has
OF late made himself also the ally of the peculiarly
n list nf he VIII "a
mainly in Kentucky and which led the hiibus-
tcring movement during the electoral struggle and
has of late engineered the movement for, at
all hazards repeating the federal Election laws. Hen
aricks. who hopes to hold whatever of the soft
money West Thurman cannot get, is not much more
tnan Thurman and water. Both are alike unaccepta-
ble to Eastern democrats.
AIR rGpENs CANVASS.
In the East Mr.. Tilden is hero understood 20 bo
making but very energetic canvass stretch
ing his operations over a considerable part of the
South and into some Western localities His methods
are often discussed hero and sufficiently curious
He avoids the real leaders OF public opinion In
The different sections and seeks to place under
obligations to himself less prominent class
country editors who need a little help for
their papers and country Congressman who
have needed little help in their districts. His aim
secms 70 be TO get control Of the local leaders, the
men who manage county conventions and send dele.
gates TO state conventions. OF course this s only
n repetition of the mannuvres of 1876, when Mr.
Tilden was found 10 have the greatest number OF
votes at St. Louis without possessing either the
favor or the confidence OF the leaders of his party
MCCLELLAN ALTERNATE.
II is asserted here that while Mr.. Tilden is manag
ing for himself, the Tilden mcn-whoevcr they may
behave some doubts about his BLASTING long
enough" and have provided against so awkward
contingency as their candidate dropping out just
when they have completed the machinery necessary
his nomination. by settling upon an alternate, and
this chosen alternate Is said TO be General Mcclellan
u Ia singular selection; but II is supposed to mean