Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1880-01-10
BL.AINE.s DEFEAT IN 1875.


Recently, at a dinner in Washington,
Senator Blaine being present, some one
offered n toast to the man who came
within an inch OF being President" The
Senator replied, Eyes, and there were just
forty things that prevented me from get
ting that inch," but he did not particular
ize as to the causes.
The SENTINEL can point out one, even at
this distance. Had the Nevada delegation
carried out the will of the Republicans OF
this State, Blaine would certainly have
been nominated. Nevada could have given
him six votes. whereas he was beaten by
but four.
The incident at the Washington dinner
has set the Eastern press to discussing the
ms and outs of the Cincinnati Convention.
A correspondent Of the New York Times
argues that the defeat Of Blaine was chiefly
due to the ~abrogation Of the unit rule in
the case of the Pennsylvania delegation.
That delegation, on the last ballot, stood
% for HAYES, to 80 for Blaine. If the rule
had been adhered to that a majority OF the
delegation should control its action, it is
believed, by some of the Eastern journals,
that Blaine would have received all OF the
Pennsylvania votes and been successful.
The Philadelphia Press, however, dis
putes this view. 1t alleges that just
prior to the last ballot, mysterious
influences got to work among the mem
bers, and the delegation was fast going
over to Hayes. In a few seconds ten or q
dozen men of the Pennsylvania delegation
we're changed from Blaine to Hayes. OF
course the conclusion is irresistible that the
Camerons had got among them with the
all powerful sack. But to get at the bot
tom facts in cases Of this kind is no easy
matter. We all know, however, that a
variety of circumstances combined to de-
feat the Maine statesman. If we were
going TO furnish the chief factors OF his
defeat we would write down Grant, Conk-
ling, Don Cameron, our Jones and the
sack. But we did not intend to intrude
our own views in the discussion. Mr..
Blaine's ca~ndidature again before the Con-
vention Of lis party so shortly to meet in
Chicago, makes the incidents of his CAM
paign in 1875 especially interesting at this
time. The Philadelphia Press has the fol-
lowing:
Senator Blaine at Cincinnati met the
most formidable combination ever made to
defeat a candidate. The Grant Admins
tration threw its whole influence against
him. OF the New England States more
than half were hostile from causes local
or personal. New York was held, as in a
vice, by Blaine's personal enemy, who was
himself q candidate. The Pennsylvania
member of Grants Cabinet attended the
Convention as a delegate, armed with the
great power Of his Office and intent upon
the common purpose. Ohio had q candi-
date of its own, as had Indiana and Ken
lucky. All these interests were hostile to
Blaine, and they unanswered steadily for
opportunity to strike him. Each hoped.
in the end, TO derive advantage for their
candidate when the time for their union
should be fixed by events.
Mr.. Blaine had friends in each Of these
hostile delegations, who, while faithful to
the choice of their State, were not and could
not be made privy to a combination to beat
Blaine. These gentlemen we're in constant
embarrassment of position because Of what
they knew to be the misleading and decep-
tive tactics by which they were unwillingly
compelled to aid the game of the anti
Blaine combination, and Of what they as
clearly knew to be the wishes of their con-
s%tituents.
What added immeasurably to the eff
cheney of the anti-Blaine movement was
the inability of Mr.. Blaine to confer with
his friends, who, by his sudden illness,
were cut off from all knowledge Of his
campaign. Those who were the closest to
of his future condition, and by their ina
bility to supply the loss of his skill and
power in emergencies. 1t is not too much
to say that had he not been stricken down
on the Sunday preceding the Convention,
no human power could have prevented his
nomination.
Mr.. Blaine's defeat was by q narrow
chance. No other Of the candidates ex-
cept Mr.. Hayes could have effected it. Had
the Michigan break, on the fifth ballot,
been to any other candidate than Mr..
Hayes, the result would lave been differ
ent. Had it been to Dristow, and the is
sue been between Blaine and Bristow,
Blaine's nomination would have been GER
tain. Hayes had carried the close October
State of Ohio three times for Governor,
against strong men, was acceptable to the
elements of opposition, as having no an
tagonisms, and the gravitation toward him
as the coalition candidate was apparent
from the beginning. And with all these
advantages, he barely secured the neces-
sary number of votes. If Mr.. Blaine had
been in health and capable of advising his
friends as to their movements, it can
scarcely be doubted by those who knew the
composition of the body, that the result
would have been different.
On the various ballots he received the
vote of a majority of the Convention. On
no one ballot, however, did he receive such
a majority. His campaign failed by rea-
son OF his failure of successful combina-
ton. This was chiefly due to his sudden
withdrawal from the captaincy OF his
forces.