Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-02-26
A Victory That Is q Defeat.

steps of its sister convention in Pennsyl-
vania. Their work is as like as two
peas: both instructed for Grant and a
third term; both did it at the dictation
of the Republican United States senator
from the state, and in each the result was
but barely secured, and the triumph of the
machine was in reality its defeat. We
have less faith than ever in the pos
sibility of Grants nomination after
it is thus shown how narrow
was the escape from defeat of the
master spirits of the party in a great state
in the effort to which they gathered all
their strength. The fight in New York
was for Conkling as in Pennsylvania it
was for Cameron. Grant added little to
the strength of either, though he must
have materially weakened both. Their
victories would have been much more
decisive, probably, if they had not had to
stem the strong current of opinion against
the third term. Upon the fight they each
staked their political fortunes and
prestige, and they have just saved
themselves, with nothing to spare. The
delegations from the two states will go
to Chicago instructed for Grant and to
vote as unit, but large part of the
delegates are not for Grant and will not
vote for him if they can help it and the
precedent set in the Cincinnati conven-
tion will make it impossible to hold them
to the unit rule if they do not want to be
held.
1t is Blaine who holds the minority Of
these delegations. The attitude of
Conkling and Cameron in fathering the
Grant boom has thrown to Blaine's sup
port all the anti-third term sentiment
and made him probably invincible. 1t
may be that Conkling and Cameron have
been forced into the support of Grant as
their best way to defeat Blaine, whom
COnkling hates and Cameron does not
love. But it will not prove to have been
Il good way. Both would have done better
work if they had dropped Grant and only
undertaken to hold their delegations it
was the height of folly to help the man
they wanted to beat by making him the
leader of the strong popular sentiment in
the Republican party against the third
term. If Grants nomination cannot be
forced, Blaine ismade sure of his calling
and that Grant cannot he forced upon
the party is clear enough from the fact
that i'm the states where he had the dOmi.
nant influences for him he has secured but
a narrow majority of the delegation,
which will he bound to a strong minor.
ity that will take away from Grant the
support of the states and nullify them in
the convention. Senator Conkling in his
speech indulged the hope that the minor
ity would agree that the state should
vote as Il unit for Grant rather than par:
alyze the strength of the state. But the
minority is not likely to be any more
willing to let the power of the state be
used to nominate Grant, than Conklins
will he to let it show its strength in the
selection of Blaine.
The personal triumph of Conkling has
been great. Without bis presence and
his speech it is said that the anti-thirt
term sentiment would have carried
the convention despite the machine
work done to hold it. His courage
and eloquence saved the day ant
persuaded the Republican convention ot
Il state that four years ago had resolved
against a third term to declare in it's fa
vor. The preteXt upon which the change
O. front is made is that, as Grant ha
been out of office one term, tht
danger of election to third tern
does not exist. But it is apparent
that this is but a preteXt since
no one who really believes that no citizer
of the country should be permitted to vi
olate the precedent set by Washington
will I've moved from his position by TIN
fact that the third term is an interrupted
and not successive one. Establish thi
precedent, and when Grant asks ;
fourth and a fifth term, it will he his t,
command. He will already have beer
honored above Washington and nothing
that he can ask more can he refused
him.
THE Harrisburg Patriot thinks tina
the state convention should he held earl,
SO that the political machinery may b
started to get out the Democratic vot
in November, and to convert the Repub
lcan vote in preparation for that day
and there might be something in the Pa
triOt'S suggestion if it ever had been tn
practice of state committees to start tn
electioneering work before the nationa
convention had found its candidate AM
platform. But this never is done an
never will be done. You can't begin to fir
the Democratic heart and get the politi
clans down to work until they hav
found out what they are working fol
Before the nomination they are bus
fighting among themselves over the Sc
lection of the candidate, and only whe
that important matter is settled hav
they any thought to give to his election
1t might he better otherwise, but W
must take things as we find them. We ar
glad that the Patriot is SO calm over tn
question of a presidential candidate tina
it's soul is ready for the work of registrs
tion. document distribution, etc. But it
one among ten thousand in its lovely dc
votion to the party's interest.
The office of hangman is one that ha
not been very satisfactorily filled by tn