New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-06-09
FOR PRESIDENT JAMES a. GARFIELD.

With its best Judgment TIE TRIBUNE ap-
proves, with its heartiest enthusiasm
THE TRIBUNE applauds the work of tho
Chicago Convention. With whatever power
it possesses it will commend that work to the
people, and labor increasingly for a triumphant
ratification at the polls.
Greater work III purifying and cmanciDating
politics it has never fallen to the lot of any
Convention to achieve. State Rings and State
Bosses, having a policy to enforce against the
will OF the party, have received n death-bOw.
That unlepublican continuance through which
alone they maintained themselves. the despotc
unit rule, is broken The true organization
of National Conventions is henceforth made
compulsory. No man can hereafter stand
between the delegate and his constituents. No
body of men can make the misrepresentation of
his constituents the price of the delegates Gre
dentials. What the Republicans of each Con-
gressional District in the United States really
want, that the National Convention will hon
esty show. And nominations will once more
express the actual wishes Of the party, not the
trades and compromises among a half-dOzen
rival chiefs Of State machines.
Above all, the unwritten law of the Repub-
lie is maintained Not for a century can another
successful soldier ask for a third term. We
mean 10 reflection upon the great General
whom, throughout this whole contest
we have always endeavOred to treat with
the admiring respect due his noble service
and exalted career We mean no reflection
upon the thousands of Republicans, good aud
true, who lOnged to follow once more his
leadership. But we do say that it is the settled
Judgment Of the Republican party and of
the American people that prOtracted terms
of service in our highest Office are not
in harmony with the spirit OF our
institutions. Not even the dazzling
fame of AppOmattox could blind our people
to the lessons of every experiment in free
government the world has seen. What
sufliccd for Washington must suffice
for the greatest of his successors, at
least for this generation and the next.
Since the abolition of slavery and
the resumption of specie payments
we have added no greater safeguards
for the perpetuity and the purity Of
our Government Of the people, for
the people, by the people.
FIRST of all, to James G. Blame and
John Sherman all thanks for the happy
issue. They made the fight, and
made it in the face OF alarming
odds. Each has shown from the
outset a disposition to place the success
of the movement above any ques-
ton of merely personal advantage, and each
took large risks. To both the Republican party
and the country owe a debt of gratitude
that should never be forgotten The failure of
each to reach the highest goal of American
ambition will provoke wide dsappOjnt-
ment. And there will be peculiar
regret at this second check to the
great commoner of Maine, who is be-
yond q question, the most popular of
living American statesmen. 1t is the
old and bitter experience. They sowed
and another reaps. Yet they have the satisfac-
ton of feeling, the one that he made the nom
nation. the other that his State secured it
while the party can take equal satisfac-
ton in remembering that Sherman is
saved to the Treasury, and that q
nomination of Mr.. Blaine has not excluded
from the stump the most successful of all
campaign orators.
There is higher satisfaction. After all,
under existing circumstances the Convention
has given us the best possible candidate. lie
alienates nobody. He arouses no Jealous
les. He has everybody's confidence. He
will be stronger In Ohio than any other
man who was named. and Ohio votes In