Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-02-16
BLAINE WILL FIGHT.

Forcing Has Claim for the Presidency
on the Chicago Convention.
Washington Special Feb. 12) to Chicago Tribune.]
There was conference at the house of
Mr.. Blaine, last night, of some of his de-
clared adherents, the purpose of which is
understood in part to have been to deter
mine what position it would be proper for
Mr.. Blaine to take with respect to the pres
ldential nomination. The result of this
conference is said to be that Mr.. Blaine has
determined that he will Immediately begin
an earnest campaign, it being admitted on
all hands that Gen. Grant himself is an ag-
gressive, active candidate, especially since
the recent pretended official announcement
in the New York Times that Gen. Grant is
a candidate as other men are candidates, and
will accept the nomination should the Re-
publican National convention nominate
him in the same manner as any
other candidate would be nominated.
At all events, to Gen. Albright, of
Pennsylvania, who was one of Blaine's most
active friends at the Harrisburg convention,
who called upon Senator Blaine this morn
ing, Blame is reported to have said that he
bad decided to make an open, aggressive
fight from this time, as his friends had ad
vised him to do. That was Gen. Albrlght's
advice. The latter says that he is confident
if Blaine now begins he may win. AS to the
unit rule adopted in Pennsylvania Gen. Al
bright says that of the forty eight delegates
he knows that twenty will not respect the
unit rule, but will vote for Blaine under the
circumstances, and that there can be no
question that the people of Pennsylvania
are for Blaine. Indignation meetings are
now being held, Albright says, all over Penn
sylvania, protesting against the action of the
Blaine delegates who voted for the unit rule.
Gen. Albright had with him the text of the
resolutions passed at such a meeting in
Mercer county, the Blaine delegates from
which had voted at Cameron's beck at the
convention. These resolutions denounced
these delegates, and instructed them to dis
regard the unit rule at Chicago. These dele
gates will follow the instructions of their
county, Gen. Albright is certain, and will
vote for Blaine at Chicago. The same is
true of other counties in the State. Gin
fact" said Gen. Albright, "the vote for the
unit rule was vote to save Cameron from
defeat in the first political act he has under
taken since he became Senator. Some of
Cameron's friends saw that it was a mistake
only that forced him to make the fight.
Gov. Hoyt, who represented district
which sent Blaine delegates to the State con-
vention, indeed urged these delegates, as a
special favor for him, to vote for the unit
rule to please Cameron, although Hoyt at the
time admitted that it was foolish, but insist
ed that Cameron had supported him (Hoyt,)
and that to vote at Cameron's
request was simply to pay debt of graft
tude. The indications are increasing that
Blaine will select Illinois as his first cam
paign ground, and that the object of his
campaign there will be at least to prevent
the State from instructing for Grant, so that
his own followers will not be bound by an
iron rule. What particular form this can
vass will assume is not yet disclosed. 1t is
very probable that some assistance is hoped
from the Illinois Republican Congressional
committee. That delegation has been
claimed by the friends of Grant as an abso-
lutte unit for him. At the time of the Grant
excitement consequent upon the reception
in Chicago, this assumption was, perhaps,
we'll founded, but Blaine's. friends now
claim that there are certainly five Illinois
Republican congressman who, while they
are not disposed to announce their opposi-
ton to Grant, are not at heart for him, and
will, when the time comes, if the Blaine
movement takes definite shape in Illinois,
make their influence felt.