New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-02-26
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mishing on minor and comparatively unimportant
matters Senator Forster had led the minority, and
with no success. Two or three times he had taken
positions and backed down from them almost with
ont a show of fight His proposed amendment to
the resolutions-and even here he had re-
treated from the first position taken, and modified
his original proposition-brought the Convention
TO face the actual business The fire Of the minority
was exhausted with two or three speeches, which.
though fairly good, presented new arguments
against the instruction scheme, aud could hardly be
called equal TO the occasion. Their significance
more in the disclosure of the fact and the extent Of
the opposition than in any reasons given
for it.
MR. coNKLIyG's AIMS.
Senator Conkling replied. and made the only reply
10 them all. The reader of the speech. which will
be found in the press report, will see how ceverlv
the orator led mp TO the main question Of Grants
candidacy and how pausby and forciby he pre-
sentcd the familiar Arguments in support of his IA
vorte. They are not by any means unanswerable.
To many in this Convention they appeared weak
and fallacious but it must be said that the Sena-
tors apparent earnestness and sincerity, with
his great power of presentation and
logical force. give them unusual effect.
This. however was not the main purpose
OF the speech. The majority Of the Convention
was already with him on the point Of Grants
availability and the dcsirableness Of his nomina-
tiOn. They needed no argument on that score. aud
the minority he could hardly hope to convince.
" hat be could hope TO do and aimed to accomplish
was to control. The great advantage of having
Ncw-YOrk cast united vote, and thereby
have tn, influence to which the Great State s
entitled in the National Convention and second,
in the event of the resolutions of instructions being
20, bo oIo IN ho ,bo
their sense of honor in obeying those instructions,
whatever might be their personal choice or the
preference of the district constituencies they repre-
senttd. He effected both these purposes So well
did lie accomplish his task of putting the dele
gates upon their sense of honor as TO tho
duty of Obeying the instructions of this
Convention. that from that time forward no one
yentured to repeat the claim which had been pnt
forward at the outset. and had been made the
ground of the whole minority fight, that the dele
gates chosen from the separate districts were
bound by the instructions of their immediate con-
Sttuents, and not Of the State Convention. In
two or three conspicuous instances delegates
who were suspected of holding these views
of their duty brought to book aud
compelled under pressure to say that they recog-
n;zed the binding force of the Conventions
instructions and virtually pledge themselves to
support the candidate of the majority. Si-
lence was accepted as giving the consent To tho
rest
The alternative course to this for the majority
was TO have had minority reports from each anti
Grant district aud deliberately Overrlddcn the
action OF the district by the substitu-
ton Of Grant delegates. II is easy to
see that this course would have stirred
up bad blood and perhaps brought on bolt. Tho
course that was adopted left the districts free 10
choose but effected tine purpose Of the majority just
as we'll as the other plan, and without giving Of
fence, by putting the delegates on their sense OF
honor to vote under tho Conventions
Instructions.
No BOILING PROPOSED.
II is further he said that during all the proceed
ngs not one word escaped from any delegate indi-
eating an uhwiilingness 10 support any candidate
| who shall be nominated by the Chicago
Convention. There was no acrm0ny in
the dscussions no talk Of boiling; nothing said by
any delegate In the minority 10 indicate that he
would not chcerfully and heartily support tue cx-
President or any other candidate upon whom the
Chicago Convention may iix ts choice II has been
a very pretty lght-on ore side well meant but nob
always managed on the other. perhaps as well
meant, but certainly much more skilfully
conducted The friends of the cx-President bava
carried all their points, and politics Is IN some
seuse "A game at which but ono may win. IL may be
said they fairly earned their success by their
skill II IL more to their credit that they have won
II at the cost o little dissatisfaction heariburn-
ING and bickerng.