New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-06-07
THE EYE OF BATTLE.

It is still anybody's race at Chicago. The
chances favor Mr.. Blame, who will have at
least 800 votes on the first ballot AMI is the
second choice of many of the delegates sup
porting Grant, sherman, Washburne and Win
dom. There Is still the possibility, however,
of transfer of the bulk of the Grant forces
to Sherman, and the further possibility OF the
combination of all the positive anti-Blainc
elements upon one of the weak candidates
before the Convention, or upon a man whose
name did not figure in any of the presentation
speeches. Grant will probably be withdrawn
after the second ballot, and the man
ayers of his candidacy will then de-
vclOp their reserved tactics, for it is not to
be supposed that politicians who value per-
sOnal triumphs so highly are without plan
to save themselves from total disaster. Evil
IDENTITY they are not going to keep Grant in
the ballOting until his strength is worn down
to an insignificant and pOwerless faction. They
will unquestiOnably make great effort to re-
treve their prestige by controlling the nOmi-
nation after they have withdrawn their own
candidate. The fight in the end, as in the
beginning, is likely to be one between the
Grant men and the Blaine men, but such
portion of the Grant men as can be trans
ferred by their leaders will appear under
new banner.
Mr. Sherman's friends believe they hold the
key to the situation if they only stick together
stubbOrnly. Nobody is likely to be nominated
without a large portion of their 100 votes.
If they keep their ranks unbrOken they
may attract all the floating elements to their
side and finally succeed by the help OF the Grant
leaders 1t must he remembered, however,
that some of the Sherman men have strong
| leanings toward Blaine, and may feel at lib
erty to go over to his camp after two or three
ballots. And then, there are no signs of a
| kindly disposition toward Sherman on the part
| of the Grant bosses.
According to orr last nights dispatches,
| the Grant men made renewed efforts yes
tprday to buy up Southern delegates.
and were successful in some cases, but
in others their offers were betrayed. They
are not believed to have decided upon Sec
ond choice yet, though they have seriously
considered the question. They are not
satisfied with Edmunds because of his
| total lack of strength west OF the AlleGhanics ;
| nor with Washburne, toward whom COnk-
| ling and Logan cheri sh personal hatred ;
nor With Window, because his people
are at heart for Blaine. Some mschlevous
persons have been trying to lodge in Conk-
ling's mind the deusiOn that he himself might
| enter as the dark horse Others point him
to Hamilton Fish. 1t was palmer last night
than ever that Blaine is the strongest single force
in the Convention, and it was equally plain
that the Grant men have given up all
hope of nominating their candidate, and
are only seeking to defeat Blaine.
The attitude of the Sherman men is
unchanged. An effort was made yestcr-
day to break Their ranks by suggesting
| Garfield as a candidate, on the strength of his
evident popularity in the Convention, but he
| refused to tolerate the idea.
This survey of the field leads us to the con-
.lusion that first in the order of probable
results should be placed the nomination
of Blaine Immediately after the withdrawal
of Grant by the addition to his column of
sixty or seventy votes drawn mainly from
| the disbanded Grant forces. The second
probability seems to be the nomination of Il
dark horse candidate after q long siege Of
balloting; and the third, the success OF
| Sherman by the transfer to him of nearly the
whole Grant element and the small factions
supporting Edmunds and Washburne To-day
will unquestionaby settle the contest The
Convention is ready to begin voting as soon
| as it meets this morning.