The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1880-08-12
The Campaign ana its Probabilities.

Boston Post.
Speaking Of the approaching cam
paign, the Detroit Free Press says !:
The nomination Of General Hancock
has completely demoralized the Re
publican machine. 1t has utterly ruin
ed their plan Of the campaign.
Whatever uncertainty the Republican
managers felt on other points, they
were sure that they could fall back
upon the "war issue" 1t has been
fought out long since. The vitality
has long been squeezed out of it.
But the managers intended to dress up
the skeleton and parade it through
the campaign for the staIwarts and
the faithful to rally around. The Sc
lection Of Hancock deprives them of
even this poor possibility. There is
not only 10 part for such a skeleton 10
play, there is not even room for the
ghost Of the war issue. The old sIand-
ers and battle cries and crimson en-
bicms have been swept aside The
campaign must be fought Oh living
issues. The Republicans must win,
if at all, By the strength of their own
cause, moi by the imaginary or alleged
weakness of the cause OF their opDo-
nents.
How little chance there is Of win
ming in such q conflict the Republican
detection shows. The corrupt and
extravagant record Of the party can
no longer be ignored and placed in the
background while outrages are discuss
ed and di!ated upon. 1t must be de
Tended or apoIogized for, and both de-
Tense and apology are impossible.
With Il stainless candidate, around
whom the party could rally with en-
thusiasm, progress might still be made
in popular appreciation. But the
stainless candidate is on the Democrat
ic ticket. Scarcely three weeks nom
mated, General Garfield already finds
himself involved inextricably in de-
fensive campaign. The journals which
were expected to be sounding his prais-
es, the orators VINO were counted on
for rhapsodical eXaltation Of his name,
the poets who were to sing pEans in
his praise, have all been driven to the
whitewash brush, and are busily daub-
INC away in the vain hope that they
may be able TO cfiace some Of the
darkest spots in his record Already
the rank and file which hastily well
coined Garfield as 4 relief from the
bad possibility Of Grant and the worse
possibility Of Blaine, begin to see that
his is no name to coniure with, and
that toe little magnetism is almost as
bad as too much.
In its details, too, the campaign pre-
vents very awkward features. In the
first place Maine must be assured in
September, in tie sacred name Of
prestige > for, in the Republican
shibboleth, cas- goes Maine, so goes
the Union" Ordinarily this is Il mat
ter ofno difficulty, for Maine is as sure
as Iowa. But this year Maine he's a
squaIly look. The blood Of the oppo-
nents Of Republicanism is up and APP
pearances Indicate n stubborn fight.
The assessment Of the faithful will
have to begin early and Will be toler-
ably oppressive if Maine is to be saved.
Then Ohio Is to be secnred in October
which means another assessment, and
a great effort must be made to keep
Indiana from the Democracy.
PENNSYLVANIA, too, with a candidate
on the Democratic ticket, Will need
constant looking after Take it all
in all, the Republican outlook is not
4 happy one.
In one respect, however, the Re
publican party has a decided advan-
{age which cannot and must not be
ignored 1t. has organization aid
discipline-in Il word, the machine
Fortunately, however, it can easily be
deprived Of this advantage by prompt,
energetic action on the part Of the
Democracy. Let the work be begun
at once, in the wards and in the town
ships, in the cities and in hecounties.
Form clubs, appoint committees, Sc
cure 4 canvass and meet organization
and discipline! So let the Democra-
cy be put in position to avail itself of
the grand probabilities which cam
Daiuu under gallant leaders like