Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-06-01
la11caster fnteIligerlcer.
TUESDAY EVENING. JUNE 1, 1880.
BOOmS and Bureaus.

when the friends of the
leading candidates should come to search
for a second choice, does not want to be
urged as a candidate, and is even said to
declare that he would not accept the
nomination if conferred upon him. Prob
ably few will believe him so devoid OF
ambition as this, but he may be consld-
cred to be honest in his desire not to enter
into contest for the place, and it may
even be the fact that it has no attraction
for him. 1t is not an inviting office to an
indolent and unambitious statesman
but a man who has reached the dignity |
of senator has certainly too much fibre
in him and too great love of fame to re-
fuse to take the highest Office in the peo-
ple's gift. Senator Edmunds's coyness
may be only piece of Yankee cunning
to make himself more agreeable to the
chief candidates by getting out of their
way, in the expectation that when they
have destroyed one another they will be
ready to take him in loving en-
brace.
is the most straightforward and inde-
pendent of the Republican statesmen land
would make very respectable candi-
date. He is fierce partisan and his ac-
tiOn in the electoral commission showed
him to be quite unscrupulous enough to
serve the party need in any emergency.
His nomination would raise a square is
sue before the country as to the right
eousness of that verdict !; and this is an
issue which the Democratic party has
reason to welcome. 1t will come up
whoever is the Republican candidate,
but, with one of the derided eight as the
Republican candidate, it would he the
unavoidable issue of the canvass. While
Judge Edmunds therefore is an honest
man, he would not be likely to be strong
er as candidate than Third Term Grant
or Mulligan Blaine. Whoever the Re-
publican candidate may be he will have
too heavy load to carry to succeed if the
Democratic party is reasonably prudent
in it's nomination.
The exhibition of division and of per-
sonal ambition which is so strikingly
made by the Republican politician, in
pressing their favorite candidates at
Chicago, should not he lost upon our
delegates to Cincinnati. No one in the
whole world suppOses that Cameron,
Conkling or Logan are pressing Grant S
nomination because it is best for their
party or their country but everybody re-
cognizes the fact that they are urging it
because it is best for themselves. They
aim tOsecure their own supremacy. Blaine
and his friends are equally ardent in
their own interest. Such self-seeking is
Infamous and ought to disgust the people.
Edmunds would get on the other extreme
in declining to let his name be used.
Everybody agrees in the abstract truth
of the declaration that the presidency is
an Office neither to be sought nor declin-
ed, but it seems almost impossible for
possible candidates for it to walk and
talk and act in an honest, straight-fOr-
ward way when the bee has once began
to buzz anywhere in the neighbOrhOOd of
their bonnets.
Among our candidates Mr.. Tilden is
particularly Objectionable in his deport
ment as presidential candidate. There
is total lack of sincerity, frankness and
self-abnegatiOn about his attitude. 1t j:
generally understood that he intends tt
get the nomination if he can, and to dis
pose of it if he can't. He has never
publicly said this or anything else thai
could be relied upon as indicating hi
purpose but it is in the air that he in
tends to control the situation. In Oul
opinion the situation should be controlled
by the best judgment of the Democratic
masses, and any effort TO interfere will
its free exercise should be discounte
nanced.
There are certain other candi
dates who have started bureaus
through which they propose to instruct
the people as to their duty, and to make
itplain that this duty is to nominate
them. This is sheer impudence. If :
man has not merit enough 10 be recOg
nized without setting up brass band tt
blow his music, he is not the man We
want. Senator Bayard has behaved il
an exemplary way. For good reasons We
doubt whether he would be the strong
est candidate we could nominate, but
we can hardly forbear throwing up oul
hat for him, so great is our admiration
for his frank, honest and manly charac
ter, as demonstrated in every act of hi:
life and especially in this crucial test
when he is prominently before the eyes
of the people as a candidate for theil
chief magistracy, which he stands ready
to accept but in no way to demean linn
self to get.
We recommend our candidates tc
abolish their bureaus, dismiss theil
trumpeters. withdraw their noisy horns
and let the people take them if they want
them and leave them if they don't. We
object to any pressure of candidates fol
themselves. They are all big enough to be
seen, we hope, though the biggest OF
them are not the noisiest or the most
violent in their gesticulation. We know
what we need in a candidate; and We
know that we do not need, nor intend to
nominate, man to serve has ambition
but to promote our own welfare.