New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-06-09
THE pUBLJC AyD THE con ;NTTOM

THE PUBLIC AND THE CON iNTION
IT. is a subject of general remark that never,
since the Democratic party split III two al
Charleston on the eve of the great rebellion,
have the proceedings Of political convention
been watched with the intense and general
interest bestowed during the past few days
upon the transactions at Chicago. People who
commonly take but languid interest IN such
affairs have dropped all their emplOyments TO
swell the crowd around the bulletin boards.
Trade has often been interrupted at the
busiest moments on the Exchange; and the
chances of the candidates have been waImly
discussed in the Courts. Nobody who has
been in tho habit of much intercourse with
other men can have failed to notice this un-
usually widespread excitement, hardly less
intense, Mt certain periods of the struggle, than
the interest generally manifested i'll the
results of a closely contested election.
The peculiar character of the preliminary
trials of strength will account for part of the
exceptional concern displayed III the dispatches
from the Convention There was something
stirring and dramatic in the stout fight made
by the anti-Grant minorlticS for the recog-
milton of the old Republican doctrine that every
delegate should have the privilege OF voting
as his constituents wished him to vote, or, IN
other words, that every district should have
right to be consulted in the nomination of the
candidate it was expected to support ut the
polls. Everybody perceived the importance
of the principle embodied in this issue and
everybody looked on with ea9crncss while the
strenuous contest proceeded. Tho daring
attack the stubborn resistance, the ingenious
manmuvrcs on one side, met by equally
skilful dispositions on tho other the various
incidents of tho fray, the dcmcanor of the
leaders, kept the public curiosity alert and
rising, and stimulated an intense cageIncss
respecting the final and decisive work for
which there had been such brilliant prelude.
When it came to the ballOting the stcadlnesS OF
the two chief candidates, who held between them
nearly six bundled unwavrling votes through
the protncted sessions, became new cause
of excitement; and there was still another
element of except, nal interest In the personal
characters of the cOntcstants-tO say nothing
of the serious political questions involved III
their fortunes.
But after all these things have been taken
into account, there is not much doubt that the
chief cause Of the remarkable attention paid
10 the acts Of the Chicago Convention is
general confidence that the man nominated there
is to be the next President of the United
States. People do not concern themselves
over the choice of candidates who are likely to
he beaten. There has been general feeling,
not only among hot Republicans, but among
those who care little for the ties of party
and the feeling has even prevailed to some
extent among Democrats alsO-that the Re-
publicans cannot lose the election this year
"a
years ago of the Democratic conspiracy to
buy the Presidency in 1875 was the rum of
all reasonable hopes that party might
have entertained Of winning it in 1850, and
everything they have done since then has
sunk them in deeper disgrace. Their TevOlu
tonaIy course in Congress, their tlInng with
the public business, their reckless eXtrava-
gincc III spending money their stupid refusal
to pay debts their schemes to steal Maine and
TO eject members lawfully elected and seated
in the Senate and the House, their dangerous
attacks upon the public credit, their disgrdcclul
readiness to lend themselves to any crazy and
dishonest scheme for dcbasng the currency
these are proofs of the untitnc>s of the Demo- |
cratic party to govern this country which the |
people have not failed TO remark and will not
fail to remember. Only the gIOSsest Of blum
dcrs on our side could have given n chance of
success to such n dscrcditcd party. For;u- |
nalely, the blundcr Of which at one time there
seemed to be imminent danger, has been pre- !
vented and under the leadership of the adj |
mrable candidate selected yesterday at
ChicagO-a statesman, patriot, frank, |
pure minded, accomplished gentcman-we
20 on now to certain vIctCIy.
It's bad for the Democratic party