The Portland daily press., 1880-06-02
THE CONTEST.
Prospects at Chicago.
THE FIGHT OVER THE UNIT RULE.

1t is still Grant against the field, with the
odds slightly in favor of the latter. The friends
OF the ex-President will not publicly admit
that he may be defeated, but their tune tells of
wavering in the lines, of loss of the hope
that was born of the triumph at Springfield
and which was instilled in the hearts of all his
followers by the bold and persistent declarations
OF the Senatorial triumvrate. ConklIng, Cam
eron and Logan have worked increasingly
since the arrival of the first of the outside del
egates, but aside from the break reported
in the Texas delegation have accomplished
nothing. The battle has been fiercer than they
expected Starting out with the claim that
General Grant would be nominated with ease
on the first ballot, they are now predicting
that if he fails on it, fate which of itself is
evidence of their weakening confidence, he
will secure a sufficiency of votes from the Sher-
man forces of the South on the second trial to
make success absolutely certain This is the
handspring of the present fight. If the Secre-
tary of the Treasury would only give sign of
willingness to deliver the goods which he now
holds and accept in return the second place on
the ticket, the struggle would be over, with
Grant the winner.
To state the situation briefly: Grant has
lost ground, Sherman has abandoned to some
extent his waiting policy and Blaine is reso-
Lutte and aggressive. Figures are not thought
of. Cameron's 40 having been clipped at both
ends, and the other leaders lack time to revise
those sent out by the bureaus during the days
when the State Conventions could be affected
by exaggerated reports To-day after some
of the delegations have canvassed tables
will be circulating, though, judging from the
present aspect and the contingencies that may
arise during the hours intervening between
now and the time when some one will call the
Convention to order, fair presentation of the
vote will be impossible before the calling of
the roll.
The Maine delegates and their friends of the
Blaine club of Maine have divided themselves
into squads of six, one Of which is always on
duty at headquarters, talking up their favorite
to all visitors. Their confidence has not abated
one jot, and their faces are all lighted with
the flush of victory. They have not as yet or
ganized except by the choice of Lew Barker as
temporary chairman and j. r. Libby as tempo
rary secretary.
The Blaine men have the largest share of
the enthusiasm, and his followers are leaving
no stone unturned to increase his chances and
ii possible bring about his nomination. They
claim that his forces are stronger, numerically
and every other way, than they have ever been
and that the prospect of his nomination is en-
cOuraging and bright. They assert that the
delegations with him as their preference will
stand as firm as rock, and remain as immova.
BILE phaanx in the Convention. 1t is not sur
fn haa Rlain TO hat n =.
already beaten, and that they now have more
to fear from Sherman or Edmunds or Wash
burne than they have from the conqueror of
Lee. His managers state that all they ask is
fair play and no favor in the Convention sThey
say that they do not propose to be bulldozed,
either in the temporary organization or any
other time. They do not blame Senator Cam.
eron for his devotion to his friend Gen. Grant,
but they insist that neither he nor any of Gen.
Grants friends shall be permitted to do any,
thing that will give any undue or unfair ad-
vantage over others. Never, since the days of
Harry Clay has politician had such a devoted
following as James G. Blaine has.
Alter two or three attempts of the New York
delegation to meet during the afternoon Mon
day the bolting members completed their plan
and put themselves on record. Twenty-one of
the regular delegates, and Elliott, the alternate
who represents Schroeder of Brooklyn, signed q
mutual pledge "that they would not follow the
instructions, and would, under no circum-
stances vote in the Convention for Grant The
boiling delegates are Birdsall and Hawkins of
the first, Daggett of the third, Robertson and
Hustled of the twelfth, butcher of the thir-
teenth. Slivers and Wales from the four
teenth, Abel and James, from the, nineteenth,
Wagner and West from the twentieth, Jacobs
from the twenty-second, Woodn and Murray
from the twenty-Sixth and Allen and Sessions
from thirty-third districts. That one-third of
the delegates should join the bolt surprised
the Grant men, who were prepared for a much
smaller detection. The boilers had only an
hourpreviously placed the number they counted
on at seventeen. They now claim that other
signatures will probably follow.
The Illinois delegation has been refused rec
ognitlon by the committee on tickets, which
may be considered the first step in the direc-
tion of contest. Each delegate is entitled to
10 tickets, as a matter of courtesy. Upon the
members of the Grant delegation from Hi. .lois
making demand for their tickets today they
were refused, although the tickets were COL
lected by the Grant men. The same course
will be pursued in regard to all the other con-
tested delegations. 1t is not improbable that
the Grant delegation from Illinois will be re-
fused admission to the floor of the convention,
but the Grant leaders say their admission can
not be prevented, and they will get in, if they
have to fight their way in.
Senator Blair declares that New Hampshire
is heartily in favor of the nomination of Blaine
and Washburne. He declares that in New
Hampshire the sentiment is fifteen per cent
stronger for Blaine than any other Republican
The unit rule he regards as the most danger
GUS application of the doctrine of state rights
The idea of diSplacing Don Cameron from
the craftsmanship of the national committee is
by no means unprecedented. The late Henry
j. Raymond of the New York Times was ap-
pointed chairman of the national committee in
1864, and in 1866 he supported Andrew John
sons policy. The national committee was at
once called together, and Mr.. Raymond was
then and there deposed and Ex-Governor
Ward of New Jersey put in his place.
Col. Robert q. Ingersoll says The nominee of
the convention will be either Grant or Blaine,
and while he would personally prefer the lat
ter, he believed the Democrats could not put
up man that could beat Grant.
The New York city Sherman club has opened
headquarters at the fremont House. General
Graham, surveyor of the port of New York
says that the club represents business men and
bankers of New York, and while they antago-
nize none of the other candidates they will do
all they can to secure Sherman's nomination.
Washburne is reported as the second choice
of Indiana, New Jersey, Connecticut, Michi-
gan, California and Ohio, and one of the COM
promises proposed is thai the fight in the con-
ventiOn be made between Edmunds and WASH
burne, and that the one that is beaten for the
first place shall accept the second. The man.
ayers of Grant, Blaine and Sherman maintain
that this is idle gossip, and that the choice lies
between the three leaders.
s'W here is the Massachusetts delegation
asked one New Hampshire man of another at
the Grand Pacific. The answer was "Oh,
down at the little Gardner House playing with
their Edmunds DOLL
1t is reported that the Virginia delegation
will disobey the instructions to vote for Grant
and on the first ballot the vote will be Sher.
man, 10; Grant, s, and Blaine 4.
Ex-senator Dorsey of Arkansas says that the
State has not got so far as a second choice, but
if they break from Grant, Blaine will get some
votes but Sherman none, and that the main
strength of the State would go for Window, as
would also Missouri, Tennessee, Iowa and
Mississippi.
General Mcmillan of Louisiana says that the
delegation will vote seven for Grant, seven for
Sherman and two for Blaine with "a probable
break for Sherman if he stands good chance
for the nomination.