Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-03-17
Our Washington Letter.

presidential nomination at Chicago, the great
difficulty lies In estimating
: GRANTS STRENGTH.
That Is the key to the whole problem and no one
has yet been able, probably, to correctly foretell
, how many votes the ex-presdent will have on the
first ballot. In fact 1t is becoming more enigmat-
ical every day. II Sherman was not showing
surprising strength In the southern states as he
Is, there would be but little USE In our opinion,
for the friends OF Blaine, Edmunds, or Sher-
man, or Washburne to build hope on the sue
cess OF their candidate, for with solid vote Of
the south added to the votes already pledged for
him, Grant would have simply a " walk-over."
But II is still q conundrum and will probably re-
main so until the vote Is taken, Just how the
southern states are going. 1t was at first boldly
claimed by the champions Of General Grant that
he was sure OF all the delegations from the south
and that by securing the votes Of few Of the
northern states his nomination was assured
Since that time, however, the situation has changed
very materially, and Is still changing from day to
day. Sherman is contcstng with Grant for the
vote OF the delegations in nearly every southern
state, and in many OF them IL very liable TO get
the lions share. We are informed upon good
authority that Sherman will have at least six Of
the ten votes Of Florida, majority OF the dele
CATION from North Carolina and number from
South Carolina and Georgia Grant has secured
the Missouri delegation after sharp fight in
committee, which Is thirty more added to his
| column. This makes his total foot up two hun
dred II we count ON Illinois as solid for him, which
| Is as yet very problematic, as Blaine is develop
Ing considerable strength in General Grants own
state Giving Grant, then, for the sake OF argu-
ment, the votes Of Pennsylvania, New York, ILL.,
nois and Missouri, he has a total Of two hundred
votes with a hundred and seventy-nine more nee
essary TO secure the nomination These must be
obtained almost entirely from the south. There
is Alabama with twenty votes, Arkansas with
twelve, Kentucky with twenty -four, Tennessee
with twenty-four, Texas with sixteen, Mississippi
with sixteen, Louisiana with sixteen, Virginia
with twenty-five and West Virginia with ten
making total Of one hundred and sixty Add
| the vote Of Wisconsin. which Senator Carpenter
says will be given for Grant, and we have one
hundred and eighty-or one vote more than Is
necessary to secure the nomination. This is the
way, and about the only way as far as we can see,
for General Grant to win at Chicago. 1t is hardly
possible that he will have the solid vote of all the
| delegations from the states we have named, a.
Sherman is developing much strength in Louis
eddy get some votes from those states. On the
other hand, Grant will divide with Sherman the
votes of North and South Carolina and Florida
Maryland, we are told, is liable to send Blaine
delegation-a rarity among the southern states
| ~ Blaine is said to be the favorite among the
| ofice-hoders and Others who have the most in
huence in Baltimore, despite the fact Of their
holding office under Sherman.
THE SOUTHERN VOTE
at Chicago will, in any event, be pretty well split
up, and but few Of the states will take the precau-
| ton to instruct their delegates IL must be seen
| however, that General Grant stands far ahead at
| the present time among the candidates, even
| though his chances have weakened since the con.
ventioD called. Were we forced to name the
| man whom we believed would secure the Chicago
| nomination we should certainly name Grant, and
| our reasons for the belief are given In the above
summing up. There's many a slip twixt the
cup and the lip" nevertheless, and Grant may
fail as Blaine did in 10 Blaines strength at
| Chicago we estimate at about two hundred votes
and we cannot see how he will get any more, I'M
less there is failure to nominate on the first bal.
lot, when considerable number Of Grants in
structed " will go over TO him. More, we think,
will change to Washburne. The principal contest
will be between Grant and Blaine, while Sher-
| man, Edmunds and Washburne will hold the bal
| ance of power. Sherman is liable to receive
something over a hundred votes at the start, and
| his friends believe that he will be the winning
| horse II a break should occur. We can hardly
| see how Secretary Sherman can win, a. both the
| factions headed by Grant and Blaine are more OF
| less antagonistic to Sherman, principally on
count of his being so closely identified with the
| present administration. Sherman would make
an excellent president, just as he has made OF
the very best secretaries of the treasury this coun
| try ever had His administration would be as
pure rs Hayes has been, and he would call about
| him some Of the best men and minds in the coup
try. But we consider his chances OF receiving
the nomination very small.
THE EDMuSDs BOOM
has received n new impetus the past week by the
addition OF the support of the two best Repub
can papers in Connecticut-the Hartford COHrdm
and Hartford Post Both believe in the advsa-
bility OF nominating Mr.. Edmunds, and take &C
casiOn to say so in language that cannot be mis-
taken. The Courant is owned by General Joe
Iiawey, a man who has mind OF his own and
needs no one TO tell him whom to vote for. His
advocacy OF the nomination Of Senator Edmunds
is one of the cheering signs that goes to show tina,
| the Edmunds boom is not confined to the one
state OF Vermont. The Post is ex- Governor jew
ellis paper, and both have an influence which
cannot fail to be felt both inside and outside of
| the nutmeg state" Connecticut is very liable
to send an Edmunds delegation to Chicago, and
1t would not be at all surprising il good share
OF the Massachusetts delegation should vote the
same way The two Massachusetts senators are
Edmunds men; they appreciate his ability a
statesman, recognize his leadership OF the party
in the senate and would both be glad to see him
win at Chicago There are other senators who
hold the same views and would not hesitate II
express them did they think that it would insure
Edmunds' success. Mr. Edmunds, meanwhile,
serenely smiles at the idea OF his being candi.
date, and contents himself with his duties as a
senator.
The views expressed in our letter OF last week,
on the Importance OF keeping the name OF Ed
munds continually before the convention, are bet
| ter expressed and very forcibly laid down in the
article from the Hartford Courdnt, copied in the
last WArcHMAS. The longer the boom is heard
for Edmunds the greater will be its strength from
day to day, and when the convention assemblies
| at Chicago, it may not be the weak pop-gun re-
port which was started at Montpelier last month,
but loud-sounding cannon, which will he echoed
and re-echoed by other states of the Union out
side of old Vermont
ODDS AND ENDS.
The most important occurrence OF the week in
congress was the message Of the presd ent. sent
to that body on Monday. The document accords
with the views held by President Hayes for some
time past, comprehending all there is in the Mon
roe doctrine OF fifty years ago. together with the
national policy which the new state OF facts seems
to call for.
General J. NJ. iawley has resigned his position
as assistant secretary Of the treasury, and will be
a candidate for the goyernorshlp OF Illinois at the
approaching election.
The three negroes, Bedford, Prim, and Queenan,
have been sentenced to be hung April 3Oth, for
the murder Of Hirth.
Hon. ]. W. Stewart of Middlebury, with his
son and daughter has been in the city the past
week. Sol.
The Indian Questionable. 2.
Mr.. Edhor:-The mawkish sympathies that
xphi IN tha India nd hav