Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-05-05
The Conventions.

As the day for the meeting of the great
national conventions draws nigh the fire.
quency of state conventions multiplies, and
the prospects of candidates rise and fall as
these preliminary skirmishes confirm or dis
appoint their expectations. Republican
conventions were held during the past week
in the states of Ohio, California and Arkan-
sas. The result in Ohio was overwhelm-
ingly for Mr.. Sherman. Mr.. Blaine's pre-
tentious claims sink to eight out of the forty
four delegates. The convention was rep
resentative gathering of western Repub-
leans In the spirit it displayed and the
freedom allowed to individual action, it was
type Of what the best element of the Re-
publican party delights to recognize in its
organization. A state that is imperial in
its size its cities, its varied resources and the
extent and intelligence of its population,
happily Ohio is free from the domination of
personal leadership such as mars the politi-
cal organizations in the states of New York
and Pennsylvania. Rich in eminent men of
nearly equal popularity political action is
less subject to personal leadership, and the
popular will finds more independent ex.
preston. The delegates at large are ex-
Governor Denison, Governor Foster, General
Garfield and Hon. W. NJ. Bateman. This
convention also chose electors at large,
Charles II. Grosvenor and s. S. Warner,
and candidates for minor state offices 10 be
voted for in October, the principal Of
which is secretary of state, to which office
Charles Townsend was nominated. Cali
fornia added her twelve delegates to Blaine's
score, and Arkansas similar number to
General Grants Thus far four hundred
and ninety-two delegates have been chosen
BY fair classification of these the score
for Grant stands two hundred and eighteen
Blaine, one hundred aud seventy-fve; Sher-
man, fifty-eight Edmunds thirty-eight;
Washburne, three.
Democratic state conventions have been
held in Pennsylvania and Connecticut In
the former convention compromise was
effected between Randall and Wallace, the
chiefs of the hitherto hostile camps in the
party in that state, and comparative bar
mony prevailed. The unit rule was stoutly
opposed by Mr.. Randall, and it was defeated
by the small majority of three votes By
this action of the convention twenty-seven
delegates are released to vote for Mr.. Tilden,
or the man that succeeds to his candidacy,
who may be Mr. Randall himself. The
Hancock movement derives no decided i'm
petus from the action of the Keystone state,
where the sentiment in its favor was too
weak to justify the offering resolution in
its support. The delegation from Connecti-
cut is in favor of Mr.. Tilden, though the
delegates were pleasantly assured by one Of
the prominent speakers that if they voted
for Mr.. Tilden, they would never again rep
resent Connecticut in national convention.
Connecticut seems to be resigned to Mr.. Til
den for the same reason the Dutchman's wife
was resigned to death, -because she had to be.
Republican conventions will be held in
Tennessee and Mississippi on Wednesday
in New Hampshire, New Jersey, Maryland
and Delaware on Thursday; and in Wis
consin on Friday of this week. To the lat
ter Milwaukee has elected twenty Sherman
delegates, out of her quota of twenty-five.
Although all calculations made at this time
possess large element of uncertainty, there
is no doubt of the fact that General Grant
has the largest number of delegates thus far
chosen. How far his strength will be af-
fected by the action of conventions yet to be
held, or by the influence of the St. Louis
anti-Graut convention, will soon be deter
mined by the facts themselves. Meantime,
the story of the old lady and the physic
would seem to be applicable to the persistent
footing kept up in Mr.. Blaine's interest
through his omnipresent bureau. We appre-
bend the facts will show that the traditional
number of his claims are "wind."