New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-04-12
THE OUTLOOK FROM WASHINGTON.


THE OUTLOOK FROM WASHINGTON.
ATTITUDE OF THE THREE GRANT sENAToRs-cAME-
RON SAID TO BIZ FOR BLAISR AFTER GRANT
ILLINOIS THE KEY TO THE PRESENT eiioAiAoN
-rwo POSSIBLE oUTcoMEs OF THE CoNVEN-
TON.
,yRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBuNEI
WASHINGTON. April 1O.-The Capital is poor
n,ace tn measure the currents of public opinion
throughout the country the Presidential ques-
hon The Congressmen, who form the only CLASS
having close relations with the people, nave not
ueen homo since the Christmas holidays, ana kno"
yery little of the drift of thought and discussion
lave what they learn from the newspapers. Inen'
MANY of them make it O point to have no very pe
sided opinions of their own on the subject lhey
have their reflections to look after this year. ana
they do not want to get astrde OF the wrong fresi
sential boom. The Senators talk more aDou' the
possibilities of the National Conventions than DO
The Members, but they are much fouoer Oh c'i.ics-
ing the candidates in the field than ct praisinR
them. Good, hearty support of any candidate IS
sare in the Senate. The reason. doubtless
Is that almost every man who has got up to the
oover and dignity of o senatorial chair cherlshes
,ecret conviction that the people ought to be think
Ing about him for the Presidency, instead OF about
lbe two or three other men whom he sincerely be-
6eyes to POSSESS fewer qualifications for the place
Than he himself. Washington Is an excellent poin''
however to get quick news OF positive Developments
and new movements on the chess-board OF Natlohai
eotlcs for all information of that sort comes here
rs Quick as the wires can bring it. county con-
yention cannot be held in any part of tho United
States without its action being known hero as soon
As it adjourns. Nor can politician OF local pron-
hence commit himself to any candidate without the
fact being instantly wired Everybody
- A,,k 4axr IN V0luntplF
ions. The Grant men the readiest to talk ln-
aeed they are 80 very ready to claim the success OF
their candidate assured that one almost suspects
that large share of the strength of the third-erm
movement is rhetorical and declanatory.
There is o reason, however, why go much more
Is heard of Grants claims and prospects here
than elsewhere. The remarkable trio OF IN
auential Senators supporting Grant-Conki1ng.
Cameron aud Logan-forms the chief force back oil
bis candidacy. Were it not for their zealous back
ing he would scarcely be in the field in TACT, the
Grant movement resembles triangle. with Its base
In PENNSYLVANIA and New-York, and its apex In IL
nois. II tapers down to point at the mississippi
RIVER There does not seem to be any concert OF
ection between the three conspicuous Grant Sena-
tors. Each is heartily in favor of making the ex-
President the next President, and each goes about
;he accomplishment of that object in his own way
Tho current belief in the country that they have
formed On offensive and defensive league appears
10 have no foundation. The proof of this is that
lhey have no reserve candidate 10 bring out in case
Grant cannot succeed. MI. Conkling will not talk
about a second choice He is for Grant, he
lays and for nobody else. He refuses
10 contemplate the contingency o. defeat. and
has opened no line of retreat. As O practical
politician 1t might be supposed that he would not
put all his eggs in one basket--that he
would have q second candidate. New-York man
with fair claims to ability to carry that pivotal
State, to bring forward in case it becomes evident
before the Convention meets or after it takes one
ballot that Grant cannot be nominated. Mr.. Conk-
lings friends say. however, that he takes no inter
est in any dark horse candidates. and that least of
all would he be likely to turn the strength lie con-
trolls over to New-Yorker.
Senator Cameron pursues quite different course.
He has all along contemplated the possibility of
Grants withdrawal He urged this possibility
upon many of Blainc's friends at the Harrisburg
Convention, to persuade them to support bis pro-
sranime To the Blaine men who came here from
Pennsylvania he talks with the greatest frank
aess in the way he did at Harrisburg last February.
saying that in case Grant is out of the way Blaine
Is his choice and will undoubtedly be the choice of
his delegation. / am told that he has more than
once within the past few weeks said as much to
Oldluo NlulScI Wltuiu tut uCuituS VI otbOlp Lib
does not look as if be in any secret scheme for
eprnging a new man on the Convention and trans
terrng the Grant forces to him. Senator Logon has
90 avOwed choice other than Grant, but talks OF
the merits of other candidates and their possible
ttrength in the Convention in a way that shows he
Is not so thoroughly tied up TO the thrd-tern pro-
iect as Senator COnklIDg Perhaps the possibility
Of the Illinois delegation pushing Washburnc aside
aud presenting his own name to the convention has
occurred to him. He has certainly a great deal
more strength among the working politicians of his
State than has the late Minister 10 France. What
ever estimate may be placed on General Logan in
The East there is no doubt thathe is an exceedingly
popular man out on the prairics. His speech on the
Fitz John Porter bill has attracted fresh attention
10 him. 1t killed the bill beyond hope of resurrec
hon. AS good Judge of Senatorial speeches as the
vcePresident says its presentation of tue facts Of
Porters conduct, and its military criticisms and ar
Euments based upon them, were mastery and ire
sstible and completely demoralized the advocates
Of the bill Logan still expects to go to
Chicago with solid Grant delegation from
Illinois. Nobody else appears TO anticipate such
q result however. Thus far, every county cOnven-
ton held in the State has pronounced for Blaine. If
this is the way they start Grant boon in Illinois it
Is q remarkably queer way. With Conkling de-
clsring he has no second choice and is not going TO
have any, with Cameron telling everybody he IS for
Blaine If Grant cannot be nominated. and with
Logan contemplating the chances of being brought
into the field himself the league OF the three Sena-
tors does not promise to survive the defeat Of the
ex-President.
After the many backsets General Grants candi-
siacy has suffered late, it will please his friends
to learn that he is likely to make substantial gain
in virginia. That State has been claimed by both
The Blaine men and the Sherman men. and few
weeks ago looked rather hopeless fol- the ex-Presi-
dent, bat now that General Malone has taken hold
os the Republican organization there and is going
10 control the convention the Blaine give Ii mp,