The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1880-03-16
INDEPENDENT REPUBLICANS.

and is unable to mollify the wrath of John
strong likelihood that the independent Re-
publicans, or Republicans OF conscience, as
they call themselves, will hold the balance of
power, and there is little probability they
will exercise it for Grant or any other machine
candidate. They avow a determination to
support a Democrat in the approaching con-
test, rather than one of their own party who
is not the free choice of the people, and who
secures the nomination by political legerde
main. Thus there is crashing of teeth in
the stalwart ~encampnlent, and Conkling,
Cameron and other Grant machinists are
kept busy in a so far unsuccessful attempt to
devise the proper expedients for the concilla-
ton of the independent Republican voters.
But the movement in opposition to machine
management is by no means confined to the
State of New York.
The young men of other States have assert
ed their manhood and. independence with
equal fearl essness and determination. In
Philadelphia a strong organization has been
formed Which stoutly opposes the machine
policy of the Cameron clan and condemns in
strong language the plot to secure Pennsyl-
vania for Grant by political intrigue when
the known wishes Of the majority,of the party
in that State are for the nomination of
another candidate. If the ex-Tresident be-
comes the choice Of the delegates at Chicago,
it is safe to calculate that a very large number
of Republicans in the Keystone State will
either refrain from voting or deposit their
ballots for the Democratic candidate if the
latter's nomination is secured by fair and
honorable means. In Massachusetts also the
same spirit Of dissatisfaction with machine
politics has taken root and in the event OF
Grants nomination, a large number OF young
Republicans who set a proper value on the
sacred responsibilities of American citizen
ship will kick over the party traces and vote
for the candidate of their choice in opposi-
ton to machine dictation. AT the conven-
ton of Independent Republican voters in
Boston last week q resolution was adopted
opposing the nomination Of Grant and Blaine.
They urged that since many considerations
will induce a large portion Of the Republican
party to vote against either of the above, or
any other candidate who may receive the
nomination through machine influence, a
man like Hayes or Washburne should be
gladly supported. They also heartily indoors
ed the principles Of the Independent Repub,I-
can organization of New York and of the
National Independent Republican league of
Philadelphia. \ despatch giving an account
of the convention says that all a~llusion to
Senator Bayard, Of Delaware, caused consid-
cradle excitement, which indicates that their
allegiance to the Republican machine is the
opposite of very pronounced.
In Chicago the same opposition to ring rule
has manifested itself, a number of prominent
young Republicans having banded together
to oppose the nomination of Grant. The
Inter- Ocean,, the strongest Grant organ in the
country, affects to ridicule the movement, but
the very fact that it devotes a column article
to its discussion is evidence that it views the
action Of the young men with alarm. The
Mter-Ocean sarcasticallY observes:
There is a certain class of young men who
seem to think it wonderfully manly to set
their Judgment above their fathers. They
seem to feel a certain amount of disgrace in
being associated with men of gray hairs and
furrowed brows. There are a few of this
class in Chicago. They have arrived at the
mature age OF all incipient mustache, and,
having the accomplishment of being able to
hide three fingers of whisky under the belt,
and puff a ten-cent cigar, they saunter into
IL. club-rooms and hotels, and talk glibly OF
"Casarism," and "third terln,' and /" patri-
~otisln,'' and "the duty of American citizens"
These favored youths think nothing of max
ing cloud applause whenever an indignity
is offered or all insult rendered to one of the
nations heroes. To a looker-on who has
seen the smoke of battle, and who for days
and weeks has walked among the dead and
wounded, shot down III defense OF the old FLAG,
and who remembers that these boy. at that
time were drawing their sustcr ance from
natural sources, or pulling vigorously at the
rubber tube of a pint bottle, such talk is not
wonderfully impressive.
In spite of the Chicago papers ridicuIe,
however, it is evidert that the movement of
the independent Republicans in several large
and doubtful States is a serious menace to
the administrations party, and unless some
candidate is nominated at the Chicago con-
vention whom honest and conscientious Re-
publlcans can consistently support, there is a
strong probability that the stalwart party, at
the approaching election, will score a defeat
instead of the victory to which its managers
are now looking forward with such pretended
confidence.
The statement i'll some papers that Mr.. N,
p. Chairman, the inventor of sthe number Ii
puzzle" had 10 rights in its manufacture
seems unwarranted. 1t appears that the puz
zle found its way among the public without