The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1880-03-03
Grant and Tilden.

From the Chicago Times.
Two things about the presidential situa"
ton are now apparent: That General
Grants chances of receiving thesRepubll
can nomination are growing better every
day, and that Tilden's chances of receiving
the Democratic nomination are hourly
improving. On both sides the indications
point toward an early foreclosing of the
mortgages held by the statesmen named.
1t is almost q foregone conclusion, in
fact, that General Grant may have the
Republican nomination if he desire it,.
Unless some extraordinary event happen
between this time and the 10Th of May,
Illinois will follow the lead of New York
and Pennsylvania, and an impetus will
carry it over all subsequent contingencies.
OF course, the sentiment of the people is
not for Grant; the Times has demonstrat :
ed that. and the fact is perfectly apparent
Ito none more so than to the men who
are operating the machine" in Indiana,
where the machine" had for the moment
abdicated, leaving the choice of delegates
70 the Chicago convention to the people,
anti-Grant delegatins were in every case
selected. In Illinois the result would not
be so sweepingly opposed to Grant If the
choice were left to the uuiDfiuenced
choice of the people. but the general result
would be against him. The machine,
therefore, will take charge of the selec-
tons, and result is likely to be obtained
which will be all that the politicians inter-
ested In the return of General Grant to
the presidency could desire. The means
to be employed in effeeting this result
have been thoroughly considered and
deliberately decided upon, and are now
being put into operation, Nothing is
49, Of he
machine at the last moment may refuse
to perform its functions. Combinations
which as yet have not been thought
of may be sprung upon an aston
ished and helpless country, and great
changes may take place before May 10;
but as the ordinary chances of human
events 60, the Illinois republican conven~
ton may be safely set down as sure to
pronounce for Grant. The members of
the senatorial cabal may assure themselves
that their plan is working well up to the
present moment; and the rank and file
of the party may consider themselves
simply in the light OF faithful and obed-
lent soldiers, who receive the commands
Of their superior officers without question
ing. The military figure, which Mr..
Cooking applied so foreibly in the Utica
convention, was never better applicable to
generals are marshaling their hosts for the
coming battle, and no commanders could
ever congratulate themselves on the cay
acity for discipline shown by the greater
portion of their troops with more reason
than can now the senatorial leaders of the
republican party
In one quarter only is there apparent
any serious danger of revolt. The Ger
man battalion is doing a good deal of
grumbling. Some of the most influential
OF the corporals and sergeants in this bat
TALON are even openly threatening mutIny.
Will they carry out their threat? Will |
their followers Join them, and the revolt |
sDread2 One Of the organs of the Gel =
man republicans, the OleaveIGnd Anzeiger
declares, in plain language, that under no
circumstances will it support General |
Grant for the presidency. IfGraDt is nom
mated, it says, it will repudiate him, but |
support the republican county, state, and |
congressional tickets. In Cleveland, in a !
few days, thirteen hundred German repub- |
lican voters voluntarily came forward and |
signed an anti-Grant sthird term petition |
But Mr.. Hassaurek's Cincinnati TolLsbldtt
which is as thoroughly anti Grant
as any paper could be, has ALMOST
given up the fight in the party, and has
begun to talk of what shall be done
after Grant shall be nominated. 1t ad-
mits that the opposition of the Germans
alone can defeat his nomination, and ex-
horts the American element to come to
the rescue, In New 7 ork the Germans
have taken a decided anti Grant stand;
but their protest was lost in the thunders
Of the Utica convention. All over the
the Germans are eagerly taking
" hat steps they can to defeat Grants
but they can not do it unless
the leaders are thoroughly convinced that
their detection will defeat his election.
This German revolt Is one element in
" ashburne's strength, and it is a little
strange that the man who is Grant near
est friend, and the one who stands as his
political heir apparent, is the man OF all
others whose nomination would best please ,
the rebellious German Republicans, who
threaten openly to vote the Democratic !
ticket rather than vote for Grant. The !
other element of Washburne's strength is i
the possibility that Grant may not care to I
ia ke advantage of the dlscreditable means
aud may decline the nomination. Thus il
appears to be the peculiar fortune of Mr..
W ashburne that he is the most available
candidate in case Grant can not be nomi-
mated. and also the most available in case
Grant sC6H not be Nominated. If the Re
publican managers see that the sentiment
If the Germans and other conservative
Republicans against Grant is strong
enough to beat him at the polls if the
Democrats make decent nomination, no I
man can be found who will suit so well i
these Germans and conservative Republi- ;
cans. and at the same time be perfectly !
se tlstactory to the "stalwart" element, as
Mr.. Washburne. On the other hand,
should General Grant at an early dateI
natly refuse the nomination, the strength