New-York tribune., 1880-06-25

THE DEMOCRATIC TICKET

In an hour Of excitement and passion
another Democratic Convention has m sed all
chance of victory. Eager to bury Tiid Nisn
and to escape the nomination of Mr.. Iilden,
which seemed at Cincinnati as here TO be as
ine7itable as 1t would have been fatal, the
Convention went with a rush to the first can
didate who appeared to have tho lead. Men
wlo calculated coolly what the Convention
must do in order to succeed, and expected
that the Convention also would calculate
coolly, were surprised by it's action. In fact,
the only prominent Democrat who anticipated
tho result was that Democratic leader who said
at Cincinnati on Wednesday, as reported in
yesterdays paper:
Well I'VE been Democrat ever since was q voter.
and have never known the party TO fail to commit
some Internal idocy critical points in It's history 1t
has done sensible thing In Its when It
mated Tden aud II is my opinion that there has
been time when it might ha succeeded by dOiuc
something equally sensible but 1t would be just Ike
the Democratic party to nominate General Hancock,
lust when the soldier Is played yuC. when the
country has grown sick Of military Presidents as
such when the whole thing has been spewed out Of
It's stomach and for the Democratic party TO
years behind time and to set IN business
a soldiers party" The look OF mingled amusement and
disgust on the Of tho speaker rrcsstbly u-
dfcrous. Well" said he, there issues nova
days but those of finance and political economy, and on
every OF these the Democratic party has been
blnked unsOund that am ready to the country III
Republican hands for four years more"
General Winfield Scott Hancock is q rcpu-
table and gallant soldier Of the United States
Army, and will make just about such a can
dldate as General Winfield Scott did. lie is
nominated just as much too late, when the
day for mere military candidates is
Just as far passed. He has had less experience
in war (and none ut all In civil life) he is
less widely known, is less popular and
stands fair chance to be as badly beaten.
lie is q soldier and a gentleman, and
as handsome a man as Winfield Scott
| himself, but lie can't come in. lie did
| brilliant service In the war against the re-
belOn, but has never held civil Ofiico nor
| participated in public affairs as citizen, nor
had opportunity to acquire any knowledge of
civil government save that peculiar know
ledge which West Point teaches. The
country knows absolutely nothing of his
opinions in respect to any of the
practical questions which concern the
interests and the rights of millions of
citizens excepting as it may guess at those
opinions from the predictions of his sup
porters. The ultra sOft-mOney faction of Penn
sylvania and Indiana placed General Han
cock in nomination Senator Wallace secured
delegation in part for him from Pennsyl-
vaniu, after hot fight with Speaker Randall,
the representative of Mr.. Tilden's interests.
Whether General Hancock shares the views of
the rabid inaationists, whether he has any
opinions of his own on these questions, whether
be would be as clay in the hands of the potter,
to be moulded at their will by Democratic
demagoRues, the country has no means of
knowing. 1t is not probable that the tricky
evasions of the platform will be so thwarted,
by frank declarations from General Hancock
himself, as to give the country any idea of his
opinions. A vote for him is purchase of q
lottery ticket.
In truth. IT would be the worst ki sssu-