Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-06-26
Hancock for President.

Hancock for President.
McClure's Editorial Despatch to the Times.
This day has cast dark shadows across
| the path of James A. Garfield. The nomi
nation of Winfield Scott Hancock as his
competitor for the highest civil trust of .he
| world, by the spontaneous acclaim OF a
united Democracy, forecasts contest that
under even the most favorable circum
stances for Garfield must be doubtful in its
issue, and that gives more than even pro-
mise of a sweeping Hancock victory in
every doubtful Northern State.
1t was a nomination that made itself.
| Many strove earnestly to hinder it, but
there were few of the ordinary appliances
of political power to aid its cOnsummatiOn.
| Never before did national convention
precent such an entire absence of concen-
tratiOD in favor of particular candidates.
So diffused was the sentiment of the dele
gates that pretenders multiplied from the
political haunts of mediocrity until they
turned the considerate judgment of the
convention to the master chieftain of the
party.
Beyond Tilden there were no implacable
antagOnisms in the counsels Of the DelnOc-
racy, and his mysterious shifting of the
assumed power he did not posses finally
fastened the convention to its own deliv-
erance. At midnight, just twelve hours
before Hancock's nomination, Randall was
on the point of yielding to the rapidly
crystallizing sentiment in favor of the gal
liant Pennsylvania soldier, and New York
was hcsitating between Il cordial submis-
| sion to the mandate of the Democracy and
desperate combination to defy it because
it did not owe its inspiration to Gramercy
Park, and after night of jarring discOrd
Randall was proffered the crown when the
power to deliver it had perished. That
Randall should pause before such an offer
ing, however doubtful of realization, was
only natural. since he is but mortal but
when he was nominated this morning in
Tilden's name, with all the grace and fit
ness that the accomplished Peckham could
add to it, none misunderstood the silent
chill that pervaded the convention outside
of the Randall club and a little group of
devoted followers. The second letter of
declination from Tilden was denied read
ing by vote of the body, and Randall,
who could have been made the nominee
two days before by the favor of Tilden,
was crucitied before the multitude.
1t was grand tribute to Pennsylvania
that the gravitatiOn of Democratic judy
ment divided between two Pennsylvanians
one the first soldier of the common
wealth and the other her highest titled civil
liam, and it was proud day for Pennsyl-
vania when Malcolm Hay, rejecting the
magnanimity of his chief, threw the voice
of Randall into the battle for his warrior
rival before the nomination of Hancock
had been attained.
| There is but one sentiment among the
delegates and throughout the dispassion-
ate men of all parties, even i'll the home
of Garfield, and that accepts Hancock as
the strongest candidate the convention
could have chosen. 1t is not doubted,
either by Democrats or Republicans, that
Garfield will carry Ohio over Hancock and
that he would have carried the state
against any competitor. State pride, and
especially the pride of the Western Re-
serve, will forget the weaknesses of the
| Republican standard bearer and Republi-
can Ohio will vote for Chio's Republican
candidate There will be no Harrison or
| Lincoln flood tide. no enthusiasm to break
the Democratic lines; but there will be the
| stubbOrnly wrOugllt-irOn majority that
saved Hayes from annihilatiOn in OctOberO of
| 1876 and the desperation of the battle will
centre in the hitherto confessed Republican
States of Pennsylvania and Illinois, both
of which may now be classed as uncertain
for Garfield. Ohio will be skirmished to
save Congressman and to impress the now
admitted truth that Garfield has no ele-
ments of strength beyond what his party
confers on him. But Eastward, along the
Republican bulwarks of Pennsylvania, the
battle will rage with 4 desperation that
has been unknown in the recent Presiden-
tial conflicts. On the Republican side
there will be hesitation, indifference, sulk-
ing in tents and spiritlcss defense of the
candidate who is commended by the Cob
den club of free traders and whose record
demands apology from every hustings and
organ. On the Hancock side there will be
that unity that is born of hearty cnthusi-
asm and unfaltering faith in victory and
there will be no apologies to offer, no blum
ders to explain. no indiscretiOns to excuse
and no indifference to inspire.
General Hancock gives the Democracy a
better record than it has given itself and
he is vastly stronger than the party in
state and nation. His candidacy strips
the contest of the last vestige of section
alism and leaves the Republicans with no
attribute outside of the inherent merits of
their candidate and present record that |
can appeal to patriotism. A favOrite of |
the American people. he is a nObler soldier |
than Garfield, one whose name is imperish- |
ably interviewer with the achievements of |
the army of the Potomac, and one who,
alike in the tempest of battle and in the |
more delicate duties of civil administration
has stood out single from the masses
of our heroes and statesmen. He has no
offensive record of the past, no offensive
surroundings of the present, no doubtful
loyalty or integrity to fear the critical
test of his countrymen, and he will run
like fire in an August clearing. New
York, New Jersey and Connecticut are
reasonably certain to be Hancock states,
as the Democratic leaders have no oppOr-
tunity to put him in leading strings by
their blunders, and put down Pennsyl-
vania as quite as certain for Hancock as
Ohio is for Garfield. The really doubtful
states of the contests will be Indiana, Him.
ois, Nevada, California and Oregon, with
not more than one chance in a dozen for
the Republicans in Indiana and with about
like chances for the Democrats in Illinois
and the Pacific states. Looking dispassion-
ately over the field at this early stage of
the conflict, the indications point strongly
to a Democratic president, a Democratic
Senate and a Democratic House on the 4th
of March, 1881. A. X. NJ