New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-12-31


of the Netherlands, has reduced It's debt
duung the year,
UNIYED STIIES.
The year opened with a political conspiracy III
Name. minority Legislature. counted III by an
uuscrupulous Governor, hdcrtOoA TO put III ONCE
minority state officers. The Supreme Conri ol the
State nad answered the dozen questions submitted
by Governor tiarccon respecting the powers ana
duties OF the Governor aud his Council az canvass
ing Board. HIS acton had been condemned by inc
higucsi tribunal IN the state a. illegal ana uheoh-
situtonal and the fundamental principle had Deeh
affirmed that the people were not to lie deprived
OF the uguts OF suffrage and representation
by reason Il formal errors. The conspnators went
Oh with their work in defiance of the Court ot last
resort. The FusionIsfs organized their Legislature
ON .January :. and elected Joseph /. Smith Cover
nor on January 10. Ga the following day the he
nub. rcon members with the AID of those who had
been illegally deprived of Their certificates elected
d + Dawn. Governor. The Republicans marched
,to the state House in the absence OF the Fusion
isis. orc. .nIZed both branches OF the Legislature,
and oououtcd a committee 20 lac the case before
fine Supreme Court and ask tor al opinion respect
lug tie vahdlty OF their organization. In
tue interval the commanding oIhcer OF
tba militia who had received hstruc-
tons from the retiring Governor to protect
public property until Governor should be legally
elected and quanhed, refused TO acknowledge tue
authority of the FusOnIst Governor On January
~ the Supreme Court decided that the Republican
Icoislatue was the only legal body. On the ucxt
Jay the Fus,onists surrendered. The State Offices
were given up and the illegal Legislature adjourned.
The bottom of most disreputable political plot had
fallen out
NATIONAL LEGISLATION.
At Washington there was more dawdllng than
schcmng. he }, ssion of Congress was prolonged
to June Ii without the passage OF single lmpor-
tant measure The only additions TO the National
statutes were a few acts relating to canals,
customs, internal revenue. the Post Office, pub
lc lands and gold banks An act proyid-
Ing that no money should DO Appropriated or
uald for the subsistence, transportation or
COMPENSATION of the Army used as police force to
keen the peace at the polls was coupled with the
provi,o that troops could be employed IN that way
when either tho Governor or the Legislature of a
State should ask for them. As the Senate declined
10 take mp the Presidents veto of the Marshais
bill tins was a very meagrc return for the struggle
winch had been gong on for eighteen mouths TO get
tLr election laws out of the way The Democrats
allowed an imrrovldent Richmond liarbor bill TO
slip through Their hands but they did not find time
to vot. ON any tariff or currency bill They left the
Treasury under the obligations TO coin 81. 600 900
of silver dollars a month, when 1t WAS PLAIN that
silver could not he kept in circulation,
and they made no arrangements for the
payment of the bonds maturing next year. They
dd not venture To vote on the Kellogg case nor TO
rt on any of the contested election which had
been tfnmped up Without doing rs much mischief
% they had intended, they faced their constituent
cics ON the eve of general election without having
PASSED a single useful or beneficial measure.
FAILURE OF THE THIRD TERM
Meanwhile. the political parties organizing
for A most exciting Presidential campaign. On the
Kepublican side there preliminary struggle
without parallel i'll the political history of the
country. lie Grant movement had been set IN
motion under the prcteXt that II was a political
necessity i'm view of the revolutionary schemes of
IN, Solid South and its Northern allies. 10
received the powerful support of three Sem
otors who confidently hoped to carry their
State Delegations with them. lt was heralded far
and wIdo as the natural consequence OF the honors
raid to General Grant abroad and of the gratitude
and admiration of the American people. AS the
canvass Proceeded IT became clear that tins was
not a spontaneous and irresistible movement. and
that the German and Independent vote would lie
estrangcd if the nomination were TO he made. The
ground was thoroughly canvasoed by the friends
and foes of Third Term, and the struggle between
the factions was prolonged until the National Con-
yention, at Chicago, had been in session a week.
The majority against the Third Term rose from 50
nm the first test vote 10 203 before the prehm-
mary organization was completed. The great
principles of district representation and volun-
tary action Of delegates reafitmed the fun
damental law of ihe party. In The baotng the
Grant colnmn showed remarkable steadIness be-
ginning at 3Oi, not falling below 302. and closing
with 500 votes Mr. Blane's highest vote was 2S5,
received on the thirteenth aud fourteenth ballots.
General Garfield, with seventeen votes the
thlrty-fourth and fifty the thirty fifth, obtained
800 votes and the nomination on the thirty-sixth
ballot June 81. For Vice-Presldent Chester A.
Arthur was nominated on the first ballot with 46s
votes to 1913 for ex-Mnster Washburne.
TIE DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION
The Democratic nomination was made on June 2l
at Cincinnati. Uncertainty in regard 10 Mr..
Tilden's candidacy partially dispelled on
the eve of the Convention. when a letter OF
for the nomination was made public. There were
twenty names voted for the first ballot, Han
cock leading Bayard. Payne. Thurman, Field Nor
rison aud Hendricks On the next ballot, Hancock
received $40 votes to 113 fer Bayard and l29 for
Randall and by changes in tho delegations his vote
was increased to 705. BY the cheap trick OF nomi-
mating Union soldier who had defended the Cem-