New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-04-19

OVERWHELMING DEFEAT,
TrEoN sTAPP CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE'l
WORCESTER, Mass, April 16.-In no Northern
gtate has the Grant movement had better chance
for snccess than in Massachusetts, Most OF the old
Republican leaders favored it. The cooperation OF
four ex-GovernOrs in it's behalf is Well-known. Inc
BosOn Advertiser now intmates that every Republic
can ex-G Governor in the State is Grant man. lts
list includes Boutwell,, Rice Clafn. Bullock, Banks
and Talbot, but makes no mention OF WasnDurn'
Without stopping to seek for the causes of the SYM
patty between these exExeCutives and the eX-Pres-
ident it is enough to say that they arc all men OF
considerable popularity and influence in the pohtics
of their State. Even General Banks, whose poht'-
cal consistency IL not conspicuous is the favOrite OF
Republican conventions and Is loudly applauded
whenever he appears upon the platform. Such
combination OF forces has not been enlisted in
Grants support in any other State. Furthermore 1t
was not antagOnized by any political leaders OF
prominent position. Senator Hoar was understood
to be opposed to the tbrd-term scheme buth
no active efforts to cOunteractits progress Inc let
ter which he wrote seemed designed to prepare MS
constituents minds for the support of Grant IN case
he should be nominated, rather than TO encourage
them to oppose his nomination. Senator Dawes
expressed himself plainly enough in private con-
VersaHon, but took no public stand against the eX-
President Meanwhile the boom got good deal OF
Boston TrauCller began last Summer a vigorous
Grant propaganla and The Springfield Union soon
after struck the same note. The Boston Adrertser
WAS rather noncommittal until it's editor returned
from the South early in January, when IL swung out
a. a pronounced Grant organ. Its circulation
among the solid aud influential classes made its AID
an exceedingly valuable acquisition. The Journal
which likes to be sure it is in line with the ma
iority of the party before taking position
on n cOntrOverted question, leaned toward
Grant q little at first, and then straight
ened mp and presented an attitude OF smll-
ing impartiality, The only Republican paper in
Boston which fought the thrd-term scheme from
the start was The Transcript. whose candidate was
Secretary Sherman. The Herald. an independent
paper, struck at both Grant and Blaine with ndis-
cr,minate energy In the Western part Of the State
The Springfield Republican was strongly anti
Grant. The old-fashiOned conservative WoT-
csster SPY did not take much part in the strife
until il found O candidate to its liking in Senator
Edmunds WHOM it took up tho cudgsis against Grant
and used them with excellent effect.
Il will be seen that with powerful support In
the Republican press and with the active backing
or silent acuuescence Of nearly all the influential
RepubIican leaders in tho State, the Grant move
| ment in Massachusetts started OF with brilliant
prospects. 1t had still another element of strength
| the widespread uOoblltJ w WIS OA"'"N' ~~'-'J
people who had no liking for Grant were impeled
| toward him by the feeling that their State pride
| OBLIGED them TO oppose Blaine. The hostility OF
Massachusetts, to Blaine is Of the curious prob
| lems of current politics. All the other Ncw-Eng-
land States arc friendly to him. Maino and Rhode
| island have given him their vote. neutrality-suspicious.
will do tho same Half Of tho Connecticut delegates
| support him. Vermont would support him II she
| had not candidate OF her own. Massachusetts
alone, assuming superior POLITICAL morality. pro
| L., kfFtor in r.
| which warrants her hostility. At the CINCINNATI
Convention in 1875 she stood like asurly Jog IN mo
yTay Of his success. Since then her hostility has
heen revived aud intensified by his attack upon her
IN the Fisher Statue speech; and she - nov
Thought that speech the most iuiudcious act on MS
lie He seemed to 90 out Of his way TO irritate
State whose opposition coat MN the noinltlon III
| 1876 and whose Delegates might have It ~ ther
| power to again defeat him this year heard quite
! another view from Maine man whom met on the
cars the other dav ana VINO insisted lnaJ blalne
made the speech after careful deberaton aB 70 lts
| effect. " You see," SAID this gentleman, the
| WoSsochusetts peopIe have never forgiven US for
| ssDarating from them aud setting mp State Of
our own. They think wo ought to have been proud
| to DO an appanage OF Massachusetts Tor Az
i'm National affairs they always snCcr and roll up the
| whites OF their eyes, as " they knew something
GhOOkingy bad about him II they only cared to tell
it. This sSrb of thing ls damaging 20 man In Otner
| States. 1t hurt Blaine in 1876. He got tired OF
| submitting 20 it, and determined, as tho lawyers
! cav to change the issue and give Aassa-
| ohusetta good reason for her opposition. SO he
LicLed and cuf6ed the state severely In his Fisher
speech. Now, whom any ma@sSGhusrtts man begins
| state tho ansWer is Oh, we know what's the mat
| ter with you Massachusetts, peOplc That speech
| Of Blaiues about the statue Is what ails you. OF
course Won are opposed to Blaine. He gave your
State a tremendous humping. Ihus, you SEQ the
moral influence OF Massachusetts,, of which You hear
so much, is pretty vol counteracted. Blaine could
not have got her vote at Chicago in any case. All
that he could do was to keep her from damaging
him in other States"
| Grantism in Massachusetts had not only the ad-
vantage of influential Leadership and OF the local
prejudice against the only powerful anti-GrAnt can
didate Il had no organized opposition to on
| counter. No prominent public man came forward
to oppose IT. The popular feeling against tho third
vague. Il had no candidate upon whom to centre
until Vermont named EdmundA, and it did not rally
to his support with much alacrity It was so very
quiet and uudemonstratiye that the Grant leaders
Thought IL did not amount to much. and confidently
expected to carry the State Convention up to the
very day when the delegates were chosen. The vote
of nearly three to one against the Grant ticket
in the Convention was the deliberate ex-
preston by the Republican party Of Massa-
ful consideration. The speeches Of old-tme
popular leaders in favor Of tho e1Pre5dent had no
effect upon the delegates. They had heard all the
arguments before, and had made up their minds. A
more Intelligent or more decisive verdict has rarely
been given by representative body. The decline
Of Grantism began in Massachusetts, the moment
the people began to seriously reflect upon the ones
ton OF Recommending tho ex-President. The only
t,cHns should have been blind TO what was gong
on in the public mind until the Convention opened
their eyes. Tho lesson Is plain enough. II with 50
MANY peculiar circumstance fayoring the ex-Presi-
dent in this State the verdict is Overwhelmingly
against his candidacy, what can he expect in the
other Republican States that have yet TO express
| themselVesf And what could no have accomplished
anywhere but for snap judgments taken upon
the people by machine managers" aud party
bosses ~ z. ". 8.
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THE NEW OPERA House PROJECT
Among the men who have become stockholders in
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