The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-08-27

An Iudependent View of the Political
charlottesville Garfield Tide Rising.
New York Post Of Wednesday.
When General Hancock was nominated
for the Presidency his chances looked best
but they have since continued TO grow
worse, and they never looked so poorly as
they look now. When Mr.. Garfield was
nominated his chances looked worst; but
they have since continued to improve, and
they never looked SO well as they look
now.
These propositions are on both sides
generally admitted. They are insisted up
on by part OF the Republican press with
too confident q smack OF approaching tn
lumph. They are substantially conceded
by even the most resolute Democrats in
their prayers for unity and their beceech-
| ines that things should be done to
strengthen the canvass which ought to
have been done before and which yet
remain undone. Thus the appeal Of the
Subtitle South has in It's power to
strengthen Hancock greatly by dtsayow::
ing any intention to press the payment oil
rebel claims or rebel pensions in Con.
gress," and It's urgent but unheeded en-.
treaties to this end since August 2lst; and
the az strenuous statement OF the Herald OF
to-day that II certain precautions be not
taken, and especiallyifa certain feud re.
mains open, Mr.. Garfield will be the next
President-are in the same strain, and
through the sharp cry oil advice In critical
emergency give voice TO the accents oil
despair. m
We may add that while political carica.
lures are not always safe guides In the
way Of Representation they may some
times have weight Of suggestiyeness
which inclines voters TO the path they are
meant to counsel. Such asketch is that
Of Hancock in the current number OF
Puck; and such one was the "mask pic
ture short time ago in HGper's Weekly
The first Ia powerful Gorroboratlon OF the
wisdom OF the warning OF the Sun; the
second as significant caution against the
heterogeneous and INSCRIPTIONS elements
that circumstances have arrayed Behind
the Democratic standard.
1t Is not unfair to say that the present
aspect OF the canvass may be set down TO
the account OF the sober second thought
OF the people. The mass OF Republic
can voters respect General Han
cock; they are grateful to him
and are glad that honor in any proper
shape should be paid TO him. It was to a
general perception Of this fact that the
strength Of his candidacy was at first over
rated by his political foesas well as friends.
But the more the subiect has been sifted,
the more closely the various possibilities
for harm that a change at this period
would offer are measured, the more com.
plete has been the reversal OF the original
view. The belief OF the Republican masses
and probably Of the conservative bulk OF
the nation at large Is that we are yet
crossing the stream" and, to pursue Mr..
I.incoln'shomely but expressive metaphor,
that this therefore Is no time to swap
horses"
a struggle Of dynasties or OF religious
faiths bears only q qualified analogy to a
contest such as that through which we
have lately passed, and there are especial
points Of dissimilarity between an Ameri.
can Democrat d this and an English jag
obite OF the last century. Yet in both
cases, in the case OF the struggle between
North and South and that between the
houses OF Stuart and Brunswick, there are
also resemblances that warrant the clta-
ton OF historical precedents. Perhaps
the men or the sons OF men who fought
for Charles Edward at Culloden might, Q
generation later, have been safely trusted
with power in the service OF the success
full dynasty. But the English people did
not think 80, The English people did not
trust them. The English people thought
that to give these men control OF their
government was to risk fresh attempts Ter
the domination OF principles and interests
that had been tested, rejected and put
down, sword In hand, by the collective
might oil the nation,
Without oyerstraining the parallel we
may Justly say that in this country to-day |
there Is vast body OF patriotic conviction
having precisely the same DRIFT. The 50.
gacity Of our contemporaries Is not at iault
when in various ways they seek to stem the
force Of this current or to point out modes
Of eyading 1t. It may be that their efforts,
and other judicious TACTICS on the part OF
the conductors OF Democratic canvass,
will yet change the face Of things and
make Republican success less probable.
II may be that the conductors OF the Re-
publican canvass may fall into the error,
which now they might easily do. OF being
over confident, and 80 incur the peril Of
defeat while ALMOST in the arms OF victory.
Other things being equal, however, II the
one side continues to be no more wise and
the other to be no more foolish than 1t has
hitherto been the result foreshadowed BY
our contemporaries the SIN and the Herald
will almost certainly Justify their i'm
plicit II unwilling prophecies, aud "Mr.
Gar Geld will be the next President
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