The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-01-05
Sim mons on Grant and Tilden.
ISau Francisco Chropicte1

William A. Simmons, Ex-Collector of
the port of Boston, and widely known
and influential Republican of Massachu-
sets, is sojourning at present at the Pal
ace Hotel en- route to Arizona. In re-
sponse to question as to the condition
of affairs east of the Rockies Mr.. Sim
mons said: 'Things are politically very
quiet in the East at present, and, as a
matter of course, it is too soon to forecast
events with any great certainty. Never
theless, my personal convictions are al
ready formed, and they are that U. s.
Grant will be the next President. i am
entirely out of politics myself. My rea-
son for thinking as do is that Grant can
carry the doubtful States for the Re-
publican party, and he is the
only man that can. Will he take the
nomination? He certainly will, in my
opinion, if it is rendered to him with any
degree of unanimity. The statements
made that he will not take it if he is
made the President of the Nicaragua
Transit Company, or some other position
that will furnish him an ample compe-
tency, I do not believe, and I feel certain
that he will take the nomination if the
people want him to. In my opinion it
is equally certain that he will get
| it. The delegations of the various
States will send electors there to vote
for Grant. They may cast a complimen.
tary vote for him. but Sherman and
Blaine are too astute as politicians to
put themselves in the way Of the politi-
cal Juggernaut that Grant promises to
be. Conkling will be for him, with New
York at his back. What his ambition
or designs would be with Grant out of
the way, I can not say. The three
men-Conkling, Blaine and Sherman
would doubtless bitterly oppose each
other; but no one of them would run
against Grant, and rbelieve that when
that convention meets, Bob Ingersoll,
who may be there, or somebody of his
kind, will get up and make little
speech that will stir them up just as
every mention Of Grants name did in
Massachusetts, during the last cam
paign, and they will nominate him by
acclamation. consider his nomination
as necessity for the party in order to
carry the doubtful States. I believe he
will carry New York, and I believe he
is the only man who can carry itfor the
Republicans. Ibelieve that Tilden will
be the Democratic nominee, because ]
don't see how they are going to get rid
Of him. 1t seems to me that while he
will be the easiest man for Grant to beat
it would be simple suicide for the De-
mocracy to refuse him the nomination,
since he would protect his whispering in
fuences throughout his State and beat
anybody else they put up. Grant can
carry New York, I believe, through the
disafection towards Tilden Of both the
Kelly wing and the honest and better
portion of the party there, who never
took kindly to the expose of his unscru-
pulous trickery in the Oregon business,
the railroad stealing and the cipher dis
patches and who would prefer Bayard
While would not lay much stress on
this, l think that Grants prestige and
the ingrained belief and confidence in
him that the people have will carry all
the floating vote, while his known hard
money proclivities make him solid
with the mercantile circles"