Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-05-22

necessary to take into consideration the
late st. Louis Convention of anti. third
termers. At that Convention it was re-
solved to put third candidate in the
| field in the event of Grants nomination at
| Chicago, and committee of one hundred
was appointed to take the necessary steps
in that contingency. The men who met on
that occasion were assuredly in earnest,
and they were as Enthusiastically representa-
tive men. They stood for large and in
tiuential element an element which is not
only irreconcilably hostile to the third
term scheme, but which is equally opposed
to the nomination of the particular candi-
date now beirg pushed SO determinedly to
! the front. 1t must therefore be counted
as among the certainties that if Grant is
nominated third candidate will be put in
the field. No doubt much will de-
pend upon who that candidate is,
but it must be assumed that a man will be
| selected of sufficient character and repute
to secure the hearty support of all the Re
pubicans who are opposed to Grant and
the third term. 1t viii of course be
claimed that such movement cannot
seriously injure the Republican prospects,
but no one who realizes the extreme close
ness of party strength even when no dis
organizing influences are in operation, can
regard such an outlook without grave
misgiving It must also be considered
that the probable action OF the Democrats
threatens to strengthen the independent
movement At present there seems no
reason to doubt that ,Tilden viii be the
Democratic nominee, and if he is it is very
certain that no dissatisfied Republican
will think of voting the Democratic ticket.
In such 4 case there must be tendency
in certain elements in both parties to CEN
ter upon the third candidate. This tend
ency may not be strong in the Democratic
party, but it will be very strong among
Republicans. Can the Republican party
hope to win under such circumstances?
We are aware that the machine managers
have calculated upon the abandonment of
all serious opposition as soon as Grant was
nominated, but from a careful study of the
indications throughout the country we are
convinced that they are deceiving them
selves in this. There is strongly marked
and firm determination in many quarters
not to accept Grant as candidate,
and we entertain no doubt that this
determination viii be held to unhinch-
ingly. The fact therefore must be fully
recognized that the nomination of Grant
will be the signal for such a
break in the Republican ranks as has
never occurred before, aud that this
break will take place at time when every
Republican vote is needed to make victory
at the polls possible. The Grant managers
apparently have it in their power now to
put their programme through, but they do
not possess the power to make the Repub-
hcan masses indorse their policy, and as
the case stands this really involves the
whole outcome of the campaign. The
party could never so i'll afford to lose votes
as this year yet if Grant is nominated it
may be said that it was never so certain to
lose them. 1t is difficult to understand
how those who desire to see the Republi-
can party successful can approve course
which is on its face SO hopeless as that
now being pursued. 1t may be alleged
that the indications of disaffection are ex-
aggerated, but our observation does not
warrant that view. On the contrary, we
think the opposition to Grant in many of
the Eastern States is far stronger and
deeper than has yet appeared, and that
consequently the nomination of a third
candidate threatens to produce a disrup-
ton which will at once be seen to be fatal
to all hopes of success for the regular
nominee. This is the present outlook,
and we see no probability of its modifica-
ton. 1t is of course equally useless to ad-
wise or complain at such juncture, but it
is impossible not to realize that the whole
Grant movement has been an extraordinary
piece of infatuatlon.