New-York tribune., 1880-04-08
A HARMONIOUS CONVENTION.

lister Washburne and three Senator Edmund5.
A HARMONIOUS CONVENTION.
SUBORDiNAIION OF PERSONAL FEELING TO THE
GOOD OF THE PARIY-CHARACTBR OF THE DEL
EGArEs-THE EFFORT TO TAKE FROM DISTRICT
DELEGATIONS THE CHOICE OF DELEGATES ABAN-
DONED.
[FRoM STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRrBUSBI
NEw-HAvEN, April 7.-Of the proceedings and
the results of the Republican State Convention.
held here to-day. it may be said that. though they
afford no special cause for eatOn the part OF the
trends of any particular candidate, they do furnish
occasion for the united party to congratulate IT.
self upon an unusually harmonious and enthusiastic
demonstration, Offering most suspicious auRurles
for the future. 1t was feared by that the az
gressiye spirit by which the Edmunds movement
seemed actuated might lead, if not to collision, at
least to MISUNDERSTANDING, which would disturb
the harmony of the Convention and perhaps create
disCOrli and diViBOn.
There may have been two or three cantaDker0us
delegates who, in their anxiety to antagOnize the
leading candidates. willing to risk the har
mony of the Convention and the party by raising
an issue on candidates; but the temper Of the Con-
vention was obviously hostile to any such course,
that they made only feeble demonstration In
tentative way, and thereafter Immediately sub
sided. The impulse that guided the Convention
born Of unanimous desire for the SUCCESS, not
of any individual candidate the nom-
mating Convention. but of tho party In
the election To this aspiration all personal prefer
ences wer subordlnatcd for this all consideration
OF the claims of candidates was postponed. In some
of tho informal caucuses of the county delegations
the evening before the convention votes were taken
to indicate preferences in the matter of candidates.
and it il not unreasonable to that the dele
tooo nrda "a fhnep
Will, upon the first ballot in the convention at least
vote in accordance with those expressions Of prefer
cnce. But everybody seemed to recognize the
fact that between this time and the assembling of
the Chicago Convention il is quite possible that cir
cumstances may so change "a to alter the aspect Of
affairs and in this view there general dispOsi-
tion'to leave all to the discretion Of the Chicago
delegates without harasslng them by any instruc-
tions, either express or iuped.
The delegation, rs chosen. If polled to-day, wond
doubtless be divided upon the three candidates,
Blaine Washburne and Edmuuds, and as follows:
For Bane-Douglas, BigelOw and llOugh OF the
lid District, and Fessenden and Tweedy OF the
Iyth. For Edmunds- Robinson and UpSen Of the
Is,, and Baldwin of the IYth. For Washburn-
Brandlgee, Chadwick and Olney Of the Hid Mr.
Corbn, of the Ist District is claimed as an Ed
munds man. but with doubt IN favor of Blaine
So that the vote would very likely stand; Blaine. 81
Edmunds, : Washburne. 3. As to the second
chOice il is not easy to speak, The three delegates
from Hartford County are understood to faithfully
represent the idea upon winch the Edmunds move
ment Is confessedly based-of opposition to Blaine
and their second choice would DO any
other one of the candidates named, even
the ex-PresIdent. Tho second choice of
the WasEburne men would be Ednnnds. l think,
though they are By means so determined as the
Hartford men in their opposition to Blame. The
Blaine are pretty positive in their preference
for Blaine first. last and all the time but should 1t
come to be a second choice with them, my Judgment
is they would 20 to Washburne. This, it must be
uudcrsood is an impression of their present feeling
Circumstances may arise to alter the situation and
IN that event they are left both by thWacton of the
Convention and their own attitudeO nOncommittai
absolutely tree III their action.
The delegation is an unusually strong one. Heury
c. Robinson, of Hartford, Is one of the abltst
Republicans in the State, has been twice
candidate for Governor, iS ready and
brilliant speaker and has the confidence OF the en-
tire party. Augustus Brandigee. OF New-LondOn.
his district In the XXXVIIIrh and
XXXlXh Congresses and occupied leading and
position in the brilliant array of em-
ncnt Republicans who were mcmbers OF the House
during those two cventful sessions lll-health and
professional duties have withdrawn him somewhat
from active participation in politics for several
wears bht he has lost of the fiery eoquence aud
power which used to klndle his audiences
to enthusiasm in times, was shown when |
he took the floor in the Convention to-day |
IN ringing tive-minutes speech. Samuel c. |
Fessendcn of Stamford, is nephew Of the late Sem
atnr FcSScndeu. of Maine. lie is IL comparatively |
youuR man but in the State Legislature and pOlti.
cal campaigns Of the past three or four years has
shown unusual ability as an organizer aud leader. |
Tho other delegates are. without exception men
who have been prominent aud influential in public
life and who have the confidence OF the party.
The proceedings of tie Convention might be |
called IN comparison with other and less harmoni-
Dus bodies decorously dull Except that there was
A general good feeling which to enthusiasm
upon tho slightest OCCASION there was little TO
chronicle. Even the Hawley-Jewell controversy
was for once held In allegiance or forgotten and the
ancient rivals, New-Iaycn aud Hartford, without
my clashing of shields. sat down together In har
nonlOus council The only ripple the surface
was when at tho outset Mr.. Charles Dudley War
1er, who was chairman Of the Hartford delegation,
Introduced the resolution expressing the preference
If the Convention for either Edmunds or Wash
,urne, aud indirectly slapping other candidates
IL the face. Mr.. Warner Is no political gladiator
md the business of leading the Edmunds
,oom In this aggressive manner was plainly not to
lis taste but he was urged by others to do IT, in
rder rs they sad, to test the sense of the COrven
ion. Ex-Congressman Samuel L. Warner and Au-
ustus Drandgee opposed the resolution in speeches
Il which they clearly pointed out its effect as we'll
Ipon the harmony of the present Convention as
pon the action of the Chicago delegates about to
70 chosen, whom it would hamper unnecessarily.
nd to no good purpose. Mr.. Warmers condemna-
ion of it as In ITS terms an indirect reflection upon.
nj atfront to, other candidates than those named
7as especially forcible, and Mr. Brandigees ex-
osition Of the effect of such declaration upon the
ositon and influence of the Connecticut delegation
Chicago. brought out such earnest demonstra- |
n,a.araxral thnt Tho r,ntian 70 indaGnita