Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-03-19

When the Grant boom was first started
the foremost reason which was urged as an
excuse for Its existence was that Gen. Grant
was the one available candidate that he
was the man whom the people were deter
mined to have who could and would surely
be elected if nominated, and who. if elected
would take his seat in the executive chair be-
yond peradventure. 1t is one of the curl
osities of preliminary political campaigning
that this argument has already lost its chief
force. Sound and sober minded Republicans.
who, at first were more than half ready TO
'hurrah for Grant, have for some time been
seriously questioning with themselves wheth-
CT, after all, Gen Grant would, il the true
sense, be a strong candidate Such men
have not the least distrust Of Gen Grants
patriotism, they have no fear Of imperialism
at his hands, they are not even frightened by
the 'third-term" cry, but they begin 10 see
that, with Grant again in nomination the
campaign must be a strictly defensive one,
and that there Is no such evidence forthcom-
ing, as was claimed, that, only let the Gen
eral be nominated, and the campaign would
run itself The Pennsylvania and New York
conventions, with their utter lack of popular
spontaneous enthusiasm for the e1-President,
and only carried for him by the dexterous
manipulation Of men like Cameron and Conk-
ling, have had SOLDERING effect Oh even the
most enthusiastic and courageous Grant men,
and many of them are forced, against their
will, TO see that, with Grant at the head Of
the ticket every old charge of "bayonet
rule, military power at elections, nepotism,
and undue influence from corrupt friends
would be dug up for use against him, while
Democratic Congressional investigating com
mittees, would rake over the dead ashes Of
the past and find abundant fuel to feed
the campaign of slanderous detraction against
him Even at this early day it begins TO be
doubtful whether Grants name will appear
at all at the Chicago convention, for it has
been asserted from the outset that he would
not allow il 10 be so used unless il was at the
express and spontaneous demand of the peo-
pie.
To great extent the objections to Gen
Grants candidacy hold good against Mr.
Blaine. Names 'fayorite son" has done ex-
cellent work for his party. He has dashed
and stirred up the Confederate brigadiers in
Congress, be has stumped States and man
aged conventions, and in his chosen role as a
''plumed knight has achieved a reputation
second to no man in the country. But Mr.
Baines ends and motives have been too pure
" personal ones he has been admired for
his briliancy rather than respected for his
sterling worth and with him il nomination
there would be the same necessity for a de-
fensive campaign a. in the case OF Gen.
Grant Aside from the weak and exposed
points in his character and public career,
which lie on the surface, his record in the
National House Of Representatives would be
mercilessly overhauled by no friendly hands,
with full power 10 send for persons and pa
pers, and the charges made against him in
the closing days OF his Speakership would be
renewed for instant use wholly unfounded
though they may have been.
of the third prominent candidate, the Hon.
John Sherman, Secretary Of the Treasury, it
seems 10 us, Of this section, not too much to
say that his chances have been for some time
on the wane, and that there is not now a rea-
sonable probability that he viii be promi-
nently pushed before the national conven-
ton. These and other similar considerations
give su bstantial grounds for the belief that
none of these leading" candidates viii win
the coveted prize, but that. when the time