The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1880-04-01
Who Shall Nominate ?
Republican States for Blaine.
How Democratica States Controlled the
Cincinnati Convention.
The Danger of Repressing Repub-
lican Enthusiasm.
Shall the 0ffense Of 1876 be
Repeated?
POLITICAL FACTS AND FIGURES

POLITICAL FACTS AND FIGURES.
The action Of the Pennsylvania Re-
publican convention, which muzzled
the Republicans of that State in their
Presidential preferences, and the dam
ger that the delegations of other
States may by the sheer force of des-
potic leadership be chosen in opposi-
ton to the desires of the masses of the
party, are matters Of vast moment,
not only to those who have waited
patiently for the time to come when
the great wrong of four years ago, at
Cincinnati, could be redressed, but to
those thinking men who, sinking all
personal feeling, will also earnestly
labor for the success Of Republican
principles in the coming national
election, irrespective of personal pref
erence as to candidates. A glance at
the record Of the National Conven-
ton Of 1876 should have the effect of
teaching political managers the ex-
treme danger of trihing at this criti-
cal period with the earnest desires of
those to whose suffrages they intend
to commit the candidate to be nomi-
mated for President at Chicago.
The Republican voters all over the
country are rising en- masse to an
nounce that they have preferences.
At no time since the campaign of
1856 have they been more eager to
express their views than at this stage
of preliminary action. They want
something more than stolid marching
in rank to deposit their ballots this
time. All Republicans honor the
hero on whom they have lavished
their choicest favors, but there are
millions of them who may prefer to
distribute honors to others who have
led them with clarion voices to peace
full victories, none the less important
that they have been won by peaceful
methods. To eliminate enthusiasm
from the coming canvass is to deprive
the Republican organization Of su-
perior vantage ground.
There is no statesman nearer the
Republican heart to-day than James
G. Blaine, whose very name and pres
Ell ce are an inspiration, and whose
persuasive eloquence has been heard
in the hardest fought battles in which
Republicanism has been victorious.
The noble support he received in 1876
was the result Of the admiration and
confidence accorded him by those who
watched him closest; not enviously,
but with feeling of growing pride
at his success and his rare courage.
Added to this is the feeling, intensi-
fed by four years delay, that to him
of all others the nomination Of 1876
should have been accorded. And the
sentiment so long dormant bursts into
expression spontaneously in Pennsyl-
vania, in the East, in the far West,
on the Pacific Slope, and in most un
expected directions, rising like so
many foaming brooks, dashing over
all Instructions, and uniting in a tor
rent that bids fair to overcome all OBJ
stacles and carry the Republican party
and its acknowledged chieftain to
victory worthy Of the days of its
grandest political triumph.
Reference to the proceedings of the
| National Convention Of 1876 affords
ample food for reflection to those who
queried why the canvass of that year
was tame, devoid of enthusiasm, so
coolly carried on. The combination
that defeated Mr. Blaine defeated the
wishes Of a majority of Republican
voters, and disappointed ten-fold more
active supporters of Republican prin-
ciples than any other act could have
done. The election of November,
1876, showed that of the thirty-eight
| States, twenty-one had given Repub-
lican pluralities, furnishing exactly
the 1S5 electoral votes necessary for
choosing President and Vice-Presi
dent And yet, of the 3S4 votes III
the Convention which gave the Presi
dental nomination to Mr.. Hayes, but
1872 came from delegates representing
these Republican States, while Of the
351 votes given Mr.. Blaine on that
decisive seventh ballot, 203 came from
these same twenty-one States. In
fact, Mr.. Hayes nomination was made
possible by the votes OF A per cent.
of the number Of delegates from the
Republican States and the votes of
222 delegates from States and Terri
tories that could not possibly aid in
the important matter Of electing the
nominee: while Mr. Blaine was denied
the nomination, although supported
by 55 per cent. Of the number of del
egates from these Republican States,
and the votes of AS delegates from
the States and Territories which could
not be expected to be Of use in the
pending election. From the twenty
one Republican States in that Con-
vention, Mr. Bristow received five
votes on the final ballot from Illinois.
Another striking fact in this con-
nection is this: President Hayes re-
ceived 4,O33,2 votes at the ensuing
election in the thirty-eight States of
the Union, and of these votes, 2,257,-
619 votes, or Sc per cent. of the entire
. Republican vote, was cast in twenty
of the twenty-one Republican States
that had indicated Blaine as their
choice in the nominating Convention.
Colorado chose its electors through
the Legislature. The twenty Repub-
lcan States which held elections at
which the people voted directly for
electors, gave Mr. Hayes clear plu-
: rality Of 316.465 votes. In the Dem
| ocratic States Mr.. Tilden received