Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-02-26

February Is 1890. For the year 5000.
The DOings at Utica.
Though the instructions contained In the re-
solution adopted by the Utica convention yes
terday are not as imperative as it was supposed
Senator Conkling would insist upon, the COM
mand to the delegation to use their earnest and
united efforts" to secure the nomination Of Gen.
Grant is, In fact, Just about as binding upon the
delegates as the unit rule. Senator Conkling
seems to have pro1ted by the experience of
Senator Cameron, and he coucheS the instruc-
tons in rather softer terms than the latter en-
ployed. The action OF the Utica conven-
ton In tnstructing for General Grant
neither surprises nor diSappoints anybody
who has kept at all informed upon
current political events. The primary elections
and caucuses in New York developed strong
anti-Grant element in the republican party, but
1t was plain that this element would be in the
minority at the convention. When 1t came to
voting upon the resolution OF instruction, how
ever this minority exhibited a strength that
must have made the machine" tremble little
There were 40 delegates entitled to vote in the
convention, but on the resolution Of instruction
only 39T votes were recorded. The motion to
amend the resolution by substituting the name
of Blaine for that Of Grant received $50 votes to
2i7 against 1t, majority Of but 81 for the third
..
the entire anti Grant force in the convention or
not, nothing transplred to enable an outsider to
determine The presumption is that the mi
nority vote on the proposition represented the
Blaine following, and therefore the issue of
Grant, or ant-Grant, was not Squarely
presented. There was chance only to
express choice between Grant and Blaine. Pos
sibly had the question of instructing for Grant
been presented in such shape as not to COM
init those voting against 1t to another candidate,
the majority for the machine might have been
still smaller than 1t was. The result, however,
is to VIRTUALLY pledge the seventy votes Of the
state in the Chicago convention to Gen. Grant
and this, added to the f1fty-eight votes of Penn
Sylvania, gives the boom pretty healthy appear
ance. The only states that have chosen dele
gates so far have declared for Grant, and those
are the two largest states in the Union. 1t is
not likely that MeSSrS. COnkling, Cameron and
other leaders OF the Grant movement are worry
ing themselves over the size of the majority by
which they have won They have carried their
point, and that is the material thing. 1t Is the
anti-Grant republicans who are figuring up the
size Of the minority, and pointing out how
much damage could be done to the party by
a revolt. But the Grant managers do not per-
NIT the threats and mutterings of the defeated
to deter them for moment In carrying out
spirit and discipline to bring the disconnected
into line by election day. There is no sign that
the skilled politicians, who are managing the
Grant movement, feel any doubt Of their can
didateS receiving the full support of his party
at the polls. They count upon This, and as the
speech OF Senator Conkling in the Utica con-
ventioD, yesterday, shows, they believe he can
snatch from the democrats several of the
: southern states They calculate upon the en-
4, SO
among the colored voters of the SOUTH bringing
out enough OF these voters to reverse results of
the last elections in two or three of these
states. Gen. Grant Is now considerably ahead
of any OF the other candidates of the republican
party, and the men who are backing him do
not intend this advantage shall be lessened If
they can help it.
Senator Butler has introduced a bill to pre-
hibit federal Office holders from contributing to
campaign funds, and 1t Is expected that the
measure will come up for consideration some
time during the present session. bill of this
character was brought before the House In the
ate extra session, but it was opposed with so
much yigor by the republicans that it went
over. This opposition was based mainly upon
the sweeping character OF the bill, the republi-
cans protesting themselves willing TO prohibit
assessments. for political purposes, upon gov
nor justice, they insisted, In forbiddlng these
employees, under penalties, the privilege of vol
unfairly giving money for use in political cam
paigns. 1t Is, perhaps, natural for the party in
Congress which is in opposition to the admins
tratton, to urge bills of this sort, and for
the party which gets the benefit of the
office-holders contributions to fight them
Were the democrats In possession of
the federal administration it is quite
likely that nothing would be heard from their
side with regard to the ''evils OF assessments
for campaign purposes" and it is just as likely
that the republicans would be constantly en-
larging upon these evils, just as the democrats
now are. The Senate, however, can be relied
upon to give this subject more impartial con-
Sideration than 1t received in the House, and In
the former body the subject may be placed
above party considerations 1t would, perhaps
be going too far for statute to forbid a gov
eminent employe giving his money to politics
II he desired. but bill to prohibit the levying
OF assessments for political purposes would
give very general satisfaction.
horse car without horses, and to be driven
by what may be called bottled-up steam, has
been constructed In Boston, and is about to be
placed on the streets for practical tests. The
objection is urged to it, however, that 1t will
brighten horses, who are not accustomed to
meeting conveyances with no visible motive
power, and that therefore it will not be safe or
prudent TO allow it to run. Is progress in every
direction to be thwarted by the whims of horses,
and the interest of those who own them? Have
not persons who choose to ride on bicycle or
steam carriage rights as well as those who ride
upon or drive horse? II not the Centaur
would be the natural ruler of mankind, and he
made great fool Of himself when he allowed
himself to go out Of existence.
The Boston Herald has applied the statistical
political pressure to the Massachusetts, Senate
Grant and Sherman were found to be the choice
OF the same number OF senators, and Sherman
the second choice OF three more than Grant.
Blaine and Edmunds had an equal hold upon
the affections of members, while Washburne
Hayes, Bayard and Seymour had a following.
The Hayes sentiment, the Herald says, would
have developed more extensively were he not
looked upon as out OF the question.
The friends of Senator Bayard deny that he
made disloyal speech In 1861, and they pro-