New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-05-11
nRANrS TANING PROSPECTS.

It is now certain that President Grant, if NOM
mated at all at the Chicago Convention, can be
nominated only in opposition to the Will
of a majority Of the delegates, and In
defiance of the wishes of majority
of the Republican voters. The only hope
of his supporters is in the enforcement of
instructions and the unit rule. If sixty-fivc
delegates from New York, Pennsylvania, Vir-
ginia, South Carolina and Mississippi, of whom
fifty-four are believed to desire the nomination
of Mr. Blaine and eleven the nomination OF Mr..
Sherman, can he deprived of all right to vote as
thew see fit, and if their votes can be cast and
counted for General Grant, against their wishes
and the wishes of their constituents, then, INSTEAD
of the 224 votes conceded to him IN the estimate
of THE TRIBUNE, he may get 289 from the States
which have already chosen delegates; and if the
full vote of Texas should also be cast for him,
In response to the resolution of request though
not Of formal instruction, he might have 297
votes. If he could then obtain solid delegations
from Illinois, Louisiana, Alabama and Florida,
by means of the adoption and enforcement of
the unit rule in those States, his nomination
would be possible, for the four States named
cast SO votes, so that his aggregate, on
the conditions named, would DO four more than
majority of the Convention. No one claims
that the solid vote of the four States last
named can be obtained for General Grant in
any other way than by the adoption and en-
fOrcement of the unit rule even if his supporters
should secure majority in the Convention in
each State-which seems improbable. Nor does
any one claim that the entire vote OF New York,
Pennsylyania and the other States in which in
structions have been passed, can be cast for
General Grant except In disregard of the wishes
of the delegates and their constituents. General
Grants nomination appears to be impossible,
therefore, if the delegates are permitted to ex-
press their own will, or to act according to the
will of the Republicans by whom they were
chosen.
Yet the third term managers have become so
despt rate that some are still hoping for the en-
| forcement of the unit rule, in Convention Of
which clear majority of the members are OPP
| posed to General Grants nomination. They
reason that all the opponents of Mr.. Blaine will
unite to enforce the unit rule, because by that
| means only can he be deprived of large num-
Der of votes in Pennsylvania and other States.
Then. having used the friends of Sherman, Ed
| munds and Washburne to kill of Blaine by
means of the unit rule, the third term people
nropose to use the unit rule to kill off Sherman,
Edmunds, and Washburne. This plan pre-
supposes a remarkable degree of complacence or
stupidity in the friends of Sherman, Wash
burne and Edmunds. ain vain the net is
spread in the sight of any bird" it has been
said. But when the only chance of catching the
bird is to get it to spread the net for its own
capture, either the fowler or the bird must be
particularly silly.
With the unit rule enforced, in the States
which have already adopted it and in those
which the friends of Grant still hope to carry,
the ex-President might be nominated. But no
| candidate nominated in such fashion could be
elected. The Republican party will need to be
united and harmonious, in order to succeed in
tho coming election. Anything but harmony
would result, If q nomination should be made in
spite of the protests and against the will of a
clear majority of the Convention. Men who try
to make O nomination in that way might as
we'll confess O deliberate purpose to ruin the
party if they cannot Iule it. Senators COnk-
ling, Cameron and Logan are bold men, but
they will not venture to take upon themselves
the responsibility of course so extraordinary.
| Had they been able to secure a bare majority
for the ex-President without the unit rule, the
| enforcement of that Iule 70 increase his
majority, and to give greater apparent nan-