River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-04-22
PRESIDENTIAL.

called upon to express, throug h
chosen delegates, their pref
erence for a stand lard bearer in
the Presidential campaign of, 1880, and
in view of the near approach of the
primaries and conventions through
which this preference is to be express
ed we now, as public journalists, take
occasion to make a few observations
! upon this question.
While recognizing the soldierly quail
| tiles of General Grant, his superiority
rs military commander, his patriotic
devotion to the country, the distin-
guished consideration with which he
has been received ly the crowned
monarchs of the OH World as IA repre-
sentative citizen OF this great Repub-
lie, and awarding to him that full
need of praise to which he is entitled,
we would prefer thlt he should not be
made the nominee of the Chicago Con-
vention. Though we do not take issue
against third term as an abstract
proposition, General Grant has already
been the recipient of the highest hon
ors, both civil and military, that it is
within the power Of the people of the
| United States to confer. and there are
many Republicans who will not vote
| to place him in the White House for a
| h IL What HOY n thnir o.
fusal to do so is based upon tenable
grounds it is not our purpose here to
discuss; the fact that the class indicat-
ed will not again support Grant for the
Presidency is clearly apparent, and
| they have already manifested a pur-
pose to place themselves in position,
in case of his nomination at Chicago,
to enter an effectual protest against
his election, by casting enough votes
in New York for an anti-third term
| candidate, to give the electoral vote
of the Empire State to the Democratic
nominee.
Hon. James G, Blaine has hereto
fore been favorite among the Re-
| publicans of Wisconsin as a Presiden-
tial candidate, but we observe grow
ing distrust in his availability. In
his vehement ambition to become
President he has waged an aggressive
warfare, and it seems to us uncalled
for, upon the friends Of Grant and
| Sherman, who will not fail to resent
which the Indifference of the more
active Republicans of New York would
have the same effect upon him that
the action of the anti-third termers
would have upon Grant.
Secretary Sherman also has boom
| which, though not of sufficient strength
to secure him the nomination has
reached such proportions as to excite
the jealousy of his more pretentious
rivals and made him too conspicuous
to be groomed as clark horse.
The approaching Presidential cleo
ton will be one of grave Importance
and the Republican party cannot af-
ford to jeopardize its chances of sue
cess for the purpose of gratifying the
ambition of any man. The chances of
victory with this aspirant or that as
the nominee, should be calmly and
candidly discussed in the convention,
and if there is reasonable prospect
that by dropping Grant, Blame and
Sherman, who by common consent
have been considered the only prom
inent aspirants, and nominating anoth-
er the interests of the party would be
advanced, the convention should not
hesitate to take such step. The
iealousies and animositles that have
been engendered among the respective
friends of Grant, Blaine and Sherman,
and which are constantly increasing
: as the time fixed for the National Con
, vention draws near, cannot fail tc
= prove injurious to the party in case OF
the nomination of either of these as
pirants, and we believe it would be
we'll for the more conseI vative of the
delegates to unite in an effort to Sc
cure the nomination of some one who
has not been nursing a "boom; ont
who has national reputation for IN
tegrity, ability, moderation, and
; steadfast devotion to Republican prln
ciples; one whose private charactel
, and official record are uDassailable
one who is entirely free from all en-
tangling alliances; one whose nomina
ton would harmOniZe the dlscordan
n elements in the Republican party ant
at the same time prove especially sat
isfactery to the large body of German
voters; in short, one in whom is com
bined avGilabitity with all other char
acteristics SO desirable in Presiden
tial candidate-Hon. E. B. Washburn
, of Illinois. With Washburne as tn
standard-bearer of the Republican par
ty III 1880, and Gen. Woodford, o
: New York, or Gen. Chamberlain, 20
Maine. for Vice President, Republl
cans could give their ticket cordia
: support and labor cheerfully for 1t
V success.