American citizen., 1880-08-07
The Campaign and Its Probabilities.

Speaking OF the approaching cam
paign, the Detroit Free Press says: The
nomination of General Hancock has
completely demoralized the Republican
machine. 1t has utterly ruined their
plan of the campaign. Whatever un-
certainty the Republican managers felt
on other points, they were sure that
they could fall back upon the "war
ISSUE" 1t has been fought out long
since. The vitality has long been
squeezed out of it. But the managers
intended to dress up the skeleton and
parade it through the campaign for the
stalwarts and the faithful to rally
around. The selection of Hancock de-
prives them of even this poor possibili-
ty. There is not only no part for such
a skeleton to play, there is not even
room for the ghost of the war issue.
| The old ISLANDERS and battle cries and
crimson emblems have been swept
aside. The campaign must be fought
on living issues. The Republicans
must win, if at all, by the strength of
their own cause. not by the imaginary
or alleged weakness of the cause of
their Opponents.
How little chance there is of winning
in such conflict the Republican dejec-
tion shows. The corrupt and extrava-
giant record of the party can no longer
be ignored and placed in the back
ground while outrages are discussed and
dilated upon. 1t must be defended or
apologized or, and both defense and
apology are impossible. With a STAIN
less candidate, around whom the party
could rally with enthusiasm, progress
might still be made in popular approba-
tion. But the stainless candidate is on
the Democratic ticket. Scarcely three
weeks nominated, General Garfield al
ready finds himself involved inextrica-
bly, in defensive campaign. The
journals which were expected to be
sounding his praises, the orators who
were counted on for rhapsodical exalta-
tion of his name, the poets who were to
sing pBans in his praise, have all been
driven to the whitewash brush and are
busily daubing away in the vain hope
that they may be able to efface some of
the darkest spots in his record. Already
the rank and file which hastily well
coined Garfield as a relief from the bad
possibility of Grant and the worse posi-
bility of Blaine, begin to see that his is
little magnetism is almost as bad as too
much.
In its details. too. the campaign pre-
sents very awkward features. In the
first place Maine must be assured in
September, in the sacred name of
prestige;" for, in the Republican
shibboleth, "as goes Maine, so goes
the Union.'' Ordinarily this is mat
ter of no difficulty, for Maine is as sure
as Iowa. But this year Muine has
squally look. The blood of the oppo-
nents of Republicanism is up and ap-
pearances indicate a stubborn fight.
The assessment of the faithful will have
to begin early and will be tolerably op-
pressive if Maine is to be saved. Then
Ohio is to be secured in October, which
means another assessment, and great
effort must be made to keep Indiana
from the Democracy. Pennsylvania,
too, with a candidate on the Democratic
ticket, will need constant looking after
Take it all in all the Republican out
look is not happy one.
In one respect, however, the Repub-
lican party has a decided advantage
1t has organization and discipline-in a
ever, it can easily be deprived of this |
by prompt, energetic action
on the part of the Democracy. Let the |
and in the townships. in the cities and
in the counties. Form clubs. appoint
secure canvass and meet
ization and discipline! So let the De-
mocracy be put in position to avail it
self of the grand probabilities which a
under gallant leaders like
Hancock and English presents.