, 1880-07-04
CHICAGO.
Why No Interest Is Taken in Pol.
tics Just Now.
The Persons Who Fancy They Are
Qualified for Office This Fall,

Nuhll0EA A04 VAA4V& A4kAo ( E14ls
How the Scandinavian, Vote VIII Be
Cast This Year.
Apathy is the predominant and distin-
gushing feature Of the local political cam
paign. and, were it not for the street-cor1,er
utterances Of the of1lceseekers and their i'm
mediate friends, it would be very difficult to
realize that one Of the most important cam
paigns affecting the interests and material
welfare Of the country is now pending.
There were spurts Of enthusiasm ilnmedl-
ately after tho Republican and Democratic
Conventions, but these were purely epheln-
eral. There was no stability to either. Phe-
nomenal rs this may seem, there Is a reason
for 1t. Tie people Of Cook County had been
treated to a surfeit of politics. There were
the early spring elections, at which Alder
1ncfl and town officers were chosen, and fol-
lowing close upon their heels came the
"Anti-thirtl-ter1n VS.. Grant ca1npaigr
The latter was kept up for several
months, and assumed both proportions and
intensity to which the people of this city
were heretofore strangers. Then, in aidi-
ton, the Tildenitcs and anti-Tildenites
poured oil upon the flames, and between all
the contcnding factions the people we're
robbed Of all peace. From the market place
to the church portals there was nothing heard
but all expression Of Presidential prefer
ences. It was only natural that such nn
amount OF force so thoroughly expended
should result in reaction, and to-day there
is among the community much less interest
than at any time for four months previous to
tho holding Of the Republican Convention,
which was the first in the field. The fact,
and a stubborn one it is, is that the people
have been perfectly satisfied with the Adj
ministration Of President Hayes. It has
been remarkably free from mistakes.
scandals, or anything calculated to arouse
public feeling. Times during the past two
years have been on the whole quite prosper
Gus. There has been an active demand for
all kinds of skilled labor at good living
wages, and the unskillcd hall has been SO
thoroughly absorbed that tlle tramp is now
the exception, and tales Of suffering and mis-
fortune are about us rare as miracles. The
great bulk Of the people are satisfied to let
wol1 enough alone. They are not loaGng
around the street-corners, howling for q
change Of policy, change Of Administra-
ton. The country is prosperous. The grow
ing crops promise big yield. There has
been all immense reduction in National, State,
and private indebtedness; and those to whose
management the commercial interests of the
country have been intrusted are perfectly
coutcnt.
THIS, THEN, IS THE GREAT REASON
why the political activity Which is sought
for an1 cannot he found IS confined eXclu-
sively to those whose interest in politics is Of
the purely material and personal character.
The Republicans, being perfectly satisfied
with their record during the past four years,
and knowing that there is no popular l1ostil-
ity agninst Republican Administration, ex-
press no fears over the result In November.
The Democratic leaders, on the contrary, arc
dumbfounded. Tile enthusiasm which they
evoked over the nomination of Hancock was
due very largely to the fact that for tie first
time in years the party brought to tile front
person without q record, and it was so
strange an occurrence that the ensuing jubi-
latlon resemhied very mHGl1 the cackling
Of young pullet over the laying
of her first egg. It was confined to herself
alone. None Of the other birds In the coop
and when her music died out
there was nothing to fill its place. The bour-
geoisie Of the Democratic party-that it, that
portion Of it which is engaged in industrial
pursuits of all kinds, and has its money in
vested in all sorts Of enthuscd
over the nomination of Hancock at the start,
for tie same reason that the Dub
lin brewers horses backed up to the side
walk when they heard the call of,'' grains,"-
they were used to it, aud did it witilouttllink
ing but, on the second sober thought, they
discovered they had nothing to complain Of,
they wanted no Offices, and thence they conclul-
ed, like sensible men, to leave well enough
alone. For this reason the Democratic enthu-
3iasm played itself out like a fire Of sllayings.
IT WAS HOT WHILE TT LASTED.
but it did not last long. The furore is now
confined to the fellows who want office, the
chaps in their political employ, and the ull-
educated and untllinlling masses, who be-
[iove that Heaven would be robbed OF the
greater part of its celestial joys if Andrew
Jackson did not have front seat.
At the November election Cook County
will have many offices to fill, and the states
men who would like to fill the Cup are numer-
ous. Many Of the candidates are per Sc ex-
,cllent gentlemen and well fitted for the
positions they ain to fill, while others would,
,oal-hcnyer OIL chancery bench.
FOR THE CONGRESSIONAL HoNoRs
here is a distinguished array Of talent of |
'arious kinds, and none Of the three COLI
ilitltencies will have to go begging for can |
li.lates. III the First District there are men |
i0ncd Kirk lIaWes, Emery a. Storrs, William |
Aldrich, present member. 1rus Coy, Col. !
Abner Taylor, and Capt. White, Of the Rail- |
way Mail Service, all Republicans. Some !
ime ago 1Ir. A1dricll wrote a letter saying |
hat le would not be a candidate this fall, |
mt many Of his friends state that by this he |
meant he was determined not to go before |
he Convention and MAKE fight for the |
nomination, but would accept if it
we're unanimously rendered to him. In
'oint of ability and titness,- both
gentlemen are prominently qualified for the
roper discharge of tile es,-either Mr..
Iuwes or Mfr. Storrs would be satisfactory
u the Republicans Of the district. Chicago
> now the fourth city lit the Union, and size
hould above ait things be represented by
len who have tic breadth Of statesmen.
The Democratic brethren have only three |
a1llidates us far as heard from. john X.
loxie's friends are pushing linn to the front
igorously, but he apparently takes no i'll
crest III, their movements, for lle yesterday
Informed aTR1nUSE a reporter that lie was no
II he persists in snying SO he may
leet with all end similar to that Ut
he Sage Of Gramerey Park. The
|, T.,