The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-05-27
OUR CHICAGO LETTER.
The Danger of Nominating Tilden
Irish GrantiSm Rampant.
Correspondence SALT LAKE HERALD
CHICAGO. May 20. 1880.

AANASSs Aoy ~ AOCOs
The Illinois convention has been a
fairly won for Grant as most oonven.
lions are for any candidate. Ofcourse
the machine has done it, as it most
Always does, the only question being
whether the machine is in the hands
OF the people, or is run by q few men.
In Illinois Senator Logan ia the
machine; the bulk Of the republicans
care nothing for Grant, his following
comprising mainly few enthusiastic
stalwarts, the old Grant ring and the
Logan colerie. The Hayes adminie-
tration Influences, so far as they
actively worked, were employed in
the Grant interest, the bulk of the
young, eEterprising, ambitious mem
beers OF the party we're for Blaine, or
Wsshburne, or in other words, for q
new deal in national politics and
official spoils. The rank and file
fought steadily in opposition to the
third term, not as mere sentiment,
but for practical end. "Of Giant
ism the country has had a surIeit;;"
''if We have but one man fit for presi-
dent, let Us elect him for life" ''the
Grant administration was the most
corrupt in our history" are the emil
nent phrases in republican circles,
and it remains to be seen whether
time will reconcile their authors to an
acceptance of the inevitable by the
support of the man who has developed
his capacity to force himself upon an
party.
The question Of the Chicago COZ
vention being thus virtually settled,
it remains for the Cincinnati gather
ing to determine the fate OF Grant.
ism. With a third term candidate
actually in the field, AMI such can
didate, it ought to be an easy matter
to annlhilAte the republican party in
November. The democrats may do
this with Mr.. Tilden, but l believe he
would be the most unfortunate csndi-I
late that could be selected. Perhaps
the integrity and patriotism OF the
democratic party might carry him
through in the event of his nomina-
ion, as it did in 1876, but it must be
borne in mind, that he is not the
choice of the people, though evidently
the machinery Of the
party. He stands to the democrats
n a position not unlike that Of Grant
o the republicans. His campaign |
endered him unssvory. He claimed |
o be the directing and controlling |
and wheu the crisis
,ame and his course failed, ne shuf.
led the responsibility OF failure upon |
,lhers. What right has he to avail
himself Of a fraud which was the
.eeult either of blunder on his OWL
part, or a timidiIy unworthy the
eader of great party? You know,
Mr.. Editor. how eagerly We demo-
;rats of Salt Lake City watched dur.
ng the tendency of Zach. Chandler's
,ulIdozing experiments OF 1867, for
,ne word from Samuel j. Tilden, that
never came. You remember the
Oregon Patrick farce, which SO
ainted Tilden and weakened his
cause. You have not forgotten how
our friends in Congress worried,
while the sage's ipjudicious agents
Iorbore to raise the hand inst would
nave called to Washington an army
If democrats to beat the rightiul
president. Do we want such a blum
Ter repeated2 I fear the task OF ex-
those absurd methods OF
would make a ridicu-
GUS feature of another Tilden cam
oaign, which for one democrat, I do
lot care to have repeated.
The democrats have perhaps surely
Grant as their weakest
antagonist. But let u. look ct it in
another light. Grants nomination
viii create disafection among the
American clements of his party In
influential quarters. There are the
Jurtises, the Parke GodWins and the
ligh-toned New England classes
But peither the Blaine nor the Sher-
nan faction will bolt, and the bulk Of
he republican struggle will be voted |
,ur the horseback man. There is,
loWeVer, a genuine element OF voting |
power which the GRANTEES claim with |
reason. This has been
heretofore mainly democratic, but it
sas gradually been growing FESTIVE
md disconnected, for various reasons. |
refer TO the Irish citizenship, especi-
slly of Chicago, and to the young
[rishmen who have recently reached
The republicans have
lone considerable work and spent
much money in organizing break Of
he Irish voters from the democracy,
and these effects are beginning to tell.
have reason 10 believe that promises
If liberal patronage have been made
oy the Grant men, contingent upon
he realization of q certain Irish
support, aud it is also generally
understood among these mercensries
hat the cause of Ireland in America
will receive a positive impetus from
The coming Grant administration. tt
should also be said that the Irish
generally are advisers of Grant, his
style of lie and psrsousI charao-
seeming to harmonic with
their national traits and peculiarilies.
On the other hand. Tilden is not 9
prime iavorite with this clsss. He is
too reticent aud contemplative in his
moeds, aud not sufficiently frank
and straightforward to sui! the
Irish character. The question to be
decided by the democrats in this
regard is this: II Tilden is nominal ed
and the Kelly bolt continues, the
Irish vote alone in the great oilies, il
it can be turned to Grant, will enable
him to carry New York, Illinois, New
Jersey and Ohio, to say nothing of
Indians. The material for 8 Grant
victory over Tilden, if this theory can
be realized, is thus readily provided.
With any popular democratic candi
date, whose nomination would not
arouse the ire of John Kelly and his
colleagues no such effective Irish
union in favor of Grant could be an
tioipated as may be reslizsd should
Tilden be the standard bearer. These
facts alone should lead to the defeat