The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-05-29
The Convention.
A FIGHT FOR POSITION.
Gossip About the Organization.

Everything at present indicates that the
Convention will be long but not tedious The
shortest space which anybody seems inclined to
give it is two days: but some predict foul IT
more. The contest in Illinois will undoubted-
ly get hearing and the contestants present
ably their remarkably strong case. The unit
rule will be discussed thoroughly, and the Gin
struction" question will be fully examined.
Louisiana will get short "currying," and the
boilers having no earthly claim. will be forced
to take outside seats This is the opinion of
General Logan himself, who, it may be noted,
utterly repudiates the assertion that he tele-
graphed to Pinchback, of New Orleans, to
bolt, saying that he would guarantee the ad
mission of the boilers into the Chicago Conven-
vention.
Private and trustworthy information re-
ceived from one of the delegates of the Ala
bama delegation, shows that so far from that
State having appointed a solid Grant delega-
ton, there are four determined Sherman men
on the delegation; that they propose to estab-
lish an Alabama Sherman Headquarters
and have strong hopes of using the unit rule
in that delegation in favor of Sherman 1t is
said that the delegates from Alabama who
are supposed in the North to be for General
Grant, have, in point of fact decided views OF
their own, and representing as they do Con-
gressional districts and not the State, they in.
tend to follow the wishes of their districts
Here is another chance for prolongng the ses-
sion of the Convention,
1t is evident that the Blaine men are thor
oughly in earnest in the Illinois case. This
may be the decisive battle of the Convention,
and the Blaine men are preparing TO do their
best in it, The contest of the ten disfran-
ot, tCn1, tria -.
strength of Senator. Blaine, and perhaps by the
combined opposition, and it will be organized
and directed throughout by the political ability
at the command of General Grants opponents
1t is even proposed by some of the Blaine fol-
loving to contest the seats OF the four dele
gatesat large from Illinois, ON the ground
that hfty-six delegates from Cook County
whose seats were not contested were not per-
mltted to vote upon the report of the Commit
tee of Credentials and the Grant majority was
otherwise fraudulently made up through the
Cook County delegation.
This suggestion has been regarded favorably
by the leaders upon the Blaine SIDE but it is
not likely to be finally adopted. 1t will be op-
posed by some of the disfranchised delegates
themselves, on the ground that they would in
evitably be beaten, and that a defeat would
weaken them in the Senatorial Districts,
where they have an impregnable case.
Eugene Hale says there will be of course an
organized and determined effort to break up
the unit rule. There is reason for believing
that the Shermen men are ready to Join in the
movement. A political friend of Secretary
Sherman's says that while this is so it is the
only alliance the Sherman men could mako
with the Blaine men.
The Sherman delegates propose to have their
own candidate for chairman, whom Blaine
men can act for if they chose, and propose to
act independently. Estimating the Sherman
vote at 106, and the Blaine vote at 277, an alli-
ance of the two without outside help would
make 3S3 votes-379 being a majority-but
both these estimates include votes which cam
not be cast if the unit rule is enforced, and the
question whether the unit rule will be observed
in voting upon itself will depend much upon
the temporary chairman of the Convention
1t seems to be settled that the third-term can
didate for temporary chairman will be ex-
Postmaster-General Creswell, and for perma-
neEt chairman ex-Secretary Boutwell,, both
once of President Grants Cabinet.
The National Committee may be set down
as against Grant. Senator Cameron and other
Grant men are still claiming it, but it is re-
garded as firmly against them by those who
are best informed. Some of the Grant men
privately admit it. 1t is generally understood
that the Sherman men who helped to elect
Don Cameron chairman will act apart from
him now. This will give the opposition an i'm
portant advantage, especially as the National
Committee will make up the roll of the Con-
vention. 1t is not believed that manipulation
can alter the complexion of the committee.
1t is whispered that Senator Cameron medi-
The disclosure of the purpose to enforce the
unit rule at the outset and by its aid to capture
the temporary organization, has aroused feel
ing which alarms him. He is utterly without
experience as parliamentarian, or even as q
public speaker, and he fears that he cannot
control the Convention in the turbulent scenes
which such an attempt at bulldozing would
surely provoke. Casting about, therefore, for
somebody to put in his place, there is rumor
that, he has hit upon George G. Gorham of CAL
ifOrula (rOrham aXDprienca.
less audacity and unmeasured reckless.less. He
deserted the Republican party in his own
State last Summer, and voted and worked for
the Democratic ticket, but he never gave up
his place in the National Republican Commit
tee, and that body never thought him of
enough importance to be kicked out. If Cam
eron should carry out this scheme Gorham
would now become of the first importance,
and tho National Convention might be put in
to the hands of California adventurer who
has no standing at home, is not recognized by
the party in his own State, six months ago was
on the Democratic stump, and, as his last
change, has just been elected delegate to the
California Greenback Convention.
A well-known Republican is reported as
saying he hoped the Convention might not be
so absorbed in the Presidential fight that it
would forget to take up the question of the
basis of representation in future Conventions,
suggested by the New Hampshire Convention.
1t was time, he thought, that the Republican
party at large adopted the system already in
use by the party in many States, and gave the
States representation in the National Con-
vention proportioned strictly to the Republican
vote they cast. This would do away for the
future with the possibility that hopelessly
Democratic States could force candidate up
on the Republican party. But just there, he
feared would be the obstacle in the way of the
reform The dummy delegations from some
of the Southern States, with votes behind
them, were great convenience to the politi-
clans, who would fight for their preservation.
But if the Convention would take some means
for referring the subject to the State Conyen-
tions, some change would be enforced by pub
lie opinion. Some instances of the inequalities
cited on this point were st iSing enough. Geor-
gia, hopelessly Democratic, and, in fact, with
out any Republican party ALL will throw %
votes into the. scales, while Minnesota, which
will give electoral votes to any Republican car
didate, has but 10 votes in the Convention.
Texas, overwhelmingly Democratic, has 16
votes, where Wisconsin has but 20, and Wis
consn counts 10 electoral votes for the Repub-
lican party. Kentucky has a votes to % for
Massachusetts, and Kentucky won't go Repub-
lican this side Of Judgment Day.