The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-05-31
THE STRUGGLE.
How Things Look at Chicago.
CONFIDENCE OF THE BLAINE MEN.

the place of the convention because they sup
posed it to be the most favorable place, it has
turned out to be the worst city they could
have. The Cook-county fight has filled Chica-
go with rage. General Arthur of the New
York advance guard, is confident of Grants
nomination. He says there has been no in
crease in the number of anti-Grant men in
the New York delegation since the public an
nouncements were made, and does not believe
there will be any. He thinks the number of
delegates who will not feel in honor bound
| by the instructions of the convention will be
small, and says that if any delegate had arisen
| in the Utica convention and stated that he
would not abide by the instructions of the
| convention, the convention would have re-
| moved him and appointed another man
! in his stead. Ex-Governor Dennison of Ohio
thinks that conceding Grant everything, he
may get 324 votes on the first ballot and $50 or
354 on the second, but will stop there, that this
| will be all the votes lie can possibly get, and
| he will then fall off. There is much talk of an
attempt on the part of the Grant men
| to seduce Sherman's Southern delegates
| away from him by nominating him
for ViceI President. The Sherman mon
could go into this movement with the appar-
ent intention of getting for Sherman the best
that could be got, while, at the same time they
cOnld make terms with the Grant people.
The Sherman people say Sherman would not
accept the second place if it was rendered to
him unanimously. Lieutenant Governor Hos
kins of New York, Ben Harrison of Indiana
and Ex-Governor Davis of Texas are among
the latest vice presidential candidates. The
Grant Pennsylvania delegates are declaring
that the Blaine vote will not exceed light.
There is the best of spirit between the Blaine
and Sherman men, and there will be earn
est union of all the anti-Grant men to break
the unit rule.
Edmunds is said to be Logan's second choice,
and Sherman Cameron's Four of the Missis-
Sippi delegation are for Blaine, and six each
for Grant and Sherman. j. S. Runnell of
Iowa reports the sentiment of his delegation TO
be unit for Blaine and against third term.
They don't want any unit rule enforced ON
them. e. G. Greene divides the Tennessee
delegation into half for Grant, half for Blaine
and all, "a, pledged against the unit rule.
Elihu Enos of Waukesha, Wis, divides his
delegation thus: Washburne 8, Blaine s.,
Sherman 3, Grant l. opposed to the unit rule,
10. E. E. Wood of Kentucky says that three
of the delegation prefer Sherman and
one Blaine, and the delegation will vote-20
to ito sustain the unit rule. The Chicago
Times reckons the first ballot, if the unit rule
is not enforced. Grant 800, Blaine 2S4, and
Sherman 96. Washburne is said to be the sec
ond choice of Indiana and Connecticut, and
bis friends are feeling hopeful Mr.. Blaine
will not go to Chicago.
George Alfred Townsend says the best judg-
ment determinable is that it is nearly even
thing between Grant and his adversaries, with
both sides stalwart. Perhaps tho burden of
opinion is slightly against Grant securing the
nomination on the first ballot. His advocates
maintain that if this was true still they would
not desert him, ballot after ballot, but stand
to the rack and wait for reinforcements. A
feature somewhat overlooked i'll this organiza-
tion is the rapport between Grant i'll person
and his supporters. He is in the State OF Illi-
nois, at no great distance from this conven-
ton, seeing the Chicago papers within few
hours,a after their issues, and thus learning the
full feeling here. His political people have
stored him up on the fight, getting advice
of him on the subject, and they must continue
the contest, having committed him, till he
breaks the spell and withdraws. How can
they fly from him? Silent as the sphinx, yet
with eyes wide open, he looks at the conven-
ton as if it might be caravan or vacancy.
and the lieutenants who manage his case feel
the discipline OF his silence. They work like
the servants of destiny. Grants men here
are generally old marshals, without frivolity
Blaine's men are more agile, wiry, talkative
people, depending upon public opinion and
parliamentary expertness. Sherinan's men
are negative in their manner, saying little
against other men, but waiting for some gen.
tie miracle like the angel descending to stir
with her toe the healing fount. 1t is battle
between discipline, friskiness and great ex-
pectationS.
The Grant mass meeting tonight will be
held in Dearborn Park and the Blaine meeting
at the base ball park. Only high board
fence separates the meetings, and as they will
be held at the same time the stradlers will
have excellent facilities.
Mr.. Frye will present Senator Blaine's name,
and it will be seconded by Mr.. Joy, chairman
of the Michigan delegation. Gen. Garfield
will present Sherman and Senator Conkling
Grant. Senator Hoar's name has been dis
cussed as that of a temporary chairman, who
would be acceptable to the friends of both Mr..
Blaine and Mr.. Sherman, and there is good
reason to believe that there was a strong dispo-
Sition at the time to agree upon him, as the
Senator does not favor either candidate. The
opinion of his fairness and impartiality was
very strong, but recently there has been more
talk among the Blaine mon about Gov. Foster,
OF Ohio, who it was supposed would be espec-
tally acceptable to Secretary Sherman friends.
Congressman Butterworth, of Ohio, has also
been proposed. Either would make good
chairman. Gov. Foster would unquestionably
succeed in that capacity, but the friends Ct
Secretary Sherman refuse to accede to this
proposal, and their action reveals one of the
hidden currents of the convention which may
have to much to do with its final result.
They frankly admit that they have not got tho
votes to nominate their candidate, and they
can only succeed by getting the votes of Blame
or Grant men in case either or both of those
candidates should be withdrawn. They are
unwilling therefore, to do anything to offend
either of the great factions ill the convention,
and it does not do them injustice to say that
the third-term men.
1t seems to be conceded on all sides that the
Illinois contest will be turning point in the
National Convention. Twentysdelegates, rep
resenting ten Illinois anti-Grant districts, will
demand admission in place of the same num-
Der, ,nominaly selected by committee and con-
tirmed by bogus majority of the State Con-
vention, but really appointed by Senator Lo-
gan This number includes, in addition to the
nine districts which took part in the State Con-
ion, flA aud 49,
which was excluded from the State Conven-
tion by the admission of the Chicago boilers.
These delegates were in every instance regu-
larly elected by a majority of the regular dele
gates to the State Convention from each dis
trict. 1t is also understood that protest will
be made against the admission ofsthe four
Grant delegates at large appointed by the Lo-
gan convention, ON the ground that the major
ity in that convention was frGudulently pro-
cured. In this manner the methods employed
by Logan and the Grant managers in Illinois
will be completely exposed in the Rational
Conventional test that will almost certainly
lead to their reputation.
EUGENE HALE's OPINION.
''The general feeling of sensible, level
headed men, all around, is that the Grant
movement has received decisive check.
First of all the sentiment of Chicago seems to
be clearly and overwhelmingly against Grant,
and this is important, especially as the business
nleu are giving 50 MUCH dtleilUOu 10 Tue ndt-
ter, and are making their feelings known TO
the delegates and others as they come in. The
protest of the country against Logan's perfor-
nance at Springfield is having grand effect,
and is indorsed by nearly all OF the delegates
and outsiders who come in. Gov. Foster of
Ohio says that On single word of encourage
ment indignation meetings would be gotten up
in every county in his state n letter which
have Just received from delegate in Western
Michigan lays that half the men in his town
will be down here to help fight the Springfield
outrage.
Zone result of the management of the leaders
of the Grant movement" Mr.. Hale went ON TO
say, "has been hearty corporation upon all
preliminary and important questions coming
before the convention by the friends of all the
candidates opposed to Gen. Grant. A careful
reckoning shows fully 100 majority against the
unit rule, and in favor of district delegations
voting independently of state delegations The
Blaine men will make their first and hardest
fight on these two issues, and will be support
ed by the solid Sherman and Wsshburn9
strength. What the Edmands mon will do in
this contest is unknown, the Grant men claim
ing that they will co-opeiate with them, but
there is clear majority for district represen-