The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1881-05-26
The Irrepressible Conflict.

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for the Presidency. He was the last
chosen champion of the anti Grant
men, of whom Blaine was the fore
most, and Sherman and others less
prominent; but all representing vari-
GUS shades Of the anti-Grant senti-
ment. The Chicago convention was
in fact simply contest of Grant
against the field, and after it was
found that neither Blaine nor Sher-
man, nor any other of the first
thought-of leaders could win, as a
last resort their friends combined on
Garfield and overwhelmed Grant
and his BOG!
His nomination was as emphatic a
defeat of Grant and his henchmen,
Conkling, Cameron, Logan, and
other third-termists, as the nomina-
ton of Blaine would have been, and
was really a triumph of Blaineism
in the party as against Grautism.-
Such it was evidently felt to be by
the Grant men, aud for a long time
their leader sulked like Achilles in
bis tent and his friends looked on
the contest with indifference. After
this period of the sulks and pouts
had somewhat worn out their cha
grin and their self.importance was
soothed by the apparent impending
defeat of the Republican nominee
without their aid. The Grant men
were carried away by a born
hope and fell upon a shrewd plan to
regain power and prestige in the
party, as they fondly dreamed
Headed by Grant himself they went
to Menter and interviewed Garfield.
What passed there no reporter has
told us. But any man with an ounce
Of political sagacity can easily sur
mise it correctly. They said, Gear
field, you are beaten unless oar forces
are enlisted more actively. We can
save you, but in that event we must
not be ignored in the distribution of
the spoils." And Garfield, good facile
man that he is, and badly scared,
too, at the prospect Of losing the
race, brought that palavering and
oily tongue of his into play-the
sleekest tongue in America to say
fine,plausible things meaning little
and he gave utterance to all sorts of
grandiose expressions about the
greatness of Grant and of the debt
the party and tho nation owed him;
also of the grandeur of the Republi.
can party and its mission, and how
hey if elected, intended to heal all it's
dissens5ons BY recognizing all it's
elements; and many more were the
splendid geaerahties he spoke and
specious promises he made. No
doubt he was elusive in his utter
ances-that's just like him-and he
was reasonably sincere in them, the
fright being on him then. "When
the devil was sick the devil monk
would be; when the devil got we'll
the devil a monk was he.n Thus he
stroked the fur of the Grant cats to.
wards the tail, and thenceforth they
fawned upon his canvass and mewed
and moused for him in true feline
style, hoping for a good time when
Garfield reached the White House.
Well, Garfield got elected; his
scare was now over; he did not feel
half as beholden to Grant or indeed
to anybody else, as he had DONE
The fact is, you take political shys.
ter and let him be nominated and
chosen to the great office of Presi.
dent in the surprising way Garfield
was and ten chances to one he will
Aatter himself it was all due to his
own transcendant greatness and cul-
minating star. So Garfield felt. He
was his own Magnas apollo. He
even began at once to dream of
another term.
Then came tho Blaine alliance and
premiership-the natural and OBJ.