National Republican., 1883-01-25
THE SUCCESSOR OF WEBSTER.
The Curious Combination Of Circumstances by
Which His Recollection was Secured.
Some Manpuations that Slightly Re-
sembIe Machine Work,
Suspicion that the Terms Of the Trade with Grape
May Not be Carried Out,
Because Buffers Aspirations and Some
other Things May Prevent.

BosToN Jan. 21.-TIon. George Frisbie
Hoar has been reelected to the United States
senate for the term beginning ON the fourth
of next March, the final ballot in the joint
convention being Hoar 14s; Boworman, So ;
Long, 49, and Grape, 3. The whole number of
votes cast on that ballotwas 277, and 139 were
necessary for choice. It will be seen therefore
that Mr.. Hoar wasreelected by q narrow margin
of9 9votos. The fact that he ran SO far behind his
vote at the previous election, and in u state
that has always been republican, and came very
near defeat, might be construed as an intina-
tion that the people want change in the at
titudo of the senator but of what avail is q
notice with six years to run2 The real rea-
son for the very decided falling off in the
vote cast for Mr. Hoar was that the people
demanded a change in the senator himself,
and this they would have had If they had not
been juggled out of it by the politicians. The
people felt that Mr.. Hoar belonged to n past
generation, and that while he might represent
what his followers arc pleased to frequently
refer to as % the better element of the party,
he did not represent the broarder and more
liberal tendency of the times, which Is maxi
ing itself felt here as well as elsewhere. The
republicans of Massachusetts, were beginning
to appreciate the situation of affairs as IL was
forced upon them by the fall elections They
saw that IL would not be polite to continue
longer ON narrow gauge, and they knew that
il the republican party was to be kept in
power, even in Massachusetts,, it must be lib
cmlizcd, and the men who have been promi-
nently identified with the narrow proscriptive
policy which has prevailed in the party cOun-
ellis in the past must give way to others who
have broarder instincts and are more In SYM
pathy with
THE RANK AND FILE OF THE PARTY.
The people of the state have never looked upon
Mr.. Hoar as one of their leaders, and never
will, and had the choice of United States
senator been left to them his term would
have expired next March. The politicians
who have worked so assiduously in his behalf
know this, and the people know that these
men, under the leadership of eX-Collector
Beard, have combined to nullily the popular
will as IL was expressed Mt the fall elections.
If those elections meant anything they meant
that Mr.. Hoar should not be reelected. Many
Legislators were distinctly instructed to vote
against him, and complied with those instruc-
tOns by going into the convention and then
voting first; last, and always for Mr.. Hoar.
There is one word that expresses their action,
and that word is treachery. About the
bascst thing man can do. Other legisla-
tors were elected upon the distinct issue that
Mr.. Hoar was TO be defeated, and knowing
the issue they accepted the Office, and then
deliberately went back upon their cOnstitu-
ents. If there is any difference in the degree
of treachery as exhibited by these two classes
of Legislators | cannot sec il. The action of
one is to my mind, as bad as that of the other.
The fall elections meant, if they meant any
thing, that the time had come for change in
the management of the republican party in
this state. Legislators had been instructed
to vote against Mr.. Uoar, and the issue was
brought into the caucuses with q result that
Il ,N.1t Id 10, uA.1
more than all else, thousands of republicans
who were opposed to the policy pursued by
Mr.. Hoar and his supporters, had gone over
to the democratic standard in order to em-
phasisc
THEIR HOSTILITY TO MR.. uoAR.
This they did in most startling manner,
but with little effect since Mr.. HOar will
continue to represent the state in spite of
their protest. The contest, which has just
been brought to u close, was u somewhat re-
markable one. The senatorial chair was
occupied by gentleman of unquestioned
ability, OF undoubted integrity, and Of ac-
Enowledged scholarship and familiarity with
public affairs, but he was opposed by large
portion of his party in tho first place, because
of his narrow preiudices and quarrclsOmc dis
position, and principally because he stood ut
the head of an intolerant clique which has
already ruled the party too long. Pttcd
against him in this contest were two of the
most able and popular leaders of the party,
and though both were far more acceptable TO
the party rank and file, neither secured the
place, and both are thought to have injured
their chances for future preicrment Now
that the smoke of the contest has partially
cleared away, it may not be unintercsting to
review the causes that have resulted in the
reelection of Mr.. Hoar. There was u very
general impression among the old line re-
publicans that the defeat Of Mr.. Hoar was the
most cherished desire of Gov. Butler, and
that as this was his desire the interests of
republican party could best be served by the
reelection of Mr., Hoar, who has always stood
as the exponent of the ant-Butler sentiment
OF the republican party. The old line is
largely made up of country members who saw
i'll this contest chance to rebuke the Butler
sentiment, which has always been strong in
the large cities and so the feeling of oppOsi-
tion between the cities and the country made
itself felt early in the canvass. In carrying
out their design
10 REBUKE THE BUTLERIsM OF THE CITIES
the old liners overlooked the result of the
fall elections. They are not at all in doubt
upon that point now, for they are getting
highly important information in the form of
pretty plain expressions Of opinion from their
" "deestricts," where the opinion seems to pre-
vail that some Of the men who voted for Mr..
Hoar sold their constituents out. The point
that Butler must be rebuked and that this
could best be done by the reelection of Mr..
Hoar was first brought out by some of the
bright young journalists on the HOar side,
and was at once appreciated by tho lloar
leaders, wh0 with all their adrOitness and
cunning, brought it to bear upon the country
members. BY this argument they were forced
into the HOar ranks in spite of their own
convictions that another coarse was advis-
able, and some of them in spite of pledges to
their constituents, and by this argument
they were held there until the final
ballot was taken, and Mr.. Hoar was
declared elected The crack of the
party whip was heard long before the
convention was held and to its energetic use
is due the fact that Mr.. Hoar with a large
portion of his party dead against him, went
into the convention with lead that made
combinations impossible at the start, while It
showed that his grip could not be broken eX-
cept by u combination Of fOrtuitous circum-
stances not likely 20 occur, and that even
then he could not be defeated except by the
mpst careful management In convention
of 216 member, l39 necessary for choice, !
Mr.. lloar began with 120 votes; while the
opposition was divided between Mr. Bower
man with 90, Mr.. Long with A. Mr., Capo
with IL and 3 scattering votes. In order to
defeat Mr., lloar under these circumstances, il !
would be necessary to combine the strengh Of !
ALL THE OPPOSITION CAEDLDATEs.
If the Boweman vote had bcon thrown for |
Mr., Long he would have had f3l votes, s !
short of the required number. If il had been !
THROWN for Mr.. CrapO lie would have had 1922 |
Uad would have been 81 votes short of the re- |