The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-11-23
JUSTICE MILLER.
Discovery That He is Blaine'a Cam
didate for the Presidency.
The Sort of Man He is---Some Talk
About the SpeakershiD and Its
Relation to Next
Years Fight.

NEW YORK, NOV. 23.-''GaJn says: i
think | have discovered that James G. Blaine
and his friends are working for Judge Miller
to be the Republican candidate for president.
In the campaign of 1876 Judge Miller was an
ardent supporter of Blaine. He never
wavered for one moment, being an absolutely
steady man in his political facilities Not
long after Hayes was inaugurated met
Judge Miller at Saratoga, and held free
conversation with. him. He is fearless
man, and if the entire United States We're to
be swept by public ciamor against him he
would smile at it. Said he to me:
"These presidential nominating conven-
tions are getting TO be farces. You have two
OF three strong and able men, ike Blaine,
Morton, Bristow, Conkling and Edmunds,
each well backed by friends and admirers,
entering for the presidency. At last one of
them becomes so strong that the contest is
narrowed down to him and his chief oppo-
nent Then there appears on the scene some
man whom nobody wants and geis the nomi-
nation When | saw Blaine set aside for
Hayes | said to myself These nominating
convAptinne have ceased to exercise respect
able influence
VI uo.ns,,, cannot exactly repeat his
| worus. but the spirit | fully remember. He
continues:
"The same kind of decentralization hap
pens in all our states. You hold state con-
vention, and you bring forward your ablest
| nlan lie is immediat " abandoned because
of his streugth-because of his enemies that
he has perhaps made in fearless career.
The convention picks up in order
TO be safe, some nonenlty and
puts him in the senate, or
makes hin governor. Consequently our pub
! lie life is losing the names and characters
which should belong to it, Our presidents,
instead of running upward, are running
| downward The national conventions meet
not to reward their eminent leaders, but to
back somebody who can slip through because
he has never had any record worth talking
about"
Judge Miller is remarkable compound OF
| the southern, the western and, might al
most add, the German temperaments. He
was, I think, of German stock-either from
the Cumberland valley OF Pennsylvania or
the valley of Virginia-but was himself
born in Kentucky He Is ma
tive of Richmond, Kentucky, and
is 90 years old. He went to the university at
| Lexington, which educated Jefferson Davis,
the Todds MRS. Lincoins aneestors,l Tom
Marshall, Richard NJ. johnson, William NJ.
Givin and many others. He first studied
medicine, but finally adopted the law and
took the head of his profession as if made
for it.
In the electoral contest of 1877 Judge Miller
made Hayes president. He did not care for
anyboiy's opinion about it. He had made
up his mind that the fullness of time had not
cone-that return of the country to reac-
tionary men and views at that time would
have been worse than blunder. He was the
lion of that special tribunal, and l sus-
pect that he regarded the forma-
ton of that tribunal as no Legitimate part Of
his judicial life, but as political act that tine
necessities of parties had called upon him to
perform; and he took into it all his courage,
kept the wavering firm, set his law harder as
the contest proceeded, and winged his flight
as straight to the result as some wild fowl
from the Arctic seas going toward the wild
celery beds at the bottom of the Chesapeake.
A man like this few persons undertake to
criticise. HIS purposes are so clear and dis
tinet, his courage is so manifest, that nobody
ever doubts what he is going to do No man
ever mentioned Judge Miller during the cleo
tional tribunal as liable in any event to give
his vote to put Mr. Tilden in the presidency,
hence the abuse fell on the more wavering
head Of Brad!sa.yg. Judge payis would not
like so much responsibility. Responsibility
was what Miller was looking for.
The Speakership and the Presidency.
CINCINNATI, Nov 23.-The Enquirer's
Washington correspondent telegraphs: Talk
ing to a very prominent Democrat-one
whose name is of national celebrty-he
said:
'"The campaign of 1884 viii be fought
upon the tariff issue. If the congress which
is about to assemble makes no mistake, and
docs not distract and agitate business inter
ests, the outlook fog Democratic success is
good The south will be solid for the nemi.
nee of the party, and then the great fight will
be confined to the states of New York, New
Jersey and California"
"Why do you omit Indianam
Because" came the reply, fthe Republi-
cans will not let the Democrats carry 1ndi
ana
"Who do you think will carry the states
namedf'
"Why, Tilden. He can carry New Yorl
and New Jersey certainly; and if he is not too
much handicapped by a free trade record tC
the congress which is to assemble, he car
carry California. The latter stGte has inter
ests which demand protection. If Randall il
elected speaker and Tilden is nominated fol
the presidency there is no doubt but thal
California will give a Democratic majority.
"And he can carry Ohio" suggested al
Ohio man who was present.
'The Democrats of Ohio are for Tilden, ant
with him as the candidate the state viii b.
kept Democratic. Ohio is safer for the De
: mocracy with Tilden asa candidate than In
diana is with Mcdonald. With any othel
candidate do not believe the Democrats ca1
carry Ohio