New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-12-15
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES.
LITTLE DISCUSSION BY REPUBLICANS.
THE CHICAGO CONVENTION TO BE A DELIBERATIvE
BoDY-TALK ABOUT LOGAN, ARTHUR AND
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRrpuyE.l


there has been so little discussion of Presidential
candidates. Under ordinary circumstances half a
dozen blooms" would have been well under way
by this time, and yesterdays meeting would have
been surrounded by a crowd of partisans of the
respective candidates. who would have held
eager debaters over their claims. Nothing
of this kind was seen. There was outward sign,
80 far the discussion of candidates concerned
that Presidential campaign is near at hand.
In fact the names of candidates were rarely men
toned, even in private talk. The general feeling
seemed to be that it poor time to pick par
ticular candidates, but good time to do all that is
possible toward making that the nominee of
the Convention can be elected,
1t seemed to be believed that the Chicago Con-
vention would be really deliberative body,
trammelled by pledges and instructions to degree
unknown in the recent history of the party. This
would be due partly to the system of eecting dele
gates by districts, Of which many
districts would avail themselves and partly
to the feeling that the political
situation made it necessary that the party should
try to find the best man for the nomination, rather
than to allow itself to be torn apart by the struggles
of rival candidates. Senator Platt, of Connecticut
expressed the feeling of the more conservative
class when he said: 81 don't believe the Republi-
cans of Connecticut will send any man to the Con-
didate. They will pick out the best men in the
State and tell them to go there and deliberate, and
try to find the best candidate"
This idea that all personal consd-
erations must be laid aside and the
Convention act solely for the good of the party
frequently expressed, not only in private
talk but in the speeches of members OF the
committee. Ofthe little discussion that went on
about candidates, turned upon President
Arthur than any other, apparently because he is
regarded as tho only avOwed candidate now in
the field. General Logan is supposed to be can
didate alsO but there is no open sign of it. 1t
must be said that there was noticeable
lack of that enthusiasm for General Arthur which
a candidate who is believed to be strong with the
people generally evokes, and confidential express
sions that his nomination was unlikely were dropped
by men who are regarded as friendly to him. On
the other hand, expressions of general approval OF
his administration as wise and successful and of the
feeling that he has made good President, are fire.
quent here, especially among congressman.
An interesting statement of the situation was
made by a Western Senator, who is not amembeT OF
the National Committee. He said: "Tve travelled
great deal in the past few months, and talked with
hundreds of leading Republicans in the West L
find general feeling for the nomination of New
York man. New-York is to be the battle ground and
Il
that the business interests of the country which
naturally centre there, would come to the aid of
New-York man more promptly than any other. But
it must be a man in whose favor New
York is united In. If the delegation is divided
and there is quarrellng the Convention will turn TO
some other State for a candidate"
1t is a fact of interest here that solid delegations
in the interest of particular candidates will be much
harder to obtain hereafter than they have been. The
system of district conventions will tend TO greater
degree of independence among delegates. The
fusing of an entire delegation together by the en-
thsiasm generated at a State Convention and the
system of cemening them by resolutions,eve where
are no positive instructions, cannot be relied
upon now. The friends of candidates must either
capture each Of the district conventions in turn
where such conventions are held, or must rely upon
the great popular strength Of their candidate to
command for him the support Of the state in any
event The candidates., both of President Arthur !
and General Logan, present interesting questions |
under this very head. In 1880 General Logan was |
bitterly opposed in his canvass for Grant by nine
out of the i'll Illinois.
Probably a considerable portion at least, OF this
element would oppose his nomination TO the Presi-
dency, and the Illinois delegation would thus be
divided
A prominent Republican Senator sad to-day in
speaking of the meeting of the National COmmittee
al was amazed to find little talk of Presidential
candidate as did among the men at that meeting |
do not any sign that there is crystalllzalon
or against any Presidential candidate. l have no
reason to suppose that Blaine is candidate or that
he has any expectation OF receiving the nomlna- |
ton; and yet to my mind his chances OF being
nominated. after perhaps two days have been spent
in ballotng, away out of sight of those OF any
other candidate. If tie Convention should get |
into deadlock | presume Blaine could be nomi-
mated with a rush"
This Senator it might be added, is not personal |
friend of Mr.. Blaine. He continued: " heard of !
one thing Logan did in that committee that pleased
me. He is a candidate, of course, but when Brents,
Of Washington Territory, moved that Washington |
Territory and Dakota have six delegates each in the
Convention, just as Kansas once had, on the ground
that they would he States by the time the Conven-
ton meets If Congress not Democratic, |
Logan was too independent to try to curry favor. |
Brents looked at Logan and made some remark |
about seeing the friends of the people ont there; !
But Logan got up, Logan like and practically said
the whole thing was ridiculous, That's the kind OF
thing like Logan for
If the predictions of New-YOrk politicians are
verified New-YOrk will also be much divided in
case President Arthur is candidate.
Gossip has it that the leaders of the New-YOrk
City machine are feeling much more kindly toward
the PRESIDENT than they u fSo2 at the time of tine
that some of the leaders of the old
faction of Stalwarts are bitterly opposed
to his nomination. Several of them have been in
this city during the past few days. One OF them
predicted that of the largest outside delegations
ever sent to q National Convention would 90 from
New-York to oppose the nomination of President
Arthur on the ground that he could not carry that
State, This man, who is we'll known throughout
the State, showed marked hostility to the
President Some Of General Arthurs friends
say they believe the opposition of the old
1t need hardly be added that feeling against his
nomination is to DO found among the old Garfield
element, as we'll as among the Stalwarts, who have
become dissatisfied with him.
But the entire subject Of a candidate appears to
be one which most Republicans here seem to prefer
to postpone for the present.