National Republican., 1883-06-13
The Present Indications Are That He viii Bo
Senator Rollins Himself.
The Question Will Be Definitely Settled
To-Morow Evening
Study Of the Field, The Several Contestants, and
Their Constituencies.
The Question of Eiecting Successor tC
Senator Blair.
Special Letter.

members oil tho legislature being absent from
the city. They will all return tonight, when
the contest will bo renewed and continue ex-
citing until the caucus Thursday night. Sec
rotary Chandler arrived here Friday afternoon
OF last week to visit his mother, who is very
sick. He declined to be interviewed upon the
senatorial question, in reply to q question of
your correspondent but he said to n friend
that he reiterated tho statement that he had
heretofore made, that he was not, and under
no circumstances should be, candidate for
senator at this session. With regard to the
question of two elections, he said he was posi-
two that 1t would be illegal to choose more
than one senator at this time. Mr. Chandler
will attend the meeting of the stockholders of
the Monitor and Statesman, the daily and
weekly organs of the republican party, on
Tuesday, and it is stated that he returns 10
Washington that afternoon. Such being the
case, 1t may be assumed that the secretary of
the navy will take no part in the election Of
Senator Rollinss successor.
Thore is nothing now that indicates any
other course of proceeding than settlement
of the senatorial question in caucus. The at
tempt of ex-senator Patterson to organize a
faction sufficiently strong to prevent caucus
&C tion, and. carry the contest into the legisla-
ture has failed and 1t is certain that every
republican member of the legislature will at
tend the caucus unless prevented by some
such cause as sickness or death. In full
joint caucus there will be 206 votes, and 10l
votes will be required to nominate cand-
date. Ofthis number Rollinss friends claim
for him 125 votes, or 81 more than enough to
nominate him. They concede to Briggs 35
votes, to Stevens Is, to Marston s, to Patter-
son 12 to Cheney z, and to Ray 5. On the
other hand the friends of other candidates
concede to Rollins from so to 80 votes on first
ballot, but claim for Briggs 90 votes, for Ste
md 70 Do ,t,;tI hos
candidates about the same as given above.
From these two extremes, and they are not
80 much of extremes either, there is hardly
any man but gives Rollins the nomination on
the first ballot.
The hopes of the opposition and their only
hope is that Rollins will lack few votes of
nomination when the first ballot is counted
and that his forces will break on the second
ballot. But his friends are confident that the
second ballot will settle the contest in his
favor. They claim the greater part of Pat
tersons, Cheney's, and Rays strength, should
second ballot become necessary and some of
Briggs's and Stevenss. There is doubt that
Briggs has been disappointed in the first
weeks showing in his canvass He had strong
hopes of q following in Cheshire county, in
the western part of the state, which is q
strong republican county, but finds il quite
solid for Rollins, with a scattering vote here
and there for others rather than himself In
looking over the field he discovers that his
main reliance must be Hillsborough county,
the votes of which he must divide with
Stevens of Nashua, Cheney Of Manchester,
and Rollins.
This county has only 45 republican votes in
the legislature and all sides give to Stevens
half, or nearly half as many of these votes as
Briggs will have. In other parts of tho state
the outlook for Briggs is still less promising.
1t was known early in tho campaign that
some warm friends of Briggs were earnest to
have him declare himself in favor of the cleo
tlon of two United States senators, and not
to antagonizo Rollins. That it were better
for him to run for second place, and seek to
make friends with Rollins's supporters. Had
he followed this advice, there is no question
but two senators would have been elected at
this time, aud but little doubt as to Briggs
being one AS it Is now, Senator Blair has
been increasing in strength since his arrival
in the state and intercourse with men,
bers, aud his removal to Manches-
ter has taken good share Of tho
so-called locality argument away from
Briggs, who is also resident of Manchester.
Should Briggs continue in the fight as an an
tagonist of Rollins, and should the republican
caucus decide to elect both senators at this
session. Senator Blair would DO tho leading
candidate for his own place, with good show
for an election. Senator Blair's friends arc
almost unit in supporting Rolins's re-elec-
would lead the majority of Rollinss friends
to favor Blair's reelection with the same can
didates in the field. If the claims of Rollinss
friends are anywhere near correct in regard
to the canvass for the election of his successor,
Briggs's only hope would seem to be to change
his tactics and pull out for the first race, and
try for the second. This course has
been suggested to him within two
days by some of his friends,
but with what result is not yet known. There
is hardly doubt that this is the desire of some
of his most sagacious workers who realize
that, no matter how successful he might be in
defeating Rollins, he would still lack tho
strength necessary to secure his own election.
Those of his supporters who early in the can
vass were rash enough TO urge the abolition
of tho caucus were informed that such q
course would be destructive to Briggss am.
bition If he was expected to lead it, as boilers
were seldom successful enough TO secure their
own election. Therefore the talk of bolts
and Open contests in the legislature is con-
fined to Patterson, who has discovered that he
is not strong enough to destroy the party and
build his vindication ON its ruins.
There is no question that Rollins is stronger
to-day than he was seven years ago when
first elected. Then he was opposed by the
late Ex-Governor Onsow Stearns Hon. o. @.
Moore, of Nashua who made personal at
tack upon him in tho legislature tho after
noon before the caucus and nearly all of the
present candidates, Stearns had all the rail
way influence Of the state at his back, and
Moore had some twenty votes in the caucus
for senator. Stearns was resident of Con-
cord and divided its vote with Rollins; yet
Rollins was nominated on tho first ballot by
one majority. To-day Moore is supporting
Rollins, and the railways are taking no hand
in the contest. At this writing it seems GER
tain that Rollins will be nominated on the
first ballot by from fifteen TO twenty-five ma
jority and It can hardly be regarded rs prob
able that the next three days will change this
result other than to increase his majority.
Tho sentiment in respect to the election of
two senator's remains about the same. A lead
ing democrat voiced the opinion of that
party when he said that it was always best
for party to improve its opportunity when
ii had one. There is no more doubt of what
the democrats would do if they had the
power at this time than there is that they
will oppose the election of q second sem
ator, because they are out of power. A
minority of republicans of whom Secretary
Chandler is one, believe, however, that 1t
would be bad policy to elect both senators at
this time, as 1t would deprive the next cleo.
tion of the interest which a United States
senatorship inspires. But if some of the can
didates do no more in the next campaign
than they did in the last there will be no ocoa-
sion on that account to delay the election of
second senator. 1t isprobable that the course
in caucus will be to proceed first to nominate
Rollins's successor, and then take up for con.
sideration the second election. Upon the out
come of the first may depend in great
measure the fate Of the second proposition.
The hopes and fears of candidates and their
eunnortors will in a prpau moagure COntrOl n