New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-04-29
4 QUESTION or SIFETY.

James G.. Blaine has ceased TO be a private
individual, and by no act of his own. lie has
been deliberately chosen as the representative
of the wishes and convictions OF large body
of Republicans who desire to see HIM elected
President. knowing from the inst that he
did not wish to be a candidate, TIE TRIBUNE
made no effort to influence public opinion to
his selection. Many warm friends OF MI.
Blaine, in like manner, respected his personal
wishes so far that they would do nothing 10
draw him from private life, unless, without
their agency, public opinion should again make
him monument. But tie case has changed.
MIR. Blaine is now the. chosen representative OF
a powerful body of Republicans whose Wishes
the party cannot safely treat with diSreNpect
Ii there are valid reasons for preteulhg ah0ther
candidate it is right they should be given. But
the proposal to put him aside because somebody
has lied about him will not be received with pa
thence; and the assertion that Mr. Blame Is
dishonorable, unfit and unworthy man Will be
resented as an insult by il large body OF Repub-
lcans.
These are the naked facts, which The party
should now seriously consider. 1t Is not per-
sonal preference for this or that man with
which the party has now to deal. 1t is ques-
ton whether the wishes of Republican voters
are to be respected, or the desires OF oihce-hold
ers in Democratic districts. 1t Is question
whether the campaign OF personal vlililcatlon
which began when it was found in 1876 that
President Grant was not the choice OF the ma
iority in Republican States, and which followed
President Garfield to his grave, shall now en-
able unscIupulous dciamers 10 dictate to the
Republican party.
At this hour, Mr.. Blaine is the unqucstloned
choice of a majority Of the Republican voters in
Maine, New York, Pennsylvania New-Jcrsey,
Ohio. Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Min
nosota, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, Oregon,
Nevada and California. Two States are dell
niteIv for Mr.. Edmunds, Massachusetts, and
Vermont Illinois is definitely for Logan ana
Connecticut for Hawley, and the preference OF
two minor States may be disputed. These are
all the States that the Republicans can expect
to carry. The sixteen States i'll which the Re
publicans prefer Mr.. Blaine cast 2, ~ ,3o2 Re
publican votes, choose 1914 electors, and gave
for Garfield 400, 900 majority. The two States
that prefer Mr. Edmunds cast 2lO,772 Repub-
Ucan votes, choose Is electors and gave $4,000
majority. The State for Mr.. Logan cast
1872. l64 Republican votes, chooses % electors,
and gave 1000 majority. The State for Mr..
Hawley cast 67,O71 Republican votes, chooses
electors, and gave 5000 majority. The two
undeclared States cast G3,O47 Republican
votes, choose electors, and gave / 900 ma
iority. Thus in the States that the Rcpublicans
can hope to carry, those for Mr. Blaine cast at
least four-ffths of the Republican votes, choose
! 81 electors, aud give 100000 majority; while
those for all other candidates, or undecided, cast
in all 573,O44 Republican votes, or less than
one-fifth, choose 81 electors, and give 100000
majority.
There remain sixteen States which the Re-
publcans do not expect 10 carry. In these, by
prescription, fraud and the shotgun, the
Democrats gave 400, 600 majority in 1880, and
these States now have 1913 electoral votes. In
some of them Nj. Bla ne is the choice of the Re-
publicans, but in most the influence OF patron
age dictates different choice, as it did in 1915
and 1880. Thus the case stands rs fOll0wsi