The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-04-25
The Utica Convention,

(From the New York Tribune)
The prestige of the victory Is worth far mora
to Edmunds than the actual gain of four votes.
1t is shown indeed that Edmunds had less
than hundred votes in the convention-was
in fact remote third in the race-but it also
appears that the administration, in case Of its
own defeat, Is behind him. A victory due
wholly to INCORPORATION Of the enemy they
have been most bitterly denouncing cannot b0
wholly agreeable to the more thoughtful Of the
Edmunds reformers; aud the promised coali.
ton for the rest of the campaign is not an iIls
| spring spectacle But the game Of politics ID
thoroughly practical, and he Is thought the
| New York delegates to Chicago is now COM
| plete. The seventy-two votes of the State are
| divided as follows:
For Blaine OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. ....20
FOR arthur. ..........s....t.s..-....
Against Arthur, but without avowed prefer
ence.....,, ................
The task of making up this delegation under
the new system ordered at the last National
Convention, has been accomplished with less
friction than had been feared. Utica leaves
no serious wounds to be healed and, so far a.
we Can see, there is nothing to prevent mOrW
hearty union of New York Republicans this
fall than we have had for years.
[From the New York Times.]
The Utica convention has settled nothing.
1t has not settled Mr.. Blaine-much less has it
settled Mr.. Arthur. But it has named as del
egates at large to the Chicago convention four
Republicans of intelligence, independence and
representative character who can be relied
upon to speak at the great council Of the party
in the name of the thousands OF independent
voters in this State whose support cannot be
had for candidate thrust upon the party by
machine effort or for a candidate Of uncleaa
record. There can be no doubt that
by accepting an alliance with the Arthur forces
the Edmunds men achieved more complete
success than any union with the Blaine dele
| gates could have given them. 1t is equally be.
| yond question that by taking that course thew
committed the gross and palpable blunder OF
STRENGTHENING their most formidable opponents
| to accomplish the discontinue of an enemy
from whom they have less to fear than thew
imagine. President Arthur's workers and
supporters leave Utica very we'll satisfied with
their work. They did not win the fight for
themselves, to be sure, but they won 1t for
the Edmunds men, and their share of the
fruits OF the victory is abundant for their pres
emit need. They can now continue the contest
elsewhere in good spirits and with prospects
not, in their estimation, appreciably damaged.
Had the outcome Of the Utica convention been
different, had the Arthur men, instead of Mr..
Blaines followers, tasted the bitterness OF
utter defeat, the administration element In the
presidential contest would have been eliminate
ed. Mr.. Arthur's workers would have cut a
sorry figure at Chicago with the marks of their
drnbbing in Mr. Arthur's own State still raw
and red upon their faces. Spared the humilia-
tion of a dreaded defeat, and elated with their
half victory, they will now ride into Chicago
fully abreast of their Edmund allies-and we
fear little ahead.