The Cecil Whig., 1884-02-09
THE PRESIDENTIAL ELEC.
TION.

eiiat pilSi PSiiON vi ASSo 'i'st' fAAN>
years. But time and tide wait for
no man, and the years roll round
and the seasons come and go,
whether we will it or not, and
soon we will be once more in the
midst of an active Presidential cam
paign. So far it can hardly be said
that the campaign for the nomination
has begun, and from the present out
look, it is doubtful whether any such
campaign will precede the nomination.
In this it differs very decidedly from
four years ago. Then there were three
prominent candidates in the field, viz,
Grant, Blaine, and Sherman, and their
respective adherents were hard at work
contending with each other. Eight
years ago the candidates were Morton,
Blaine, and Bristow. 1t is true that
neither was successful, and experience
has demonstrated that candidates who
make an active campaign for the nomi-
nation rarely if ever succeed. Antago-
nisms are created that usually open
the wav for some one who had not
been in the contest This it was that
led to the nomination Of Hayes in
1876, and Garfield in 1880. Very
likely this is the reason why there IS
now no one prominently in the field.
True, names are mentioned and
preferences expressed, but the disposi-
ton to push anybody is noticeably alb
sent, and there is no candidate who
can be said to be pushing his own
claims. Aspirants there are no doubt
but they are keeping quiet.
This is a state of affairs to be wished
for. If delegates go to the convention
uncommitted and unpledged, they will
be far more likely to make a wise
choice than under other conditions,
and at no time since the Republican
party came into existence was such a
choice more important.
The Republican party as whole IS
in good condition to enter the contest,
vet no one dare claim the nomination
to be equivalent to an election. To
secure an election it will require a
united party, and its solid strength, and
to command this, the candidate must
be one who deserves success.
No one will expect to see the noml-
nation of candidate who would be
the first choice of every member of
the party, but if a convention of good,
unbiased, ,unpledged delegates is chosen,
we may expect wise choice fairly
made, and there would be general ac-
quiesence in the choice.
The Republican mind wa, never
more free from prejudice and prefer
ence than at this time, or from pre-
conceived opinions as to who the can
didate should be. The prevailing in
quiry seems to be, who is the best
man for the country and the partye
If such a candidate is chosen there
can be but one result. his certain cleo
ton. He might not be the first choice
Of every body, but he would be ac-
cepted as a second choice and elected.
1t is gratifying to notice that no
strength is being wasted on prelimi-
naries, and in fact the party cannot
afford to so fritter away its strength,
and if this spirit is continued the con-
vention will be in condition to make
the wise choice necessary. Granted
that the importance of good conven-
ton is apparent, then what course should
be taken?
The responsibility rests with the dis
tricts that select the delegates,th coun-
ties that elect the district delegates, the
election districts or primaries that elect
the county delegates. First, then, the best
men the men who have the good of
the whole party prominently and first
in their minds, rather than the good or
promotion of any particular individual,
should be selected at the primaries, and
if this is done, there can be no question
as to the character of the district con-
vention, or of the delegates they may
send to the nominating convention.
No man is as great as the party, and
no man has as great claim upon the
party as the welfare of the party itself.
This is vital point and one that should
be remembered.
At no time in the history of the coun-
try has it been more essential to its in
terests that the Republican party should
be successful, and no obstacle should
be thrown in the way of its success.
There never was a clearer field, the
claims of no man are being pushed and
wise choice, which will render an cleo
ton sure. can be made, and we believe
it will
FROZEN TRUTH.