Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-06-29
Observation-Disclosures
OPINIONS AS TO THE COMING
MAN AT CHICAGO.


it ever since Blaine was nominated, but
the stream flows deeper and faster as it
nears its plunge. Very little else is talked
of in the cloak rooms of the two houses
and along the narrow aisles ON the floor.
If Blaine had not been nominated, if TIL
den had not withdrawn, this would not
have been so. But Blaine was nominated
and Tilden has withdrawn, and the Demo-
Gratis are face 10 face with a grand opp0r-
tunity and puzZling problem. Here in
Washington both parties appreciate fully
both facts. From the newspaper inter
views of the past few weeks one might in
fer that the Republicans did not agree
with the Democrats that the latter had
now in their grasp the chance of a party'S
lifetime. Most of the Republican inter-
views have been of the hurrah-boys-
lingo sort. Blaine and Logan were to be
elected by an overwhelming majority re-
gardless of what the dudes and Democrats
might do or say. The dudes were drunk
with conscieHtiOuSneSS, and the Demo-
Gratis were dazed by the very hope of sue
cess, and they would be easily beaten by
the inVIncible Blaine and the irresistible
Logan. Well, this kind of talk does well
enough for remote settlements in the pine
woods of Maine. But it don't go down
here, where the real opinions of the blaine
Washington politician is given to lying.
BUT THE AVERAGE EXPERIENCED WASH
INGTON CORRESPONDENT
usually knows what the average Wash
ington politician ought to say if he would
tell the truth. For example, know that
the men who have been most yociferous in
their attempts to make the country be-
lleve that Blaine is already elected. are
most doubtful of his pulling through. You
can have no idea, unless you have talked
with them cOnfidentially, how widespread
is the distrust of Blaine's success among
Republicans here. Members of the Cabi-
net, members Of the Senate, members of
the House, not the riff.raff, but the best
informed men among the leaders, tell you
that they can only hope that the ticket
viii. get through. Such a thing as n con-
fident assurance that it will receive a
majority of the electoral votes is unknown
outside of the newspapers, and these
hopes. flimsy as they are in most cases,
are built upon the expectation, which may
be disappointed, that the Democrats will
blunder at Chicago. This is the earnest
desire of the Republican heart-that the
Democrats may blunder in their candi-
date and juggle in their platform, and so
merit the condemnation of that great
mass of voters who are not partisans. The
Republican leaders are praying, as they
never prayed before, that the Democrats
may nominate a weak man on the Ohio
platform. Then they hope to be able to
bring their ticket through. But they feel
that with Bayard or Cleveland at the head
of the Democratic ticket, and a good
Western soldier at its foot, with
an unequivocal revenue reform tariff
plank, the Republican party will
fight up hill all the way to a defeat
which will crush it in November. Moth
se, oil to
versations with well informed Republi-
cans than their hope that the Democrats
may blunder, and their fear that the DEM
ocrats may not. Yet all the while they
must have a public opinion for publca-
tion directly opposite to that which they
have expressed hundred times in con-
Vention.
YOU WANT TO DISCOUNT REPUBLICAN
INTERVIEW
about 100 per cent. There is, of course, a
small minority of Republicans who really
believe that Blaine and Logan are certain
of election. But they are ill informed
ones, who do not know what they are
talking about. Their very statements,
when they bring themselves down to any
thing definite, show how absurd their
views are. The great majority Of the Re
publieans in both hONses are clinging to
the hope that the Democrats will defeat
ting it into the convention, Blaine man.
ager William Walter Pbelp, and Blame
manager Stephen b. Elkins would will
lingly send Stephen w. Dorsey to Chicago
next week with half million crisp two
dollar bills and instructions to prevent
the nomination of Bayard or Mcdonald.
Now on the Democratic side the situa-
ton is very simple. There is less of per-
sonal politics in it than is usual. If the
ohOIop of q 0an6idafQ and fho fnnTOGitiO1l
of a platform was LETT to the Democrats
OF the two houses Bayard or Cleveland
would be the nominee, and first-clasS
tariff plank, which would not mean pro-
lection in Pennsylvania and revenue re-
form in Massachusetts, would be. written
into the platform. No one having the
confidence of the Democratic leaders can
doubt that they are at this moment ami
mated by pure desire to select the best
candidate and adopt the best platform
that can be had. With the exception of
a few men, alone welded by personal
friendship to particular candidates, they
are willing to take the best without re-
gard to personal preferences.
IFIT is BAYARD, THE GREAT
majority is for Bayard. If tits Cleveland,
the great majority is for Cleveland.
They do not hold equally Indifferent
views. though, about the tariff plank.
ton in honest words for honest revenue
reform. So far, although frequent con-
ferences have been held for the purpose,
no form of words has been agreed upon.
But at conference of revenue reformers
from all over the country, to be held at
Chicago next week, l presume that the
phraseology of the tariff plank viii be
amicably settled. The attitude of the
Democratic leaders is as unusual in
politics as it is admirable-it is a rare
thing to see personal opinions sunk in
patriotic purposes. The personal pre-
ferences of the Democratic Senators are
in most cases tor Bayard. They know the
man. To know him is to respect, yes,
admire him. In many cases the regard
for Bayard among those men who know
his simple, pure, noble life best, has
ripened into undisguised affection.
They think that everybody must see that
he is the ideal candidate, as he would be the
ideal President. HE is as nerly perfect as
men ever are" they tell you. she is able,
pure, high-minded, patriotic, a statesman
of long experience and ripe culture. John
Kelly is for him; here is letter to prove
it,. the Independents are for him; the
Democratic party everywhere is for him.
He would carry New York, Connecticut,
Massachusetts, New Jersey, Indiana and
the entire South in spite of any 'bar'P
that Blaine. may unhOOp. Then why not
nominate him p; All! why, indeed. The
trouble is that while all the Democrats
and all the Republicans, for that matter)
admit that this splendid man would make
an ideal President, a majority ofthe Demo-
Gratis of the House do not think he would
make an IDEAL candidate.
THEY ARE PINNING THEIR FAITH
to Cleveland on the theory that he can carry
more Northern States than even Bayard.
They base this upon their information that
Cleveland is the first choice of a majority
of the Democrats of New York. Hewitt
and Dorsheimer tell them that this is the
case, and S. S. Cox, who is counted a
personal representative of John Kelly,
tells them that while John Kelly will do
all he can to defeat Cleveland at Chicago,
he will, if Cleveland is nominated, do all
he can to elect him in New York. Never
theless there is a strong Bayard
contingent among the Democrats of
the House. Then there are in the
Senate and House individuals who
think that Tilden ought to be nomi-
mated in spite of his letter; that Nc
Donald ought to be nominated on the
theory that change from East to West
would change the luck, and there are
a few other little booms of that
sort. But the most entertaining
feature of the situation is the Randall
movement. [ had heard good deal of
talk about this remarkable production,