New-York tribune., 1884-02-27
1y IyTEREATING CANVASS.

A correspondcnt in Pennsylvania has been
at considerable pains to collect opinions regard
ing Republican Presidential candidates from
the chairmen of comfy committees and other
leading citizens in every county OF the tlVe great
States of New-YOrk Pennsylvania, ONO, IN
diana and Illinois. The results of this inquiry
are summed mp in another column. The show
inc nresents some curious features. The long
lead that Mr. Blaine has will not surprise any
one. unless it be those overwhelmed news
papers which are constantly insisting that MI.
Blaine has no strength with the people, In the
face of q thousand proofs to the contrary
The fact is, that the persistence OF the popular
demand, in various parts of the country, that
Mr.. Blaine shall be a candidate, in spite of the
understanding that he does not desire the nomi-
nation, is a proof of popularity which is rarely
seen. This sentiment is not manufactured
1t shows itself spontaneously, In the news
papers, in nominating conventions, at primary
elections, and it all proceeds upon the aSsTmp-
ton that Mr.. Blaine is sincere in his present
attitude. These men seem to find nothing IN
credible in the idea that a man who has been
frank enough to let it be seen that he would con-
slider the Presidency high honor may now
prefer not to be a candidate.
Next to the fact that Alr. Blaine is the first
choice of forty per cent of these Republicans,
scattered through five States, the point OF
greatest interest is that President Arthur is the
first choice of barely seven per cent, and the
second choice of only ten per cent. There will
be the more readiness to accept these figures as
in some sense representative because it Is the
result of general observation that President
Arthur seems to have little popular strength as
a candidate. His case is a curious one. His re-
cent course as President has won placid ap-
proval from the people, who show little desire
however, so far as can be judged from the in
formal expressions that have been made, TO see
him reelected All the efforts to bring this
about seem to come from tho "machine
politicians.
The remarkable preference shown for Robert
Lincoln for Vice e-President is another point of
interest. Nearly so per cent of the responses
made suggest his name. This is a curious
result, because whatever Presidential gossip
there has been about Mr.. Lincoln has always
connected his name with the first place on the
ticket. But if there is strength merely in a
name Mr.. Lincoln's would help the Republican
ticket in the second place much as in the first
We attach Importance to such indications of
public sentiment manly because they
enable the Republican party to understand
itself. So long as these inquiries
are directed only to that end, and not to the
promotion of jealousies among factions or
TO efforts to break down candidates, they
do good. The object of every delegate
to Chicago ought to be to select that
candidate who can most surely poll the
largest vote in the most States, in November.
To that end nothing is so important as accurate
knowledge of the strength or weakness now of
the various prominently mentioned Republicans
In the various critical localities. Good odtempered
discussion of the good or bad points in the rec
ords of candidates, and honest expositions of
popular sentiment concerning them, if frankly
had this spring, may avert disaster i'll the au
f,1u,n