The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-04-16


l'enocrOttG District Rld state Conventions
Chtlellou, april 10. .m-
Tao ftciiGg fur piminc-.A nj the Dtle.
Rates. '..r. Il
Tho Indicators aie that Mr.. Blaine will
70 into the convention Why much stronger
than lie was four ythm tgJ. Constituent.
cies that were favorable to him then AMI
were denied their voice in The convention,
will 10 represented this time by delegates
OF Thur own chcoIrg.
l. les been the aim OF tho Blaine con.
aliluenc.cs everywhere 10 cleo. delegates
about whom there could be no mistake. !;
and so solicitous have they been on this
point that they havu In pome insar ces
taken tho highly Of :ct!Unable PROBATION
10 demand written pledges before they
would deliver to del'gAlcs.elecs their cre-
dsn.ials. This wss in Pennsylvania, where
the will Ct tho Republican party has been
thpar;ed in two national conventions, and
where lls professional politicians have
baen In the habit OF doing their own will
in utter disregard Of tina party pleasure.
1t ia no. difficult, therefore, to see why this
undesirable method Of guarding against
wrong has been resorsed to.
1t Ia reuAonably certain That these dis.
tricts which prefer Blaine will be duly rep
r<eenled this timt; and the Same will in
the main BIZ true OF those Stutea in which
tbs Blaine sentiment preponderates. For
the frat time in recent years there is 10 be
an expression as nearly representing tho
people as i! possible TO get through the
machinery which leads up to national
convention. Unless there shall be some
very great and unexpected change in pop
ular sentiment Mr.. Blaine will be by far
the strongest man in votes before the con.
venton.
1t Is believed by many tina. Mr. Blaine
will be nominated on the frs: ballot. TIE
probability is that unless he can be nomi.
lated early he carno. be nominated a. all,
judging by the history OF conventions, for
The field will combine against him. II we
correctly appreherd the Blaine continent
it is r.ore for the Republican party than
Tor Blaine; 1t hss III it none OF the "lass
ditch" feeling which impelled the memo.
rable "3cG' to fight it out and stick it
through until the lsst. Republicans desire
no moro Of this, and it ia not believed that
ia, Blaine following could be held together
for so badepurp2se. Certainly Mr.. Blaine
would not desire it, end il he did ii would
cost too much to hunior him.
But whether Mr.. Blaine can be nominal
cd ii not the question. Whether he ought
to BIZ caosen rs the standard bearer is a
matter CT individual opinion. Some OF the
best Republicans have other preferences,
and where enough Of them are Of one mind
they will send delegates 10 speak their
pleasure. And this is all that the Blaine
constituencies claiul-ihe right to he heard
through delegates in acc 1rd with them.
Taking West Virginia Republicans for
example, We do no. understand thu. they
desire 80 to hamper their delegated that
they can in no casa and at no time vote 70.
any other man than Blaine. There is soma
feeling in favor Of instructing the national
delegates, but in our judgment that would
be un~iae. We might as veil send dun.
mics and label them For Blaine Only"
Delegated power means something more
than that. t. ,g..5.-..
1t hes usually happened, when trouble
came about in national conventions, That
it IVES due 10 delegations under irou.clad
instructions or under control OF hard
task masters on the spot, and in practical
effect the one thing is about AS bad az the
other. West Virginia ought to send men
who can bs trusted; who will support ,ir.
Blaine while he has chance and 80 long
as that shall seem bsst Tor tho party and
no logger; and who will havo the intelli.
gence to throw their votes for tina. man
whom they think their constituents would
prefer il hey were on the spot to act.
This is position which any honorable
msn can occupy with no loss Of his own
dignity and with pe'fec: loyalty to the
republicans who send him. We do not
sse how 1t coull be desirable duty 10.
man who ID Ct tho start hos!ile to Mr.,
B.aiaa's nomination. '.9