Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-06-04
CHICAGO CONVENTION.
Governor Clayton Dowued sby the Man
and Brother.
The Virginia Rcadjus.er Receives an ova-
ton.
Blaine and Arthur stu in the Lead

------t~s--- ftNN tl
Special 10 the Gazette.
CHICAGO, June AT this writing
the situation is one OF absorbing inter
est. The excitement is growing In
intensity every hour, but II can not be
said that the final outcome can be pre-
dlcted with any greater degree Of GER
talnty than twenty-four hours since.
Blaine stlll continues In the lead. with
Arthur following close behind, but II
IL now pretty well understood that the
strength OF the latter has reached its
limit, and that he can look for little or
no increase In his following, which,
while composed In n large measure OF
the oillce-holding class, who are accus-
toned 10 the ways of the machine and
who naturally drop into organization
and method, are not yet 80 closely
welded together nor SO ably generated
rs was the famous SOC four years ago;
and while the methodical instincts Of
the machine class In control OF the
Arthur forces enables them TO present
an unbroken front and TO draw their
lines with some show OF certainty be-
fore the conflict actually opens, 1t Is to
he borne In mind that there " nothing
in the candidacy OF the present chief
executive to hold his followers 10 hi,
standard when the battle has once
begun, not 20 speak of any attraction
FOR the adherents OF other candidates
to come over to his side. There Is
much IN his past history, his former
susserviency TO Conkling, his ques-
tionable management OF the New York
custom-house, his connection with the
famous contest at Albany just prior to
the death of Garfield and the bitter
feeling which was cngendered against
him and his associates at that time,
together with hls aiiilllation with the
machine In New York aud all which
that implies, untll. when he be-
came president, he was Inn
PEELED by self.in.erest to aban-
don his old associates and, II
not actively furtherlng the policy OF
his old-time antagonists. at least
throwing no obstacles Ia the way, all
OF which Is treasured up against him
by the wing OF the party which united
upon Garfield In 1850, aud while II is
generally admitted that his admins
tration has been without serious flaw,
yet the admission carries with II only
Il recognition OF negative merit. II
not claimed that he possesses great
abilities nor that he has rendered such
services 10 the state AZ to entitle him
TO special recognition; aud Ia the alb
sence OF auy soecln claim to the noml-
nation, with nothing In his character
or record TO excite enthusiasm or de-
votlon, with no personal following
worth speaking of, and without the
able lleutennnts and matchlcss organI-
zallon which attended the fortunes of
Gen. Grant TO defeat and disaster at
the last convention, 1t IL confidently
asserted by the cohorts Of the plumcd
knight that the administration ranks
will be broken by Wholesale desertlon
almost at the outset.
On the other hand the followers Of
the man from Maine, while perhaps
not 30 thoroughly organized, are yet
animated bya spirit OF devotion TO
their leader, OF admiration for his
knightly bearing and his bril-
~
bcgotten OF the stirring contest, and
above all from the conviction that he
Is frat IN the affection OF the masses OF
the people, and II il therefore freely
predicted that his vote will stay by
him with pcrsis.ency little expected
few days since, and that when the
break from Arthur occurs, the great
bulk Of his strength will go to Blaine.
and that the plumed knight will be
borne 10 victory with n grand hurruh.
Blaine's weakness lies In the aggressive
character OF the man. which has be
gotten eninitiss which IL will be hard
to overcome. In the opposition Of Ger
tain OF the "HalfBreed" element
represented by Curtis, Schurz, aud
others, who oppose him because hI'
methods are somewhat In conflict with
their theories for the conduct Of gov
ornamental affairs and his past record
suggestive Of corruption, or ut least Of
improperly, while II " urged against
him that he would frighten the bust
ness interests with the bngaboo of q
vigorous foreign policy and embroi
the country ln.compllcAtions leading
TO the disarrangemcnt of commerce
: This latter, however, IL really one d
his strong points, ~ d belief that hs
would lnaugurate vigorous foreign
policy will rally to his standard all that
class Of business men who desIie an
extension OF our political influence
among the other countries Of tbis
hemisphere Ia order 20 open the way
for the extension Of our trade In that
direction, and Of the large cIuss, 81.
Guiding the not to he despised Irish
man, who are tired Of our TAME sub
mission 10 slight aud insult ~ lhs
hands OF foreign governments.
The Arthur men contend that II III,
nomination Of B'sIns becomes iwmi.
49, Irl...,s5a f.roaz 1n...a