Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-10-31
THE POLITICAL FIELD.
vxRY FEW BLAINE iRisAngx.
TIE Political sssssssss N Bssdsepsrt, Cesn.--
TIE Urmsevsss CsaaaessIy Espsesins 70
MI, e~hsss ustal Gains.

mske eOhssa nstab Gains.
A Bridseport special Of October 2sth
savs: "Eyery member OF the Irish-Ameri'
ean Blaine and Logan Club 10 requested 10
asnond The meeting on Monday evening at
Sktir headquarters. Curtis bullding," was
awotycc which found last evening In the
Republican paper published here. Having
Sesrd at Hartford that an almost ire
Dress,bie real Was being manifested in
bridgeport among the lrish people for
Blaine, I took the opportunity Of
hooking in upon the meeting Of The
slab al $50 O'Clock. I had expected 10
and q large hall crowded with yocifcroys
men. What did find was a small room,
with many empty chairs upon = thickly
sawdusted floor, four men sitting on one
side Of table at the extreme end OF the
room, three men on the opposite side. and
ieur others tilted up against the wall at va
nous points in the club-room. Having
counted the heads and ascertained that they
numbered scant dozen. | withdrew 10
make some inquiries about the extent OF
the disafection, OF which this was the out
ward and visible sign. Not from Demo.
cratic but from Republican sources |
learned that the Blaine Club OF 1rishmcn,
exclusive Of original Republicans, had
and that perhaps fifty very needy /" noat-
srsv had been coralled by one Fitzpatrick.
said 10 be dog-hghtcr and saloon-keeper.
A great deal Of annoyance, IL il reported.
has been caused the Republican managers
whp have got these Blame frishmen to-
esiher, at the discovery that almost 70
man they are for Waller, their Republican
ism stopping nj the electoral ticket. As
all signs in Bridgeport pointto an increased
Democratic majority, In a very strong
Democratic city, il Is altogether probable
that from failure OF funds and other causes
Of dissatisfaction this unnatural copgrega-
non will be reduced by election-day 10 an
intonsequential fragment.
On nv way TO Bridgeport from New
Haven | talked with q bright and active
yeupg Republican, and q man not at all en-
tbusiastic for Blaine. perhaps Tor the rea-
con that he reads the newspapers on both
sides. His loyalty 10 the party was the tie
that bound him 10 the ticket. He had not
Dueh information 20 show a change OF par
ties. II was his opinion that the lines were
drawn about as they had been in former
campaigns. Whatever there was OF Demo-
cratic disafleetion-and he had heard
there was some would change the
lines Speaking from his own know
ledge, he would say there we're not
mere than two Republicans in Bridge
pert who would not vote for Blaine. These
were Mr.. Holden, Of the Wheeler 4 Will
ssp sewipg.machine concern, and l.. X.
Gould, q lawyer well known in this city.
A o rule the Republicans were In line for
the ticket, national and State. Several
ether Republicans, regulars, whom met
spoke IN the same way, some OF them, how
ever, admitting that a large percentage OF
uBcommitted men bad been discovered by
the eanvassers. ! met no Republicans who
lad caught the enthusiasm and confidence
expressed by the chairman Of the State
Committee, and none who would venture
to predict glorious victory. Then i
talked with Nr. Walter Goddard, chairman
Of the Democratic Town Committee. He
lad Just finished the work OF "mak-
ing" voters according 10 the Connecti-
snt plan, and he had information upon
which he could make statement. The
Democrats. he said, bad "made" much
larger proportion OF the new citizens than
The Republicans had. The vote would be
increased, and he expected that Cleveland
and Waller would have 700 or 500 plurality
in vote of sbout 1000. In 1880 Han
cocks plurality was 40, and Walters plu-
ral.iy in 1882 was CSC. Mr.. Goddard |
thought the Irish vote for Blaine might |
be fifty, although he said the most dill |
gent search by his ward-workers had not |
discovered so many. The Butler vote, in his |
estimation, would not increase go per cent. |
II bad been 50 in 1880, and 30 in 1882. |
They are strongest in the Sixth Ward, |
where he admitted they might get twenty |
Eve votes. II they got seventy-five in the |
sity he should be surprised. The Prohibi-
tioDists show much more life than the But
Ter men, and he believed st. John would |
get $50 votes In the city. They only had |
seventeen votes 10 1882. and Neal Dow, |
candidate for President in 1880, did not |
get vote. Mr.. Goddard considered the !
Democratic party in the city to be in better |
shape than il has been in any presidential
campaign for years, and said he knew
that II every city In the State would do as
well as Bridgeport, Cleveland would have
a handsome plurality and Waller would
get the necessary majority. i questioned
several men acquainted personally with the
voters in different wards 10 ascertain
whether they had knowledge Of changes
or had even heard OF them, assuring them
that neither they nor / could gain by con-
cealing the facts. and was assured 10y them
that there was no truth in the reports Of
y
stances, not more numerous Than usual, OF
desertlon.
Dir. l.. X. Gould. who had been spoken
Of a. a conspicuous "mugwump," I find
10 be an industrious lawyer, Of good prac-
Zee and reputation, who had openly re-
Jected Blaine and taken par, 10 tue Sclurz
meeting here at which Mr. Holden had pre-
sided. Mr.. Gould declared, with much |
Il. hat L. Of I1annnArnt
had no sympathy with that party. "ln
common with many other Republicans
here. was disguised with B!ainc's nom-
nation. II struck me as Just such nomi-
nation as would have expected the DEM
serats 10 make, but Repubhcans-neyer.
FELT AS II | stood almost alone at
first, hut in few days began TO lind out
that ] was not alone. A list Of Republicans
was soon procured reaching into the hun
dreds. list Of men who, while they may
not all vote for Cleveland, will not vote for
Blaine. They do not wish to advertise.
They have no axes 10 grind, do moi seek
Office, ask for no reward. They believe
that the Republican party will be better
with Blame beaten thar with Blaine elected.
The Schurz meeting here was the
greatest political gathering ever seen
in Bridgeport. 1t was also efiec-
tive, for | know that many men who
attended II were convinced by Mr.. Schurz
81 Mr.. Blaine's unworthiness TO he Presi-
dent Mr.. Holden. who presided at the
meeting, Il confidential attorney and inter
prefer for the Wheeler d Wilson Sewing
Machine Company, and he is man OF in.
fluence. From several sources earn that
the independent vote. which the Blaine
mtn affect TO despise, will reach at least 200
IN Bridgeport. some OF which will 90 to
Cleveland and some Of Il TO ~. John, while
many Republicans will not vote for elec-
tors al all.
And this city is the centre OF the great
Democratic revolt. There | expected to
find Blaine riding trlumphantly over a
traditional Democratic majority, his eX-
peetation OF victory challenged only by an
innumerable throng OF Butterflies. IL may
be that the Blaine boom is TO be started
when "Jlngo jim" comes this way on his
trip 10 Augusta. He is coming, for his ad-
vent has been announced by q forerun.
ner. In the daily paper Of yestcr-
day l ind an interesting paragraph
which explains several things. IL
says that Mr.. Frank Il. LOOMS. an
sttacbe Of the tribune and an empl0ye also
Of the National Republican Committee, had
stopped at the office TO inform the editor
that be had been employed TO keep hostile
reporters frop Mr.. Bhine's train during
hi western trip, and that upon Mr..
Loomis's reports were based the iniorma-
lion Of The National Committee in nrenarn O