The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1884-02-16


The Washington correspondent Of the
New York Herald gives the following
regarding the coming Presidential cam
paign: "This year everything IS very
quiet in both political camps. That does
not mean, however, that nothing is
doing. On the Republican side the anti
Arthur men are Watching the President
very closely. They would like to catch
him, as one of them said, setting up the
pins for himself But so far they adj
nit that they see not the least sign of
his interfering in any way to secure his
own nomination or that of any one else.
Mr.. Blaine's canvass not being for him
self, but for some man who will make
him Secretary of State, naturally plays
a waiting game. 1t is not his policy to
fix upon favorite until the last moment,
but rather to LET. all those candidates
who would be his tools wait around and
do what.the can for themselves until
the convention assemblies, when 1t will
be time enough for him to help the man
who shall then prove to be the strongest
and to need the least help. Mr.. Blaine
is believed to be carefully nursing his
own following In the different States, in
order to go into the convention as strong
In numbers as possible. lie does not
mean to take or to labor for the nomina-
tion himself. This all his friends most
freely and positively assert, and 1t is
probably true. He seems to be taking n
leaf out of Mr.. John Kelly's book. That
New York statesman has always de-
clined the Mayorality. He has, however,
insisted on nominating the candidate,
and 1t is this plan OF avoiding RESPONSE
bility, but keeping power by causing the
nomination of his own man, which has
given him the title of 'Boss." Whoever
fixes his mind on the nomination in the
character Of "Mr. Blaine's man" will
have rather an unhappy time of 1t, for
all the Blaine candidates will live in a
tormenting suspense until the latter part
Of May. Meantime, it remains true that
the Republican contest lies, in effect,
between President Arthur and Mr..
Blaine. Not that either is himself a
candidate. but that the Blaine move
ment excludes all but Blaine men, and
necessarily puts upon the other side all
those Of whom, either by independence
| of character or by previous political
affiliations, 1t can certainly be predicated
that they would not, If nominated and
elected, be Mr.. Blaine's obedient SER
wants, taking him for their boss On
the Democratic side, nothing is declared
except that the tariff reformers look to
Western man, while their opponents
prefer the nomination of an Eastern
man, and, If they had entirely theii
own way, would like TO have his name
Randall. OF Western men Morrison ant
Mcdonald are now most mentioned
The Ohio movement for Mr.. Payne geti
the favor Of neither of the factions. lie
is spoken of as the toothbrush candidate
because of his attack on civil service re
form, and the saying that we canno
clean out the Augean stables with
toothbrush. Mr.. Payne has, however
one chance of being nominated. If tn
Democratic factions should get to sucl
loggerheads that both sides were con
WINGED that the party would be defeated
in that case there seems to be n genera
willingness to offer up Mr.. Payne b.
nominating him."