The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-06-14
BLAINE PLANS AT CHICAGO.
Editor Charles Emory Smith Tells How
the Nomination Was Won.
Advantages of Skilled LieutenantS and a
knowledge of the Field Confidence in
the Tickets Strength.


blunder was made on either. The Arthur men
lacked strong, commanding national leader;
but even if such a chief had been in the saddle
he could have accomplished nothing more. The
Arthur managers did the best they could with
their forces and deserve the credit of making a
gallant and sturdy fight"
"What about the Edmunds men9"
"They were sentimentalists in theory and pol
iticians in practice Some people say they were
not practical, but 1 differ. AS matter of fact
they were not lacking either in disposition or in
skill for the arts and methods of politics. If
they did not transfer their force it was because
they could not do it with success. Most of the
other minority brigades were fairly well handled.
Ohio for long time trod the primrose path of
dalliance, Indiana had its internal troubles and
there was considerable subsoiling in Illinois; but
all were sound and substantially solid in the
end"
What do you say about the management on
the Blaine side2"
sit was brilliant in it's general strategy and
skillful in most of its details l say this with
full recollection of the prevailing impression that
there were grave mistakes in the earlier stages
of the campaign. In my judgment there were
no serious mistakes at all. The Blaine forces
were far better handled than in 1876 or in 1880
1t isn't worth while now to repeat the plan, but
| the organization was thorough and complete"
Wasn't there some sloshing around in the
| convention
Eyes, in the earlier sessions, but it did not af
| feet any vital point. 1t the weakness of in
| dividuals and not the weakness of the plan of
battle or of the generalship. Such individual
| outbreaks or errors were inseparable from the
| surrounding condition There was no one rec
! ognized, undisputed field marshal on the floor
| towering above all others and holding absolute
sway, as Mr.. Conkling did over the Grant forces
| in $780, and in the nature of the case there
a
drafted men, and this was volunteer force
| While the general strategy of the campaign was
clearly marked out something had to be trusted
to the discretion and decision of the captains on
the field of action, and in the main they proved
| equal to every exigency."
| 'Wasn't the Clayton movement for temporary
| chairman a blunder2"
81 think not. The South asked for the tenn
porary Craftsmanship, and the Blaine men
| thought it wise to concede it. They had no
special choice. They were disposed to offer it to
| ex-senator Bruce of Mississippi, but he de
| clined. The Arthur line in the South had to be
| broken. The policy of the Blaine men was to
| select a strong man from that section, and
| build up Southern strength around him. Clay
| ton has been widely misjudged. am not going
| on the bond of any man. but men who have
known him far longer and better than I, and in
! whose integrity 1 have full faith tell me that
| his character is blameless. Their first response
| to the question whether he could be trusted was
that he is a man that does not lie in politics. He
| part of prudent player, but he does not say
| one thing and mean another. That in itself is a
| strong pledge of character. 1t has been said
that Clayton was associated with Dorsey. The
reverse is the truth. Dorsey and Clayton rep
resented opposing elements in Arkansas politics
| When Dorsey was elected to the Senate, it was
regarded as the defeat of the Clayton faction.
| The matter is of small consequence now, but
say this much in answer to the unfounded charge
that the Blaine men began their campaign at
| Chicago by putting forward an unworthy associ-
ate of Dorsey
''But wasn't it mistake to put up Clayton
unless he was sure to be electedl"
| ''There may be difference of opinion on that
point, but think not The test had to come at
some stage, and it might as well come then as
any time. The result proved that it no
| blunder For an hour or two the vote caused
| some depression among Blaine men who did not
realizeIits full significance; but when they came
to understand that with Blaine and only part
of the Logan strength against the field the Blaine
| column fell only thirty votes short of enough to
nominate, they recovered their courage and were
| more confident than ever"
81 have heard it said that it was a blunder to
| have Thomas G. Platt second the nomination of
| Blaine. What do you say to that2'
His selection was urged by stalwarts from
| New York and other States 1t was urged be-
cause Mr.. Platt was one of the BOG; because he
| is the friend of Grant and Conkling, and because
| his support of Mr.. Blaine would be interpreted
as meaning that the stalwarts would fall into
| line. In this view, was it mistake? In order
| to win we must have united party. We cannot
afford to prescribe and ostracize any class. We
want platform and policy strong enough and
broad enough to hold all Republicans
odd Mr.. Platt's position indicate Mr.. Conk-
ling'sr
"Ihave no right or claim to speak for Mr. Conk-
ling, but there were men at Chicago who had.
| -Four years ago, on the way from the Chicago
convention of 1880, Mr.. Conkling told me that
| either Grant or Blaine should have been nom
mated. You have seen the expressions recently
attributed to him, that the Republican party
ought to put its strong men at the front, and
that for his part, he didntwant either sparrow
or a wren. My understanding, gathered from
trustworthy sources, has for some time been
| that; under present circumstances, Mr.. Conkling
| regarded it wise to nominate Mr.. Blaine.
Whatever may be said of him, Mr.. Conkling is
a frank, sincere and chivalrous man, and have
no doubt that he will speak and vote for Blaine. !"
| Were the Blaine men beaten in their tactics
| on the night before the nomination and on the
question of adjournment
son the contrary, no plan of battle was ever
more carefully laid or more faithfully and sue
cessfully carried out. The Blaine managers
| either wanted to finish the balloting on Thurs
| day night or have no ballot at all i'll Friday
morning. The field wanted to repeat the tactics
| of Cincinnati-have one ballot and then adjourn
! over with a night to fortify the weak points.
| The Blaine men succeeded in every move. After
the first day their plan did not miscarry at a sin
| gle point Mr.. Elkins is a very able and force
| full manager He is direct and, at the same
time adroit, full of vitality and vigor as robust
and manly in intellect as in frame, with keen in
sight quick decision and unquaing courage,
never losing his head or his temper, always ge-
NAL and CHEEKY and with a happy faculty of
| inspiring those about him with confidence and
resolution. He was surrounded with strong
cabinet of sagacious counseiors and untiring
workers like Chaffee, of Colorado Senator
Miller, Whitelaw Reid, Platt, Robertson, kus-
sell, Sheard and others, of New York; Phelps
and Hobart of New Jersey; Boutelle, Millken
| i l.
| West Virginia, Clarkson, of Iowa; Stewart Don
aldson, Cooper, Bayne and Others of Pennsyl
vania; Davis, of Minnesota; Morrow and Parks,
of California, and hosts of others who would
make too long list There were no rivaries
and no jealousies, but all moved together like
one man to one end"