Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-06-09
me tax Of a bolt against Blaine and the hostile

TIE talk OF bolt against Blaine and the hostile
attitude OF several influential republican newspa-
gers naturally calls to mind the " anything to-
teat-Grant" movement In 1872. When In the spring
OF that year 1t became apparent that Grant would
certainly get the republican nomination, a large
and intelligent element In the republican party
organized bolt In advance OF the Philadelphia
convention The leaders included several men Of
national reputation and influence, such as Senators
Sumner, Trumbul, Upton. Ferry. Schurz. and Fen
ton, and many other politicians of note, as for
instance, Long John y Wentworth, Stanley Mat
thews, Gen COchrane, Judge Hoadly, GOV. Curtin,
Nessra Dorshelner, Waldo Hutchins, Julian, and
Col Mcclure. The political philosophers were rep
resented by Charles Francis Adams, Horace White
Theodore Tilton, William Cullen Bryant, David A.
Wells, Onward Atkinson, and many others Of dis
tinction.
The bolters convention met IN May. and, after
stormy session, nominated Horace Greeley and B.
Gratz Brown. The Chief difference was on the
tariff the freetraders generally claiming that they
were betrayed" by the nomination of such
stin protectionist as Greeley, but the ticket was
accepted with tolerable unanimity. and, as every
one remembers, was subsequently swallowed with
a very WY face By the democrats in their conven-
ton at Baltimore. And everybody knows, too,
that at the election in the fall Grant was reelected
BY an overwhelming majority.
Thus, while 1t will not do to belittle the present
outcropping OF disafectOn in the republican ranks
the "kickers" should be admonished by history not
20 over-estimate their importance. Grant was fully
as well hated by the independents In 1872 as Blaine
"a In 1884 and the leaders OF the revolt were as the
List just given shows, men Of recognized eIninence
and supposed great influence. The newspapers
which swung away from orthodoxy to support
Greeley were, also, among the most powerful In the
country. But the movement failed utterly-so
utterly and shanefully that Its champion died Of
chagrin.
The conditions Of the problem are In many re-
spscts different now from what they were In 1872
The war u further away; the need OF a I" strong
government" Is less felt; the south Is freed from
bayonet rule; the republican party is weaker; the
democratic party Is stronger, and independence in
politics is more the fashion. Such revolt as that
which swept Cleveland into Office in New York
with 100000 majority in 1882 would scarcely have
been possible In 1S72 II the democrats are wise
enough to select just the right man. 1t is not un-
likely that, without destroying their own organiza-
Zion, al they did by taking Greeley in 1872 they can
win over enough independents to defeat Blaine In
the states where party allegiance sits lightest In
New York and Massachusetts,, both doubtful states,
and whose united vote would, with the solid SOUTH
elect democratic president, the Independents are
Tpe for revolt, provided they given satisfac-
tory candidate by the democrats What is that
party going to do about 1t?