The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-06-18
The Republican Nomination.

The following editorial upon the republican
nomination, by George William Curtis, appears
double loaded in Harper'S Weekly "The
nomination of Mr.. Blaine does not change the
views of its inexpediency that we have freely
expressed. Harper'S Weekly has said nothing
upon the subject without careful consideration,
and the fact of the nomination does not change
its conviction that the republican campaign,
with the candidacy of Mr.. Blaine, mast be
prolonged explanation and defence The cam
paign of this year will be one in which the per-
sonality of candidates will be moro vigorously
scrutinized than ever, because there is no great
supreme issue Of national peril or national pol
icy which will engross the attention Of the peo-
ple and this scrutiny invites defeat. Under
such circumstances, when party appeals to
the country for a vote of confidence, it will nat
urallly be judged by the representative whom
it deliberately selects. To him the country
will turn to see what the party honors and
what qualifications it holds to be essential for
the highest trust. 1t would we think, have
been possible to name candidate whose nom
ination, with the present feeling of the coun-
try, would have been equivalent to an election
"a candidate who would have aroused all the
old republican enthusiasm by appealing to the
desire of pure and progressive politics, which
was the animating principle of the other repub-
lican campaigns. Originally, the republican
party was reform party, having achieved the
greatest of reforms in securing emancipation
and an amended constitution freed of all faint
of slavery. 1t is strongest when its young and
ardent workers, the real workers of party,
feel that it is still essentially progressive and
aggressive reform organization, and when they
know that it is led in presidential year by
candidate who is, in character and career, a
true and fitting representative OF political pro-
gress and reform. The fact that candidate
is selected who is not such a representative
properly alarms them and shakes their faith in
the party. 1t is true that the republican party
is always strong in the weakness of the dem
ocratic opposition, but that is a negative
strength. The democratic party really stands
for nothing but opposition and repusive ira
dition. The endeavor to identify it with any
definite policy, except that which is known as
general cussedness fails; but that is not an
argument which can elect president. The
nomination of Mr.. Blaine, although it is doubt
less agreeable to the majority of the party, as
shown at Chicago, because large part of the
apparent opposition, as in the Indiana and Hi
nois, and even in the Ohio delegation was
friendly to his nomination, ought to alarm
honest republicans as showing how danger
ously far the republican standard has fallen.
The nominations at Chicago, made against the
most friendly republican remonstrance, have
forced upon republicans the conviction that the
great objects of the republican party-honest
and economical administration, peaceful and
honorable foreign relations, the progressive
publication of the public service at home, wise
reduction of the revenue and that sense of gen.
era security which springs from the moral
elevation of the administration-are not to be
expected from republican success. To this state
ment it is no reply that less is to be expected
from the democrats. Those who have aroused
the deep and general protest of the republican
conscience must bear the responsibility OF the
result Fidelity to republican principles re-
quires indifference to present republican sue
cess, and Harper'S Weekly, which more than
once has not hestated in the interest Of public
morality and of party publication to oppose
the significant one against which it has so
earnestly protested, and which is a practical
abdicati0n Of republican character and pur-
pose. The sad and kindly face of Lincoln,
whose portrait hung in the hail. seemed to
watch the proceedings OF the convention with
an air of earnest soicitude and apprehension,
and it had disappeared from its place before
the nomination was made"