The Portland daily press., 1884-03-10
Special to the Press.)

NEW YORK, March 8.
Indications have appeared that the time is
near at hand when Senator Miller, Collector
Robertson, Whitelaw Reid, George William
Curtis, and other representative Independent
Republicans will openly antagonize President
Arthur in New York, with view of defeating
his nomination. They will take the position
that Arthur cannot carry either New York or
Ohio, and that, regardless of everything else,
this is sufficient reason why the Republican
party should nominate some one else. Sena-
tor Miller has been very quiet in his move
ments, but it is now fully understood that he is
irrevocably committed against the President.
It was after conference with Miller, and
when he had learned the Senator's views that
Gov. Foster spoke out about Arthur's weak
ness in Ohio That utterance is now under
stood to have been simply feeler-the Skin
msh fire of a well arrayed battle. Collector
Robertson has been equally reticent, but his
relations with the administration have not
been cordial at any time. 1t is said upon
good authority that after he had recommended
the appointment of man to be chief weigher
at the custom house, Secretary Folger ref sed
either to confirm or reject the appointment,
but asked that it be withdrawn. This the col
lector would not do, and for six months the
business of the government was hampered BY
a deadlock. The President, from his own ex-
perience as collector, finally recognized that
Robertson was right and that the administra-
ton could not sustain itself. Then Mr.. Folger
Welded. The affair left bad blood. Collector
Robertson, while refusing to talk with report
ers. does not hesitate to say, for publication,
that he believes Mr.. Blaine can carry New
York A custom house employe, speaking Of
Robertson's reticence, said today: "He will
speak out at the proper time. We all recog-
nizs that Arthur has made better president
than would have been possible had he kept up
cd associations. But it is question Of what
is best for the Republican party. Arthur is
our weakest man, and it would not do to nomi-
nate him. He could not carry New York or
Ohio" In the same view was the talk of Car
roll E. Smith, editor of the Syracuse Journal,
last evening, when he said: "He must be a
madman who talks about Arthur carrying
New York. 1t would be another Folger CAM
paign."
The recent committee meeting was managed
| very carefully, with the intention of conceal
| ing differences over presidential candidates.
Mr.. Arthur's friends were not ready to dis.
| close his strength, and the opposition was not
| ready to speak out. But q close canvass
| among the members as to the sentiment in
their localities, indicated beyond question that
| fully one-third of the New York delegates will
be opposed to Arthur. Blaine is the leading
choice of the opposition, with Logan aud Ed
munds frequently mentioned.
AN ALLEGED Azzs-zNcE ENDED.
| rCN. Y. Despatch to Detroit Post and Tribune.)
Logan's friends, provoked by recent outgiv.
| ings from Erie, are now sturdily renouncing
| the alleged alliance with Blaine against q
common opponent presented. They admit
| that an understanding was entered into several
weeks ago, but say that Blaine then positively
declared himself not candidate. They say
| the situation having since changed, further at
| tempts by Blaine to draw Logan into net will
| be futile, and that Logan will hereafter depend
| on his own resources. Inform alton from
| Washington states that Warner Miller has en-
| gagged to push Blaine's candidacy in this State
WHAT GOVERNOR FOSTER SAYS.
Ex-Governor Charles Foster of Ohio, sale
last week that he thought that State would gC
| Republican this fall although it had fixed OF
| no presidential faYorite vet The Ohio dele.
gates would go to Chicago absolutly unpedg-
| ed. Blaine, Sherman and Logan were favor
| ties, with Logan in the lead for President, anG
| with no particular favorite for Vice President
| AS to the Democratic favorites, Governor Eos
| ter said Payne, whose weak point is that be
| always belonged to the monopoly party, is gen
orally favored by the Democrats. Payne, he
| said, is not popular with the laboring man
| Flower s not known, and Mcdonald is popu
lar with the old Bourbons.
WHAT CONGRESSMAN wAsHBURN SAYS.
Congressman W. ID, Washburn was at home
| in Minneapolis last week. When asked what
| he thought of Arthur's chances of nomination
for the presidency, he replied. HE has nj
chance at all. If he ever had any boom it hs
died out, aud don't think he has a possibility
| of the nomination"
"What will the Logan boom amount to?'
"He probably could get pretty solid sup
| port in Illinois and little out of that State
| but nothing like general backing. A
| Washington there is some talk of Edmunds
and he would probably get about all the New
| England votes, with few outside, probably
New York. The same could be said Of Blaine
| who has quite following, in spite of himself
Probably some man of whom little has beer
| said will get the nomination"
A STRANGE CONDITION OF THINGS THE PHIL
osoPHY OF IT-BLAINE's NOMINATION PRE-
DIcTED.
(washi agton Letter to the Springfield Republican.
q
time of the meeting of tie nominating con.
ventioDs, and yet the candidacy of anybody o.
either party Is only a snrmise. The public
guesses that Arthur will be candidate; is SURE
that Logan will be; regards Edmunds as hav
| ing contingent interest; Lincoln as a posi-
bility, and so on, but as yet there is no con
fessed organization TO boom any Of these men
| 1t is Just so with the other party. A politician
who has seen great deal of what has beer
| behind the curtain in politics for 80 years
| says that the experiences of 1880 in both CON
ventions explain the situation now. In both cor
ventions the nominations appeared to be what
| is called accidental. The leading candidates
produced friction enough to wear themselves
out, and then the man who bided his tint
stepped in and took the prize. The nomina
ton was captured, especially the Republican
nomination, by secret, not direct, assault
Blaine realized from the first the mistak,
he made, and he has recently said that had b,
not allowed himself to be the candidate whC
like Samson pulled down Grants pillar, snd
was himself buried In the ruins, he woulC
| have been nominated. With the exception O
Tilden, Blaine added, no man who has beer
| doomed has received the nomination sincl
Clay's time. To be sure, he adds, Grant did
but that was an exceptional case and the boon
in his case at the time of his first dominate Oh
was simply the spontaneous expression of pub
lie opinion. Seymour, Greeley, Hayes, Gar
field and Hancock, in Blaine's opinion, fur
nish proof in their nominations that he VIII
seeks Jhe nomination without open confession
is he who has the best chance of getting il
Blaine might have gone farther back an
spoken of Polk and of Pierce. 1t is probabJ
the recognition of this fact that has induce
those who are playing the game of ambitio
to play it surreptitiously. Arthur is matchin
Blaine in the shrewdness with which he acts
Not yet has anybody, except those to whom
he has determined to entrust his canvass
obtained any admission from the Presiden
that he desires nomination. Men go to bin
and talk to him freely about it. The Presiden
listens with interest, that is if he believes tina
true friends are talking to him. Only yestel
day the somewhat notorious Col. Scovel o
New Jersey called on the President and sal
he wanted to tell him what he heard abou
his chances. The President smiled and said
"You have come to give me some outsid
| gossip. Go ahead with it." Scovel talked {
Arthur an hour apparently to the amusemen
and interest of the President, but when Dcove
finished, Arthur simply thanked him, but Sal
not one word, nor uttered one hint that coul
Justify Scovel in saying that Arthur was
candidate for the nomination.
Yet he is. Nobody doubts that. Col. Mat
Quay, the shrewdest politician of the base
sort that Pennsylvania has produced for lon
time, does not come to the White House ever
week for nothing. If he does not deliver {
Arthur fair proportion of the delegates fror
Pennsylvania it will be because his hand an
brain have lost their cunning. The Presideu
has made very obnoxious nomination of
pension agent IN Philadelphia at Ouay's re
quest, and the pension agent will command n