Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-08-23
The Week After the Debauch.

The gravity Of the step taken by the
majority OF the Chicago Convention be.
comes palmer every hour. The dissatis.
faction with the nominations has in fact
already, ns the Springfield Republican
remarks, assumed the proportions of a
political revolution. Only three or four
journals OF weight or influence in the
party accept them and announce an in.
tention to support them. These, too,
are already on the defensive, and are
pleading for the ticket In nm apologetic
tone, which shows clearly enough that
they consider the battle already lost.
The Tribune of Monday morning
argues pathetically that Blaine is
not tattooed man," or that
II he is, 80 were George Wash
isgton, General jackson, and Gea.
eral Garfield. II maintains. moreover,
that virtue Ia not really confined to q
few Pharisees," meaning, we presume,
that there is good even in "Pos" Clay.
ton, Steve Elsins, "Tom" Platt aud
"Black Jack" Itmay be that these con
spicaous citizens are not las bal as they
are painted; but think, brethren, of be.
ginning campaign with an appeal ad
misericordiaa ON behalf Of the candidates
and their leading supportersl
In truth, unless all signs fail, we are
promised, in case the Democrats do as
many think they will do for once--make
a sensible nomination "a repetition IN
this State at least Of the campaign OF
1882, and the burial Of Mr.. Blaine
under monumental majority. We
grant freely all that is said about Mr.
Blaine's being the choice OF the majority
of the Convention, and even OF the ma
iority of the party. But it seems to
have been forgotten by those who nomi.
mated him that to win victories at the
polls, it is not enough for them to be the
majority of the party; they must also
be tho majority of the nation, and to be
the majority OF the nation n party must
be as large and harmonious as possible.
II there is fastdious or uneasy minori
ty, everything in reason must be done to
keep it in the ranks on election day.
Nothing, in fact, will justify managers
in sending any considerable portion
of the party away from u Presl.
dental Convention dlsgusted or disheart-
ened, except regard Tor principle. To
split over candidates, and above all to
split, or run the risk of split, over one
candidate in n country which contains
ut least one million of citizens eligible
for the Presidency, is surely the hight
Of folly--such folly as has never before
been witnessed in party history. Ii
Blaine stood for any cause or principle,
II he were the champion or apostle OF
some idea, the leader in great move.
ment, there might be some sense in
sticking to him at any cost and forcing
him on the party, as mere trial of its
fidelity. But Blaine stands for nothing
but "Jim Blaine" He has served moth.
ing all these long years but Jim
Blaine. When he trumphs in any.
thing, nobody but Jim Blaine is the
better of 1t. Under these circum.
stances the abuse aud deprecia-
tien of the Independents and "kickers"
is so fatuous that it is no longer funny.
The "shouters" actually seem to have
persuaded themselves that II is only the
Independents they are to meet at the
polls in November, and that, as they
themselves can easily show more votes
all is well. Surely, this is the hight of
midsummer madness.
The same thing may be said Of the re-
proach that the Independents have
nothing to complain of except that
"their man" was not nominated. They
had no man TO nominate. 1t is their
very failure to agree on any one which
makes their present revolt so serious.
People who go into politics sim.
ply to support some favorite or
hero, generally get over their
disappointment very quickly, and are
apt after the first pang has passed to be
able to stake off their coats" and 60 to
work for somebody else. But what makes
the present crisis in the Republican
party grave is that the Chicago ticket
does not represent simply the triumph OF
somebody elses man, but represents TO
the dissatisfied q distinct outrage on
their moral sense. 1t represents to them
the success of rascality and corruption
in the party councils, aud an attempt to
place the Presidency for four years at
the disposal of jobbers. spectators, in
triguers. Granted that they are mis-.
taken in all this, granted that they foully
wrong Jim Blaine, Black Jack and
Steve Elklns, Pow Clayton and Tom
Platt, aud Filley-how does all
this mend mattersl Do the friends of
Mr.. Blame, after all that has happened,
expect to convert them between now and
the first Tuesday in November, II Mr..
William Walter Phelps and the Tribune
have been unable to eulighten them
within the last three months, are they
likely to succeed in the next four! Con
sidering how much Mr.. Blaine and Gen.
eral Logan have been before the public
for the past ten years, are the iInpres.
sions they have made during that period
on large class of highly respectable ot-
servers likely to be corrected during the
heat of campaign by such praise as
their buglers are likely to contribute to
their campaign newspapers! There is
only one answer TO be made to these
questions.
The question before Republicans to-
day is not how to defeat Blaine, for he
is defeated already, but how 10 prevent
his defeat from infiicting injury ON the
cause which the party which has had
the madness TO nominate him has served
80 long and 30 well. And then, the ex-
animation of his record has only just
begun. 1t contains material for fully
four months summer reading, Every
week of July, August, September. and
October will probably bring additions to
the wretched story, and If they would
make only him and William Walter
Phelps blush it would not matter much,
But everybody who has ever voted the
Republican ticket will have to hang his
head along with the candidate and such
of the ''shouters" rs have any shame
left.-7he Nation.