The Washington critic., 1888-02-17
WASHINGTON. FEB. II, 1883.
rnE MuGwuMp DILEMMA.

e vance OF tnaJ announcement, ana IN
reference TO the possibilities of the
Republican National Convention
HdTp6rs Weekly makes this state
ment
II Mr.. Blaine should not be nominated the
convention would hardly select u candidate
who Is essentially representative of the anti.
Blaine tendency and spirit in the party such
~ candidate would be very unacceptable to
the Baine interest, and should he be set
aside, the convention would wish first of all
to propitlate that interest, as when General
Grant was defeated in the convention of
1850, the first desire was TO placate Mr.,
Conkling in the selection OF candidate for
the Vice-Presidency.
If Mr. Blaine has really set himself
aside, whatever relevancy attaches to
this view of the case must be en-
hanced, for, considering the mag
nanimity of Blaines course in de-
clining to embarrass his party by
remaining in the field, a convention
in which his friends predominated
would surely not respond by going
clean over to the enemy for candi-
date.
IL is one of the curious anomalies
of the political situation, however,
that while it would be out of the qies-
ton to drive the Blaine Republicans
OF Ohio into support of Mr.. Sherman;
the e'second choice of the Blaine Re-
publicans of Iowa is Mr.. Allison; yet
the Ohio Senator bears much greater
resemblance to Mr.. Blaine in party
methods and matters Of public policy
than the Iowa Senator does.
True, Sherman and Blaine do not
look or act enough alike to be ever
mistaken for twins, but Allison and
Blaine have no points of similitude
whatever. Mr.. Allison - in all
things welded to ths1 If pro-
lection as Mr. .Dssss<Ess stronger
in the commercial coincidence OF y,ie
country. Mr.. Blaine has record,
which, whether justly or not, has
been effectively used against him;
Mr.. Allison's record is such that even
his enemies, if he had any, would
find itdifficult to detect flaw therein.
So that contingency is easily sup
possible in which, although the adhe-
rents of Mr.. Blaine would never stul-
tify themselves by consenting to the
nomination of Roscoe Conkling, they
might still be compelled to select a
candidate so unlike the " Plumed
Knight" as to be to all intents and
purposes, if not essentially" an anti
Blaine man.
The feud between the Blaine and
Sherman factions does not necessarily
imply a dissimilarity between these
great leaders in respect to principles
or practices still, accepting Mr..
Blaine's retirement as final and sim
cere, the nomination of Mr.. Sherman
is by no means assured. 1t may even
be further than ever from the fore
gone conclusion his friends appear to
think it is.
The idea sought to be conveyed by
Rarper'S is that the dominating ele-
ment of the Republican party is so
wrapped up in Mr. Blaine, that fail
ing to secure him as their standard
bearer in the coming campaign, they
will seek to nominate the nearest pos
sible counterpart to him whom they
can fnd--in other words, that Blaine
ism must be kept at the front.
In this assumption, it occurs to us,
the Independent Republicans, or GER
tain Of their advisers, hope to find
sufficient warrant for antagonizing the
nominee of the Republican Conven-
ton and supporting Mr.. Cleveland
again-opposing the one as the repre-
sentative of high tariff, the spoils of
Office and all the civic vices, and in
dorsing the other as the embodiment
of free trade, civil-service reform and
all the civic virtues.
But there is only one Blaine in the
country.
lie being off the track, the chances
are that the Republicans will place at
the head of their ticket some one
nearer to the confidence of the peo-
pie and more in line with conserva-
tive public sentiment. If it be man
INV NiiNniAuhi VI
Hawley-lIke Senator Allison or Jus
tice Miller, Iowa's two distinguished
candidates-what is to save the Mug
wump contingent from disintegration
Its Republican elements returning
TO their original allegiance and its
Democratic elements merging in
; the forces Of a Democratic admins-
tration?
SENATOR TELLER is almost as sound
as Senator Riddleberger on the open
session question.
Miss RosE ELIZABETH CLEVELAND
is to publish volume of poems soon.
1T is fair to presume that she doesn't
do this with any intention of injuring
her brothers. Presidential chances.
ITnAs ALWAYS been urged against
the selection of Washington as the
place for holding the Democratic
National Convention, that it would
have the appearance Of giving the
administration too much the adj
vantage of nearness to the Conven-
ttn..t TIoll rls,,.r l., ,-a..,, 1;6xl. l.. ty.s,i