Wichita eagle., 1888-07-03
PHELPS on THE CONVENTION.
He is Pleased With the Prudence of That
BOdy'S Choice.

BOdyS Choice.
WASHINGTON, July 2-Congressman
William Walter Phelps, who returned last
night from Chicago, expressed himself to-
day as well satisfied with the convention
work. 81 suspect it seemed a little tedious
TO those outside" he said, ''but | assure
you ii was a busy time on the inside. The
convention was a vast hive and its dele
gates were swarming night and day in the
effort TO exchange and unity their senti-
ments. You see, it was not hike other con-
vention. They went but to select a candi-
date and that is harder work than merely
70 accept and declare for one. The people
did not know what candidate they wanted;
and how could the delegates? They had to
. learn; and it takes time to learn. The
eight hundred delegates came with honest
views but all shaded with local coloring;
so they went to work to get clear view,
There were several noticeable steps in the
process. The convention which was COM
posed largely of Mr.. Blaine's friends, had
first to convince itself that it would not do
TO nominate Mr.. Blaine against his will.
There were men who wanted to nominate
him at any cost, and there were men who
wanted to nominate him only when it
could be done without harm to his honor,
and without danger to Republican success
at the polls. Their differences were prac-
tically compromised by the recognition of
the fact that 1t would not do to nominate
Mr. Blaine until his friendly RIVALS
whom he had invited into the
contest were ready to unite in
asking him to take the nomination. That
x,,oc n p,.oba bla hrlt
it never came. 1t required, first of all, the
assent of Senator Sherman, but this he
was not expected to give, and he ought
not to have given, as his vote was the
highest in the poll and fell to second only
at the moment that General Harrison was
nominated. The next duty was TO dis
cover if the paramount and solid qualities
of Mr. Depew. making him the ideal can
didate, and in that regard the only rival
of Mr.. Blaine were stroug enough in the
granger states to overcome the Tanic
which strikes all the western politicians at
the mention of railway official. Opinions
of the most sagaciouS politicians
differed as to the conventions
duty in this case. All such
recognize the existence and the importance
of the grangers' prejudice, but whether
that being admitted, ii was not we'll to
brave it with candidate OF such eXcep-
tonal merit, whose personal popularity
would bring to the Republican college the
thirty electoral votes of New York
this was q question which only the united
wisdom of the convention could decide
The convention decided it, and decided it
On the side of prudence. 1t risked no GER
tain states in the effort, however gallant
and exciting. to capture n doubtful one,
When these great questions were sertled
and the fates of two candidates, who were
involved, there was still left the task OF
discovering which OF the many
remaining candidates were the
best. In deciding the superiority
where all Were good, fitting in character
and capacity to fill the position. the only
question was which could get the most
votes. This. too, required time many in
terviews and much discussion. The ALI
SON delegates had to learn that there were
prejudices against their candidate which
affected his merits as a vote getter. The
politicians of the convention land il was a
convention made up almost exclusively of
men who had acquired political knowledge
by experienced insisted that q state was the
best Judge of the political strength
of its own sons; that if it was
question of relative strength between
two of her sons. Indiana, who knew them
lest, should have the right to decide
the question. Then, too, the earnest adj
vocacy of Judge Gresham'S claims by
ton TO support his candidacy at the polls.
was generally recognized rs q danger
signal not TO be disregarded, and those
who found peculiar attraction in the
lofty character and splendid record of
Judge Gresham and We're willing to dis
regard these mere sentimental objections
were checked by the admission on his
own part that he had once been a Know
Nothing. The foreign vote in New York
end New Jersey upon that fact would
never wait or listen to any excuse
that he was young, that his
own connection was temporary
one, and he Indignantly sundered il rs
soon as he learned of its cruel intention.
There were still left Sherman and Allison
Alger and Harrison. The defeat of SEN
6tor Sherman was practically settled bv
the almost unanimous declaration OF New
York'S delegation that this great leader
admitted the best EQUIPPED of all candi-
dates, and the one whose long and valued
services best entitled him to the nomina-
tion-could not carry that state. From
the beginning there had teen a recognition
IF the fact shat the four doubtful states
Were. in case OF anything like unanimity.
to direct the action Of the convention. and
among these four the influence of New
York was of course, paramount. Even ad-
hitting that New York was sincere in
Its belief that Senator Sherman was the
weakest vote getter IN that state. yet a.,
pDe 1uDcture II was the action or New
York that made the nomination OF Sher-
man seem an immediate certainty"
Ny. Phelps here remarked that the New
York delegation resolved, in contingency
TO support Mr.. Sherman rather than TO
take up some new man. The convention
leaned longer and more heavily on Alger
than the ballots indicated. \ soldier.
business man, an ex-governor OF great
popularity, OF generosity well known
before his political ambition and with
hosts Of personal friends in and about the
convention-had Michigan been q doubt
ful state, or even without that
had his grateful friends been more reticent
In exploiting his kind efforts in direct con
nectlon with the convention and its neces-
sary expenditures-he might have secured
the nomination, SO, too, Allison was
more thought of than the votes indicated. |
but through all the discussion there had
grown and strengthened the belief that |
the candidate must come from a doubtful |
state Even jealous Henderson could not |
claim that Iowa was il doubt. but what