Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-06-08


''dark horse" in the field who can draw from
the other side and prevent the accident" Of
Mr.. Baine's getting the nomination on the nrss
ballot.
II this lack OF confidence In delegates Who
must be counted 10 make this majority should
prove warranted the presence Of a dark horse
In the field might prevent the nomination Of
any one on the first ballot, This they fully un-
derstand would mean tho defeat Of Hsrri.on.
but Il would leave the way open for them 20 90
TO another candidate with the hope OF accom-
plishing the defeat Of Blaine.
The Blaine people have made some material
gains and every hour a ballot is postponed the
brighter their prospects will be for the reason
they are aggressively IN the ieid looking for
votes, while Harrison people are more on the
defensive. trying TO hold what they think they
have. Quite a number OF earnest Blaine men
are now tied up with instructions for Harri-
son and the longer they have TO
think over the awkward position In
which they are placed the more
apt they will be TO be restless aud finally TO
break away. II the Blaine people could get all
the votes there are Of this sort on the first bal
lot they would have the nomination then and
there; but every Blaine vote that is cast for
Harrison on the first ballot, in obedience 20 in
structions given when Blaine was not in the field,
is just so much toward victory for the Presi-
dent, and the Blaine managers want TO reduce
the number Of these votes as much as possible
before they permit ballot TO be taken.
Blaine managers who speak 20 me in conf
denoe and on whose statements can rely a.
being frank. however much they may De at
kault in their calculations. tell me the reports
from their men working in the various delega-
uons make IL appear that Blaine has .
majority independently Of those votes which will
be scattered on the first ballot and Will
come 30 Blaine later il there Is chance for
them TO do SO, but OF course they are liable TO
mistake in calculation of this sort and with
but two candidates in the field slump on either
side would make the nomination of the other
certain.
Like the Harrison people they are anxious
to guard against that They want time TO make
| more accessions and they want some dark
horses IN the field 10 take up enough scattering
votes to prevent any chance at Harrisou's NOM
ination on FIRST ballot. While il is conceded that
Harrison cannot get the nomination after the
first ballot, With sertainty that il that ballot
passes without nomination that a large number
OF Blaine Delegates now tied up in Harrison
lines will come at once 10 support Of the plumed
knight they feel that they can afford 20 throw
away some of their own votes 10 encourage q
some Of the votes for Harrison
Thus on the one hand the Harrison managers
are anxious TO have some candidate in the field
who can draw Blaine votes. and on the other
hand the Blaine managers want a candidate in
the field who can command some of the Hsr-
rison votes. The cry each side is "A horse,
horse. my kingdom for a dark horse"
IL is this situation that makes dark horse talk
active at this time, and it was in line Of this
policy Of delay that the Blaine men directed
their efforts alta meeting of the committee on Gre
dentials last night, developing a majority Of
twenty-eight to sixteen, as stated already.
WORKING FOR DELAY
They were able 70 control the action OF thecom-
mittee and by decision that the various con-
tests should be considered by the whole COM
mittee, instead OF being referred 20 subcommit-
tees, they made IT impossible for the cases to be
reported on inside Of two days.
Nothing OF importance can be done in the
convention until these contests are reported so
that the possibilities OF delay are indefinite.
As the selection of Fassett for temporary chair
man was due to the fact that Harrison managers
wanted to avoid a contest, 90 the selection
of Mckinley by mutual agreement il due 10 .
similar action on the part of Blaine
men; il is a case Of very pretty fencing on both
sides, the Harrison men having the advantage
of position at start, but the other folks
being more skillfui in the use Of weapons.
lf there were such thing M
applying cold logic to a situation Of
this sort, this proposition might be made.
As shown by the organization Of the commit
tees Mr.. Blaine has a majority Of the states.
His greatest strength is in the large north
ern states; therefore he should have majority
Of the convention. But logic is q clumsy thing
IN politics Ss a. and ;nsS + avoided by shrewd PotG,1n'