Year: 1875

In the canvass which closes today III New
Hampshire the Republican managers have
felt that all the assistance they could obtain
was needed. The current Of affairs had been
setting so strongly against their organization
that unless the tde could be turned in some
way, there was little chance for success.
Especially was it desirable that men of char
acter and standing inside and outside OF the
State should be induced to come forward and
give the necessary guarantees for the good
behavior of the Administration in relation to
matters which at present disturb the public
confidence. Among other prominent gentle
men of respectable character to whom the
State Committee sent ont its Macedonian cry
is the Hon. James G. Blaine. He has ceased
to preside over the House of representatives,
but he is a Speaker still, a forcible, ready,
and eloquent one. lie is more than
suspected OF possessing enough political sa-
gacity to see the danger in which his party is
now placed, and enough sense Of political and
personal honor to make him shy of following
in the lead of the statesmen who possess the
confidence and do the will of the President.
1t would have been highly desirable to in
duce so strong and SO popular a party leader





himself as a living guarantee for the honesty
and the practicablity of the immediate plans
of the Administration party. If Mr.. Blaine
and half-dozen men Of equal standing be-
fore the country had gone into New-Hamp
shire aud talked out.what was in their minds,
it would have made the present campaign
one of the most interesting and important Of
recent years.


But like Lord Stanley when bidlcn to Bos-
worth Field, "he did deny to come" 1t is
true he gave a perfectly plausible reason for
it, the condition of his voice. After fighting
for a week. with no weapon but his larynx.
against a whole amphitheater Of bowling Con-
gressmen, it is not improbable that his vocal
organs required rest. But people have been
SO accustomed to considering him i1on-clad and
bullet-proof that an excuse of invaidity will
hardly have the force from him which it might
have from q weaker brother, The uncertain
souh3 Of cheer which his buge brought over
the border doubtless deepcAed the depression
created by his refusal to come. He says the
"Repubicans of the whole country are watch
"mg New-Hampshre with interest and anx-
"lety." They are "hOping for q healthy re-
faction against the temporary reverses of
"last year, and the promise Of a safe, hOpor-
cable, and useful future for that great party
(Which conducted tho country through the
"perils of war, and which can best administer
"its affairs in time of peace" But this
is very platOnic bit of encouragement.
There is nothing rOusing in these words.
Speaker Blaine merely says that the Repub
lican party is. on the whole, better than the
other one. This election cannot be treated in
that cvasive way. The most important plank
in the platform of tho Ncw-Hampshre Re
public1ns is one protesting against the per
petuation Of the present Administration. 1t
is perfectly well known also that many of the
LEADING Republicans in the State are out OF
sympathy with the outrageous conduct of the
Administration in Louisiana, the message of
the President in regard to Arkansas, and the
Force-Bill programme of the majority of the
late House Of Representatives,. Against the
third term intrigue the Convention has pro-
nounced, but it cannot be expected that this
will help anything if the orators of the party
are dumb. The silent disgust OF respectable
men against the recent Batter and Grant pol
icy in legislation will avail nothing unless it
is shown to be the ruling sentiment of the
party at large.


No one can blame Speaker Blaine for taking
care of his voice. 1t is valuable one,
and we'll worth being watched and tended.