Year: 1876

The nominating Delegates oil the be
publican party, will meet in National
Convention at Cincinnati on the 24th OF
June. From among the long array of
talented men who have been spoken of
in connection with its nomination 1t viii
be called upon to select one TO bear the
standard of our party in this the glorious
year of national life. AS the various
State Conventions are gathering for the
choice of Delegates. each giving thereby
to some extent an index of its preference
public feeling is being awakened and the
friends of the numerous aspirants lose no
opportunity Of urging the claims Of their
iavorites.


Upon the action Of this Convention
great deal depends. The delegates thereto
representing widely severed States with
widely differing interests, will be called
upon by high considerations of national
welfare to sacrifice personal preferences
and local interest, and join in the selection
o. standard bearers acceptable to the ma
tional principles of epublcanism, and
equally acceptable to all classes of men
who are earnest in their desire TO see the
high places of government in the hands
Of those whose names are synonymous
with truth and honor. Political conven-
| tions sometimes make mistakes in the
interest of favoritism, thereby sacrificing
n triumph of principle to secure an empty
honor for some party pet. 1t will not do
to fall into this error at the present time !;
the welfare of the party, and through it
that of the country, demands that personal
feeling must be made to yield 10 the gen
eral good.


We have no favorite candidate for the
Presidency, in The common acceptance of
the term. That among the many illustri-
GUS names mentioned in that connection
we should have choice is only natural,
but the grounds on which that preference
is based are the claims which life long
record of honorable public service, give a
man upon the people. Conspicuous
among these stands the name of James
q. Blaine, who is viewed with increasing
favor as the time draws near at hand
when the selection must be made. While
we do not claim but there are others in
| the Republican ranks equally as worthy
of the nations confidence, we believe that
his nomination would be more acceptable
to the masses Of the people than any other
which could be made. In his long career
of service as a member, and as the pre-
siding officer of the Lower House of Con-
gress, he presents n record to which his
district, his State, and his party can point
with just and commendable pride. Blaine
is eminently one of the self made men of
the country, one of those who have risen
from the ranks Of the people to position
which commands the respect and admira-
ton of his countrymen. Against his long
record Of honorable public service the
tongue of SANDER WAS not raised until his
debate with the doughty champions of the
Lost Cause " brought him into such
prominence as Pres identia candidate,
that the ours Of Democracy felt compelled
to raise the howl Of corruption " and
bark at bis heels, in their efforts to involve
him in the general denunciation. How
we'll he defended the attack, clearing his
name from the suspicion of wrong in the
minds OF all honorable men of all parties
has become matter of history.


While the friends Of Mr.. Blaine have
presented his claims and ask that they be
considered, they have done so in no selfish,
rude or ruin spirit. The action of the
Republican Convention of California is
fair index of the feeling by which the ad-
herents of Mr.. Blaine are actuated. =
While the resolution of the Convention
indicates unerringly that Mr.. Blaine is
the first choice of the Republicans of this
State, the delegates to Cincinnati are lett
free and untrsmmelad to act for the best
interests OF the party. The same may be
said Of other States in which the senti-
ment in his favor predominates, with the
exception of his own State, which NAV
be pardoned for showing partiality for
his exaltatiOn. But the Cincinnati Con-
vention will be governed with sense
responsibility such as the Republicans
have never before been called upon to
exercise. Knowing the party demands
that its choice shall fall upon the purest
and best, it cannot fail to respond to the
feeling. Whether the one so deemed
shall prove to be Blaine, Bristow, Hayes,
Hsrtranft, or any other of the eminent
names from which the Convention can
choose, few weeks more will determine.
And while expressing a preference for
the one we have named we do not question
but The choice made Will be one upon
whom the patriotic sentiment of the coun-
try can heartily unite.