the cleveland era-第3章

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chinery。　The　Republican　national　convention　of　1880　was　the　scene　of　a　factional　struggle　which　left　deep　marks　upon　public　life　and　caused　divisions　lasting　until　the　party　leaders　of　that　period　were　removed　from　the　scene。　In　September　1879；　General　Grant　landed　in　San　Francisco；　after　a　tour　around　the　world　occupying　over　two　years；　and　as　he　passed　through　the　country　he　was　received　with　a　warmth　which　showed　that　popular　devotion　was　abounding。　A　movement　in　favor　of　renominating　him　to　the　Presidency　was　started　under　the　direction　of　Senator　Roscoe　Conkling　of　New　York。　Grant's　renown　as　the　greatest　military　leader　of　the　Civil　War　was　not　his　only　asset　in　the　eyes　of　his　supporters。　In　his　career　as　President　he　had　shown；　on　occasion；　independence　and　steadfastness　of　character。　He　stayed　the　greenback　movement　by　his　veto　after　eminent　party　leaders　had　yielded　to　it。　He　had　endeavored　to　introduce　civil　service　reform　and；　although　his　measures　had　been　frustrated　by　the　refusal　of　Congress　to　vote　the　necessary　appropriations；　his　tenacity　of　purpose　was　such　that　it　could　scarcely　be　doubted　that　with　renewed　opportunity　he　would　resume　his　efforts。　The　scandals　which　blemished　the　conduct　of　public　affairs　during　his　administration　could　not　be　attributed　to　any　lack　of　personal　honesty　on　his　part。　Grant　went　out　of　the　presidential　office　poorer　than　when　he　entered　it。　Since　then；　his　views　had　been　broadened　by　travel　and　by　observation；　and　it　was　a　reasonable　supposition　that　he　was　now　better　qualified　than　ever　before　for　the　duties　of　the　presidential　office。　He　was　only　fifty…eight；　an　age　much　below　that　at　which　an　active　career　should　be　expected　to　close；　and　certainly　an　age　at　which　European　statesmen　are　commonly　thought　to　possess　unabated　powers。　In　opposition　to　him　was　a　tradition　peculiar　to　American　politics；　though　unsupported　by　any　provision　of　the　Constitution　according　to　which　no　one　should　be　elected　President　for　more　than　two　terms。　It　may　be　questioned　whether　this　tradition　does　not　owe　its　strength　more　to　the　ambition　of　politicians　than　to　sincere　conviction　on　the　part　of　the　people。*

*　The　reasoning　of　〃The　Federalist；〃　in　favor　of　continued　reeligibility；　is　cogent　in　itself　and　is　supported　by　the　experience　of　other　countries；　for　it　shows　that　custody　of　power　may　remain　in　the　same　hands　for　long　periods　without　detriment　and　without　occasioning　any　difficulty　in　terminating　that　custody　when　public　confidence　is　withdrawn。　American　sensitiveness　on　this　point　would　seem　to　impute　to　the　Constitution　a　frailty　that　gives　it　a　low　rating　among　forms　of　government。　As　better　means　are　provided　for　enforcing　administrative　responsibility；　the　popular　dislike　of　third　terms　will　doubtless　disappear。


So　strong　was　the　movement　in　favor　of　General　Grant　as　President　that　the　united　strength　of　the　other　candidates　had　difficulty　in　staying　the　boom；　which；　indeed；　might　have　been　successful　but　for　the　arrogant　methods　and　tactical　blunders　of　Senator　Conkling。　When　three　of　the　delegates　voted　against　a　resolution　binding　all　to　support　the　nominee　whoever　that　nominee　might　be；　he　offered　a　resolution　that　those　who　had　voted　in　the　negative　〃do　not　deserve　and　have　forfeited　their　vote　in　this　convention。〃　The　feeling　excited　by　this　condemnatory　motion　was　so　strong　that　Conkling　was　obliged　to　withdraw　it。　He　also　made　a　contest　in　behalf　of　the　unit　rule　but　was　defeated；　as　the　convention　decided　that　every　delegate　should　have　the　right　to　have　his　vote　counted　as　he　individually　desired。　Notwithstanding　these　defeats　of　the　chief　manager　of　the　movement　in　his　favor；　Grant　was　the　leading　candidate　with　304　votes　on　the　first　ballot；　James　G。　Blaine　standing　second　with　284。　This　was　the　highest　point　in　the　balloting　reached　by　Blaine；　while　the　Grant　vote　made　slight　gains。　Besides　Grant　and　Blaine；　four　other　candidates　were　in　the　field；　and　the　convention　drifted　into　a　deadlock　which　under　ordinary　circumstances　would　have　probably　been　dissolved　by　shifts　of　support　to　Grant。　But　in　the　preliminary　disputes　a　very　favorable　impression　had　been　made　upon　the　convention　by　General　Garfield；　who　was　not　himself　a　candidate　but　was　supporting　the　candidacy　of　John　Sherman；　who　stood　third　in　the　poll。　On　the　twenty…eighth　ballot；　two　votes　were　cast　for　Garfield；　although　he　protested　that　he　was　not　a　candidate　and　was　pledged　to　Sherman。　But　it　became　apparent　that　no　concentration　could　be　effected　on　any　other　candidate　to　prevent　the　nomination　of　Grant；　and　votes　now　turned　to　Garfield　so　rapidly　that　on　the　thirty…sixth　ballot　he　received　399；　a　clear　majority　of　the　whole。　The　adherents　of　Grant　stuck　to　him　to　the　end；　polling　306　votes　on　the　last　ballot　and　subsequently　deporting　themselves　as　those　who　had　made　a　proud　record　of　constancy。

The　Democratic　national　convention　nominated　General　Hancock；　which　was；　in　effect；　an　appeal　to　the　memories　and　sentiments　of　the　past；　as　their　candidate's　public　distinction　rested　upon　his　war　record。　The　canvass　was　marked　by　listlessness　and　indifference　on　the　part　of　the　general　public；　and　by　a　fury　of　calumny　on　the　part　of　the　politicians　directed　against　their　opponents。　Forgery　was　resorted　to　with　marked　effect　on　the　Pacific　coast；　where　a　letterthe　famous　Morey　letterin　which　Garfield's　handwriting　was　counterfeited；　was　circulated　expressing　unpopular　views　an　the　subject　of　Chinese　immigration。　The　forgery　was　issued　in　the　closing　days　of　the　canvass；　when　there　was　not　time　to　expose　it。　Arrangements　had　been　made　for　a　wide　distribution　of　facsimiles　which　exerted　a　strong　influence。　Hancock　won　five　out　of　the　six　electoral　votes　of　California　and　came　near　getting　the　three　votes　of　Oregon　also。　In　the　popular　vote　of　the　whole　country；　Garfield　had　a　plurality　of　less　than　ten　thousand　in　a　total　vote　of　over　nine　million。

The　peculiarities　of　the　party　system　which　has　been　developed　in　American　politics；　forces　upon　the　President　the　occupation　of　employment　agent　as　one　of　his　principal　engagements。　The　contention　over　official　patronage；　always　strong　and　ardent　upon　the　accession　of　every　new　President；　was　aggravated　in　Garfield's　case　by　the　factional　war　of　which　his　own　nomination　was　a　phase。　The　factions　of　the　Republican　party　in　New　York　at　this　period　were　known　as　the　〃Stalwarts〃　and　the　〃Half…Breeds；〃　the　former　adhering　to　the　leadership　of　Senator　Conkling；　the　latter　to　the　leadership　of　Mr。　Blaine；　whom　President　Garfield　had　appointed　to　be　his　Secretary　of　State。　Soon　after　the　inauguration　of　Garfield　it　became　manifest　that　he　would　favor　the　〃Half…Breeds〃；　but　under　the　Constitution　appointments　are　made　by　and　with　the　advice　and　consent　of　the　Senate　and　both　the　Senators　from　New　York　were　〃Stalwarts。〃　Although　the　Constitution　contemplates　the　action　of　the　entire　Senate　as　the　advisory　body　in　matters　of　appointment；　a　practice　had　been　established　by　which　the　Senators　from　each　State　were　accorded　the　right　to　dictate　appointments　in　their　respective　States。　According　to　Senator　Hoar；　when　he　entered　public　life　in　1869；　〃the　Senate　claimed　almost　the　entire　control　of　the　executive　function　of　appointment　to　office。。。。　What　was　called　'the　courtesy　of　the　Senate'　was　depended　upon　to　enable　a　Senator　to　dictate　to　the　executive　all　appointments　and　removals　in　his　territory。〃　This　practice　was　at　its　greatest　height　when　President　Garfield　challenged　the　system；　and　he　let　it　be　understood　that　he　would　insist　upon　his　constitutional　right　to　make　nominations　at　his　own　discretion。　When　Senator　Conkling　obtained　from　a　caucus　of　his　Republican　colleagues　an　expression　of　sympathy　with　his　position；　the　President　let　it　be　known　that　he　regarded　such　action　as　an　affront　and　he　withdrew　all　New　York　nominations　except　those　to　which　exception　had　been　taken　by　the　New　York　Senators；　thus　confronting　the　Senate　with　the　issue　whether　they　would　stand　by　the　new　Administration　or　would　follow　Conkling's　lead。

On　the　other　hand；　Senator　Conkling　and　his　adherents　declared　the　issue　to　be　simply　whether　competent　public　officials　should　be　removed　to