1. Opening of the Campaign (Cont.)

Given the unshakeable steadfastness of the supporters of the major candidates, it was natural to expect that victory would remain with one of them, since the supporters of minor candidates would necessarily have to cast their votes for one or another of the major ones. In reality, however, political tactics, based on the inflaming of passions, has worked out for such cases a completely different outcome. The President of the United States, in a governmental relation, possesses very insignificant rights; he simply embodies only the executive power in relation to the determinations of Congress. But he has very great significance in an administrative relation; under his direct supervision lies an extensive area of state administration, with an entire army of officials or bureaucrats. In this connection of bureaucrats with the president lies the whole secret and the fierce struggle over candidates, and the valiant steadfastness of their supporters. Practice has worked out such a form of election of delegates to the convention that mostly either officials or those still hoping for good positions end up among them. It is they who make noise at the convention, in every way trying to defend their candidate—in the full assurance that their zeal will be rewarded according to their deserts in case of success. This bureaucratic approach to presidential elections has recently developed to terrible extent and threatens serious danger to the country, introducing corruption and decay into republican rule of the state. It also explains the unexpected outcome that conventions are beginning more and more to astonish the country with. Parties struggle to the last extremity, but when they see finally that it is impossible to maintain their candidate, to secure for him the necessary number of votes, they transfer their votes not to the side of the strongest candidate, to give him superiority—no, but to some completely insignificant candidate who had not even been counted before. The sole consideration guiding them in this is that to give their votes to the strongest candidate simply means voluntarily yielding all positions with their fat salaries to his supporters, leaving nothing for themselves. In bolstering a minor candidate there remains, in case of his election, hope that he, having no special cronies, will distribute positions impartially, equally for all parties. It is clear that instead of prominent and popular candidates, with such a state of affairs, only “dark horses” (dark horse), as these unexpectedly emerging candidates are called, can come out of conventions.

Twenty ballots on June 7th did not settle the matter. The next day, with new hopes and fears, the tedious voting machine was set in motion anew. The parties stood like stone pillars. One after another the ballots produced the same results. The thirty-third ballot was almost identical to yesterday’s first. It seemed that there would be no end to this Sisyphean labor. But the patience of its participants finally snapped. At the thirty-fourth ballot the small parties broke ranks and inclined toward the “dark horse.” Garfield instead of his usual one vote suddenly received 17. This should immediately have caused demoralization in the convention, but it found a counterbalance in that Grant at the same time also won a few more votes and received 312. The thirty-fifth ballot, however, completely shattered the ranks of the supporters of the major candidates. Garfield received 50 votes on this ballot, and the fate of the convention was decided. Everyone immediately saw where the center of gravity lay, and the thirty-sixth ballot was the last. It abundantly endowed the “dark horse” with votes. Here is the table that this last ballot presented:

Garfield………………… 399 Blaine……………………… 42

Grant 306 Sherman 3

The craftiest Senator Blaine and the ambitious Secretary Sherman suffered the greatest defeat. Grant’s column remained unshaken and honorably came out of this infernal struggle. Grant himself received the first news of the convention’s result at a telegraph station. Having received this discouraging table, the famous general looked at it intently, nodded his head, and saying “all right” (well, okay), went home. All three of these candidates immediately left the political stage, and in their place the figure of the former canal tow-worker majestically stepped forward; he became the leader of the Republican half of the people. Evidently he was brought forward unexpectedly and came out of the Republican conclave as a “dark horse”; but even such a choice coincided with the political sense of the people, and on the very day of Garfield’s election, many saw how a bald eagle majestically hovered and circled above the modest house of the present president.