The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1868-10-23
FRIDAY, OCTOBER g. 1868.
THE NEEDS OF THE CAM
VASs.
By HORACE GREELEY.

Ten thousand men are probably
speaking at not less than five thousand
public meetings held in the various
States, with intent to secure the cleo
ton of Grant ard Colfax. As veteran
canvasseE I venture to submit to my
younger brethren some hints bearing
on the conduct of the canvass.
l. Earnestness is indispensable.
Though men be amused, they are not
convinced by any but speakers Of
profound, intelligent convictions. No
stream can rise higher than its fountain /;
and no man ever yet made lasting con-
verts to a cause that he had not
thoroughly at heart
2. Precision of statement is most
desirable. Loose, reckless statements,
even though substantially true, are
ineffective. A speaker who makes one
incorrect assertion thereby destroys the
force of others that are exactly true.
8. The finances are a special object
of Democratic assault and distortion.
They are habitually exaggerating the
the amount of the national debt, the
annual cost Of supporting the Govern
ment, and the burdens of Federal taxa
ton. They can be most effectively
met at every point by speakers familiar
with our recent fnacial history, and
especially with Secretary McCulloch's
last annual report Commissioner Wells
letter to Allison, and Mr.. Atkinson's
Worcester speech. The facts that the
debt is at least two hundred millions
less than it was three years ago; that
the internal taxes have meantime been
reduced by more than fifty per cent;
that vast amounts have nevertheless
been paid out for war bouuties, State
claims, war damages, &c; and that
the annual expenditures have steadily
and rapidly decreased from the hour
in which the rebel armies surrendered
until they we're less than two hundred
and thirty millions in the last fiscal
year, whereof at least eighty millions
were paid for mustering-out bounties
and other forms of national debt, leav-
ing the current cost of the Government
less than one hundred millions in coin,
which will be largely reduced in the
year which commenced with July last
such facts will do more to secure
votes to Grant and Colfax than the
clearest demonstration that the recon
struction acts are wise, timely and just,
4. The greenback dodge of paying a
debt on interest by forcing the creditor
to take instead dishonored promise,
not drawing interest, may be ventilated
with great profit Every conscience
bears instructive testimony that this is
naked fraud. And, while the world is
full of knaves, few of them are so reck-
less, so brazen, as to choose to stand
forth public advocates of exposed, pal
pable kDayery. The facts that every
greenback was, by the express terms Of
the Legal Tender Act, made fundable,
at the holders option, in fye-twenties,
whereof the interest was expressly pay
able in coin, and that all the revenue
from imports was to be collected in
coin, and was set apart to pay the in
terest aforesaid, and at least one per
cent. per annum of the principal of the
national debt, expose the greenback
swindle of Pendleton & Co., to the
reprobation and scorn of every honest
mind. Push those facts right into the
public eye, and the revolt against the
meditated fraud will be signal and effca-
cious.
5. The rebel chiefs have done an ex-
cellent work for US. Their premature
yell of exultation and vengeance, when
they ratified Seymour and Blair's nom
ination, and supposed it certain to sue
ceed, has already given many votes to
Grant and Colfax. The speeches of
Howell Cobb, Wade Hampton, Toombs,
Vance, DC, directly after Seymours
triumph in Tammany Hall, are yet un-
known to a large section of the voters. |
Let them be read and understood, and |
the votes of loyal men for the Demo-
cratic ticket will be fewer than they |
have ever yet been. The outlaws have
since been schooled to "roar you as
gently as 'twere a nightingale" but
their early speeches are on record, and
can not be blotted out. Let them
be everywhere pressed upon public at
tention.
9. Huzzas do not count in official
returns of votes. Speeches that evoke I
continual shouts of applause or laugh
ter, oftener repel than win dubious,
hesitating voters. Speeches have been
made that were immensely .cheered and
admired, yet which lost votes to the
side they favored. "Aim low" says
the commander to his green boys in
battle. The canvasser has nothing to
DO with those who are already infexi-
bly, committed either to his side or to
The other. His work is to convince
that small segment of the body polite
who stands hating between two opin-
ons, that they ought to vote with him,
not with his adyersaries. This done is
we'll done, though not a single shout
mas been elected, and the hurrah boys
condemn the speech as tedious.
Men and brethren, think of these
hingsl There are at least one hundred
thousand set speeches yet to be made
or Grant and Colfax before November.
f they shall, in the average, each in
luce one hesitating voter to go with US,
,ur victory must be overWhelming.-:
The Crocket (Texss) Sentinel of Sep
ember % gives the details of a fearful
ragedy enacted on the previous Sunday