The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1868-05-29
Grant and Colfax, and the Radical
Platform.

Grant and Colfax, and the Radical
Platform.
The Republican National Convention, a
conclave of small men, without reputation
for intellectual power or craftsmanship, as
scmbled at the Opera House, in Chicago,
on the Goth inst. and organized by the
election of Governor HAwLEY, of Con>
necticnt, as Chairman. Aside from the
delegates and the newspaper reporters the
number of persons who attended the con
vention was comparatively small, and all
fears. that the Opera House would be in
sufficient for the accommodation of specta-
tors proved unfounded The convention,
compared to any previous convention of the
same party, was palpable failure. 1t was
an aggregation of small talents; an event
OF small interest an occasion that failed to
meet the expectations even of men whose
political sympathies are against the party
it represents. A city convention of either
party in Chicago has often excited greater
: interest, and very rarely been attended by
50 little enthusiasm as the recent National
Convention of the Jacobin party present ed.
Ga the first call of the States, General
u. s. GRANT was nominated as the candi-
date of the convention for the. Office Of
President of the United States. SCHUY-
LER CoLFAX, OF Indiana, was nominated
for Vice President on the fifth ballot. If
ON utter absence of enthusiasm through
out the country be an indication of the pop
ular temper, the name Of GRANT is not the
signal to which the people of this country
will rally in November Never was a
Presidential nominating convention held in
this country which was attended with so
little interest, and SO complete an absence
of every enthusiastic feeling, as were
visible on this occasion. Concerning the
platforms adopted by the convention. the
Chicago Times remarks:
" The platform, like the convention, and
like its chief candidate, is negative quail
~ throughout. Not one positive affirma-
cbo..a j; / ~~ntain that touches a living
To-. ~ .ne popular heart. It congratu-
ures that have politically exchanged mill
ions of intelligent citizens of the white
race Tor other millions Of ignorant descend.
ants OF Ethiopian barbarians. 1t affirms
the assumed right of the central power to
exercise despotic authority in one section
OF the republic that the constitution forbids
1t from exercising in any section. 1t ig>
nores the just and lawful right of the peo-
pie to pay their debts upon the basis of tie
same lawful money in which those debts
were contracted. 1t asserts, by intended
implication, that capital invested in gov
eminent bonds shall be excepted from the
operation of the law which makes Treas
ury notes the lawful representative of CAPT.
tai. and comrels the people to accept them
as such. 1t proposes that the public debt
shall be carried for an indefinite period, for
the benefit of those who receive double in
terest on their investment, and who demand
double payment in gold 1t is silent on
the question of an oppressive tariff by
which the great body of customers are i'm
poverished to enrich favored class, main
ly in the New England States. 1t is silent
concerning the popular demand for the alb
rogatlon of a host of favored manufactures
OF shinplaster currency. 1t is silent con
corning the peoples demand for the equal
taxation Of the wealth of the country,
whether invested in government bonds or
otherwise. 1t is silent concerning the 3D.
pressiye burdens, the unprecedented cor
ruption, and the unparalleled fraud in Of
flce, under which the country groans and
the substance of the people is wasted TO
fatten hungry horde of political adventur-
. ers and keep them IN office. 1t family es
says to evade responsibility by casting the
sins of the party that acknowledges no
higher authority upon the President of its
own making, and whom it asserts the right
to cvict for offences against the party.
whose offences, above his control, are
against the country.
- Such is the essential substance of the
emasculated dodge the-issue platform on
which U. S. GRANT, man without an
idea bevond the points of horse, and
SCHUYLER CoLFAx, statesman Of invisi.
BILE dimensions, have been mounted for the
Presidential race.
WHAT HEN CAN Do.-An exchange
says that hen has the canacitv NJ lao;ng