Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1870-09-29
campbell and schenck- 'consis-
tency."

he is willing to accord to his op
moment. The truth of this de
pends upon what is understood
lby CONSISTENCY" If it is tn,
as it Is sometimes repre-
scented to be, then we fear Gener
al Schenck does not possess it
A man may be consistent il
wrong doing as well as in virtue
If consistency means adherenct
to the line Of conduct, without
regard to its consequences. In
this view of the matter, the out
law may be consistent in his con.
Itinued crime. The good mar
may BE- consistent in his honora.
BILE and praiseworthy career. Blu,
real consistency consists in doing
what the individual believes to
be right under all circumstances.
This eminent quality of human
conduct, which We very properly
term a "jewel,'' does not consist
IN doggedly believing in or act
ing upon oneidea during a whole
without regard to chang
ing circumstances or the light of
truth. The consistent statesman
may, and often does, change
many times in a lifetime.
The incompetent and the fool
hardy may never change at all.
Mr.. Schenck claims. or used to
claim, great generation for the
names and lives of Clay, Web
|ster, Berrien, and Crittenden,
with whom, in his own better
and honester days, and in the
better days of the republic, he
IglorIed in associating. Will he
dare claim greater consistency
for himself, in these times OF
corruption and degeneracy, THAI
he accorded to these pure men
in a pure period Of the couatry't
history?
These eminent men changed
frequently in their political lives
both in party associations aud in
their views of policy-of mel
Iend meusu-es. Webster was /
Federal st, a Republican, . Wing
aud a Conservative. He was /.
bank man, a free-trader, and
proiectionist, an Abolitionist ant
a Conservative of the strictes
sect, a S~tate>rights man and
liberal constructionist Clay wa
q Democrat a Whip, and insll,
died and associate of Douslas ant
Cass. He was an anti bank maj
aud a bank man, a free-trader,
protectionist, q tariff reformer,
protectiouist. and lastly again
revenue tariff advocate. So il
other matters, ank 90 with til,
other eminent men named, ant
SO with scores Of the great mel
of the present aud the past
They did not think it a crime Il
change their party allegiance
nor even their views of policy
Like patriots, they so acted as t
promote the interest, welfare ant
glory of the country, without re
lgard at all times to party or pre-
vious prediction as to p LEY.
1t is q fact which the histor.
of this country will amply sus
tain, that he who blindly I'D
heres to party never rise to tn
dignity of true statesmanshiE
Party is the bane of statesman
ship, as it is of the country
Fools run mad after party whel
their own true interests lie in
different direction. We see j
now all over the broad land, an
Especially in the West. Her
flor years the Third district hs
been represented by a mere pal
tisan, who no more represent
the views and interests of th
people than does Louis Napt
leon.
He is q protectionist, who's
policy taxes the people of thi
district to put money into tn
epockets of the Pennsylvania iro
mOugers, the New England maj
m 70 cfuroro kba OoA1da0a go