The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1871-06-08
From Harper'S Weekly
The President, the Politicians and the
People.

: 1t Is to be deeply regretted that 4
this time, and in the doubtful pOliti
cal condition of this State, the Trfblta,
should pronounce so decidedly against
the denomination of Gen. Grant. II
says, indeed, editOrially, that the
whole subject should be left to the de-
: cisiOn of the Convention, and anna
} rently thinks that the matter should
/ net be discussed until then. But no
= paper which knows the necessary i'm
pOTtance 10 a party of good nOmina-
tiOns should decline TO help it bv urg-
{ ing betimes the claims of those whom
II believes not only fit but available,
and equally Of opposing those which
/. 1t thinks undesirable. The real feel
ing Of paper in regard to any public
man, even when its words are guard
ed, IS unmistakable; and the Ti5URe.
We presume, is at no pains to conceal
that il does not favor the renomina-
ton Of Gen. Grant, and that in the
party diSsensiOns in this State il is
friendly TO Senator FentOn and hostile
TO Senator COnkIing.
For those discussions we hold no in
dividual responsible. They are due to
the wretched system of the civil ser
vice, which, while it exists, enslaves
US all. While patronage is the prin-
| eiple of that service, every party will
be exposed to the mischief which has
/ OveTtaken the Republicans in New
/ York. So long as there is patronage,
| the party murmuTs at its chief if he
does not use it; and if he does, it ieal-
/ Ously complains. 81 have been q Re-
| publican Tor DemOcratas the case may
| bel ever since there was such a party,O
/ is the constant cry; II have never
asked for anything before, and if the
I party won't give me such a miserabIy
mean drop as this, I'll have nothing
more 10 do with IT," IL is humiliat-
ing to reflect that if it is proposed to
harmonic party, as the phrase is,
the only practical method suggested
Is an equal division of patronage. 1t
IS plunder, hot principle, which makes
intestine party trouble ri the sys-
tenn were swept away, the civil Off
GERS appointed, as they ought to be,
upon grounds of character and capaci-
ty, and official tenure were dependent
upon honest efficiency, and not upon
somebody's whim, parties would be
very much more harmonious and /
compact.
The Tribune, speaking of a sugges- |
tiOn for party union made by the /
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, /
says that it would be much more for /
ciOle if il did not insist that Senator I
COnkling should be reelected and I
General Grant re-nOminated; and the /
Tribune thinks that a correspondent /
is mistaken in suppOsing that while /
the newspapers oppose Grant the peO-
pie support him. Dut the correspOn- |
dent is undoubtedly correct. The
newspaDers-andt this paper has done /
its shaTe-have considered and cTiti-
cised every act of the Administration
and its general policy. But the press
has unquestionably taught the people
certain distrUst of newspapers.
Sharp censure, violent denunciatiOn,
mean insinuatiOn, have so often prov
ed TO be either unfOunded or interest
ed that the wary reader reserves his
opinion He does not believe that
the President is a fool because hereads
it in one paper, nor a knave because
he reads it in another.
The general opinion of the Presi-
dent-the peoples opiniOn-is, we
think, that he is a plain, honest man,
who means 70 do his duty as faithful
~ ana patrloucally IN the Cabinet as
he did in the field; whose administra-
ton has been efficient, satisfactory,
and creditable, diminishing the debt,
reducing taxation, restoring the I'm
ion, and honOrably and peacefully
settling the most threatening foreign
difficulty. The Presidents manly
message upon the San Domingo ques-
ton has removed any party irritation
upon that point, and the Ku-KluX
bill, which the Tribune approves, is
undoubtedly generally approved also
by the people, although severely crit
icised in many papers. Undoubtedly,
Gen. Grant is not considered a good
'party'' President. But that does not
weaken him with the country so long
as there is no dOubt-and there GER
lieve to be the peoples opinion OF the
President-the opinion, probable, of
vast majority of the readers of the
Tribune; and, therefore, it is true
that, while the newspapers oppose,
the people support him, and it is that
general confidence which makes his /
denomination pro bable.