The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1871-11-16

the pressure would be equal on all
classes, would be soonest and most
certainly secured through the regu.
lar Republican organization.
But there were a few men in the
liberal Republican movement in Mis-
souri, who @had selfish and Interior
purposes to accomplish. Enfran.
chisement, with them was never at
an end. They were, from the first,
lusting for golden prizes in the dis
tance. Their eyes were fascinating.
" fixed on the submits of renown,
They anticipated national distinction.
They expected to be lifted to high
places Of power. They even dreamed
of the Presidency. They hoped to
dictate policies Of foreign potentates
Unprincipled as ambitious, they
we're ready to sacrifice any principle
or any party, to come to the fallnesa
Of their vaulting hopes. They must
Of course, quarrel with President
Grant, and the quarrel must be nursed
and the Executive defied.
But it turns out that these men
have no party. They are simply a
contemplate faction. What shall
they do? The spirit Of the Republican
party is unity, harmony and victory
That leaves them without any speci.
al significance. If they 60 with the
Democratic party, they must take
back seats, and submit to the time
honored Democratic leadership, and
it is their own passion and purpose
to lead. And so the Democratic
party must come to them. Jonah will
swallow the whale. The Democracy
shall be taken down at one gulp by
these men of enormous stomach.
The poor, stranded Democratic
whale is laundering about on dry
ground, o good deal shrunk in pro
portions, and entirely ready to be
swallowed. So these men thought.
Aud the Republican newspaper, as.
Stunning to be inside the Democratic
ring, and yet having no character
for consistency or political integrity
to lose. was admirably adapted to
their purposes. Accordingly, in due
time, after many a note Of prepare.
ton had been sounded. an expectant
world was greeted with the Passive
policy The Missouri State Times,
solitary organ Of the Liberalists,
cackled prodigiously as the bright
promising egg was dropped into the
nest Alas! for the vanity of all
human and gslIinaceous expecta
tions, that egg is added already!
O, the insufferable insolence OF
the Democracy What particular
exacting, impudent, inquisitorial,
contemplate question to ask of Car
Schurz and the half dozen Others
who compose the organization
which proposes 70 form coalition
with the Democracy "What is the
strength of liberal Republicanism?
Fancy the indignation of the little
squad "Strength |" we hear them
growing back, "B. Gratz Brown fol
President, everybody that wants an
Office and can't get one from the
present corrupt and abominable ad'
ministration, and General Senator
Carl Schurz with one, two, three
hundred thousand, yes, half q million
German voters in his brooches peck.
ets." We think that ought TO be
satisfactory. Is the Times answer
| ed ? Behold your auxiliaries !! Not
| a man of them but is willing to take
an Office Not man of them but
believes himself fitted for the high.
est place 10 the gift of the American
people /!
There are, to be sure, some ungra.
cious old Bourbons who will mutter
"For every one of these fellows who
comes into our camp, two, if not
three, veteran Democrats will desert
the colors, swear it is no longer q
Democratic party and 60 over to the
enemy" But these Bourbons are
unreasonable, fault-6ndiDg old fogies,
who would even rather be in min
ority and be consistent; and they
should not for moment be regarded
by men who are chiefly dcsirous Of
place and power.
But we come back to the main
question. "What is the strength of
liberal Republicanism 2" Who are
it's leading advocates What public
journals does it control? What
States can it enable the Democracy
to carry ? or, it that form Of the ques
ton does not suit, what States can
it carry with Democratic help? Can
it make any impression on New
England? Can it secure Pennsyl-
vania or Ohio? Can it unfurl a VIC
torious banner anywhere in the great
Northwest? Even in Wisconsin,
Carl Schurz could not. with all his
eloquence, add thousand votes to
the usual Democratic poll. Would
the Democracy be any stronger in
the South tor such coalition? Would
it not rather lose than gain? Where
are the resources of this great power
which proposes to lift the Democracy
out Of the slough, terrify Grant so
that he will graciously "permit" the
election and installation OF an oppo-
sition candidate for the Presidency,
and recover constitutional govern
ment for an afflicted and down-trod-
den people? Where?
See how the Times rings the
changes on this embarrassing ques.
ton, without one plying thought Of
the beggarly condition of it's poor
victim
"What is it in the power of liberal
Republicans to guarantee us on con.
dition of abandoning the field and
leaving to them the choice of candi-
dates (? What is there SO valuable
within their capacity to give as to
compensate for that which we, as a
party, will have to surrender
What assurance have we, it will
then be asked, that liberal Republi.
canism, even granting it to be
power in the land, will be true to it's
pledges or bound by the rules of
good faith Then also will the Demo-
cracy of Maine aud Ohio ask each
other earnestly, where is the evidence
that these "out-of Office Republicans
are no numerous or 80 tenacious in
their disaffection as really to hold
the balance ofpower
\ x What is the strength
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