The New York herald., 1872-09-06
Third Parties I'm Our PresA
Contests-The Louisville Bourbon

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Third Parties In Our PrsssS sSen'l"
Contests-The Louisville Bourbon Ex
pertinent.
The democratic Bourbons have met in Con
yention at Louisville and have nominated
wat they call straight or old line demo
cratic Presidential ticket, Charles o. Conor and
John Quincy Adams, and have adhered to
OConor in the face of his peremptory
declination, and have adopted q plat.
form. in oppositioa to the regula,
democratic candidates and principles and
to the administration republican, ticket Of
Grant and Wilson. But as the straight demo-
Gratis have not the remotest idea of posi-
bilty of the election of their ticket, il is evi-
dent that their immediate object Is demo-
cratic diversion for the defeat of Greeley and
Brown. It is, however, as they contend
enough for these immaculate Bourbons that
they cannot recognize Greeley and Brown as
representatives of the democratic party, nor
the Cincinnati and Baltimore resolutions as an
exposition of democratic principles. Hence
this Louisville straight democratic movement.
1t gives the old-liners, according to Colonel
Duncan, the men and the principles Of the old
democratic gospel Of Jefferson and jackson;
and, though they expect defeat in this battle
on their ticket, they expect to come out of it
with their old democratic colors still flying,
and they expect the recall of the deserters
from the radical heresies accepted at Balti-
more, and the restoration Of the old party to
its old landmarks with the defeat of Greeley
and Brown.
This is desperate undertaking, and the
most unpromising as third party movement
that could possibly be devised. There has
never been less inviting occasion for third
party for the Presidency than the present The
prevailing idea among all the political ele-
ments opposed to the reelection of General
Grant has been and is coalition for his de-
feat. Hence the failure 80 far of all these third
party movements, such as that of the temper
ance reformers and the labor reformers and
free trade reformers. Hence this alliance be-
tween the anti Grant republicans and the rank
and file of the democratic party-a few strag-
glers excepted-in support of the Cincinnati
liberal fusion ticket and programme. These
democratic boilers, few in numbers,
widely scattered, and without news
papers or organization anywhere, are as
powerless as the temperance, the labor, the
free trade or wonlan's rights reformers to do
anything as a third party at this stage of the
campaign; and most likely, as o third party,
this Louisville organization will disappear be-
fore the 1st of November.
Heretofore, on several momentous occasions,
third or fourth party in the Presidential
contest has turned the scale. In 1924, when
the struggle between Jackson, Adams, Craw-
ford and Clay was carried into the House Of
Representatives, that body was reduced to
choice between jackson, Adams and Crawford,
as the three highest candidates from the cleo
toral colleges; and yet the friends of Clay in the
House, by uniting upon Adams, at once secured
his election. In 1882 against Jackson, and in
1886 against Van Buren,, the strength of the
opposition forces was frittered away by their
divisions upon various political crotchets, alb
stractions and candidates.; but in 1910, in their
union upon Harrison and upon the general
idea Of q change in the administration, the
opposition elements swept the country like
whirlwind. In 1874 the little third party Of
the abolitionists, in taking off from Henry
Clay fifteen thousand abolition whig votes in
the western part of New York. gave the State
to Polk by small majority, and elected him
President. In 1846, as third party candidate,
Martin Van Buren, in dividing the democratic
vote of New York, defeated the regular party
nominee, General Cass, and elected General
Taylor, the whig candidate. In 1866 Fillemore,
as third party candidate, defeated Fremont,
and secured the election of Buchanan. In
1860, in their divisions upon several candi-
dates resulting from their breakup at
Charleston, the democrats permitted the
election to 60 by default in favor of Lincoln;
and since that day the democratic party,
in adhering to its dead issues, has been kept
"out in the cold"
Now, joined heart and hand with q prom
ising body of boilers from the administration
camp, the democratic party, through their
regular National Convention, having aban-
doned their dead issues and accepted the
'sfixed facts" Of the thirteenth, fourteenth and
fifteenth amendments, are on the road to. ulti-
mate success when they are met by this
Louisville bolt of the Bourbons-thi third par
ty movement-at the eleventh hour of the day.
We cannot imagine what possible object these
bolters have thus in view which might not by
them be more cheaply gained by simply voting
for Grant and Wilson, or by remaining, like
the angry Achilles, in their tents. Indifferent
as to the issue of the battle. Surely this
Bourbon experiment to push the democratic
party from Its advanced position under Gree
ley back to the constitution of Buchanan is
preposterous, and will utterly fail, if it may
not be considered rs bubble which has
collapsed with the Louisville Convention. Il
has no appearance Of anything but bubble