The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1872-09-12
Extracts from Recent Speech by
George W. Curtiss.

In his first campaign speech, delivered
at Ashfield, Mass, last month, Mr.. Cur
tiss said
1 know when an honest mans party de-
serts its principles the honest man deserts
the party. But I know, too, when there are
two great organized parties, one or the other
must carry the election. 1t is impossible for
few gentlemen, on the eve of Presiden-
tial election, to form new third party.
They may take par1or at the Glenham
Hotel, and if the Democratic party comes to
that room it takes possession of the room,
and for its own purposes; not for any other.
When the spider and the fly project an alli-
ance, it makes little difference whether the
fly walks into the parlor of the spider or the
spider walks into the parlor of the fly. 1t is
an alliance of consumption. There can be
but one party, and that is the party of the
spider. Those men that went TO Cincinnati
went as Republicans. Then followed the
Democratic party in convention, called &C
cording to its usages, following the forms of
that party, and they took the Cincinnati
platform and candidates, but they took them
as Democrats, not as Republicans, not as
members of third party, but they took
them as Democrats. A Georgia paper which
l read last night was headed, {" National
Democratic ticket: For President, Horace
Greeley" That is the party with which we
have to deal. All the machinery and all the
force-with some exceptiOns-that will be
brought to bear for the election of Mr..
ministration is necessarily of the spirit of
the party which brings it into power.
Gentlemen may say that they are not
Democrats-never were Democrats. They
may say: "You do not call Horace
Greeley Democrat. He is a Republican
of the Republicans. Are we doing wrong
in supporting him ?" They may say
I'VE mean only reform" But, as was
parties, like the heads of serpents, are
moved and governed by the tail" The head
of the Democratic party may have been
fashioned in Cincinnati but if you would
know how the whole party must move, look
at the tail that was fashioned in Baltimore.
The spider has walked into the parlor of the
fly, but if that little Liberal Republican fly
should venture to buzz his small desires,
there would be sharp decided answer:
"Shoo fly, don't bother me-" That alliance
will be an Inflated one for the fly.
Now which of these two parties, in your
judgment, is the more likely to keep its
word? You see, my fellow-citiZens, 1 am
going to rake in the ashes. 1 believe I can
not cast my vote wisely in 1872 without re-
membering how and why / cast my vote in
1868, in 1864, and 1860. When speak of the
Democratic party, you will understand 1 am
not speaking of individuals. Every Demo
crat has Republican friends whom he honors
and respects; and every Republican has
Democratic friends in whom he trusts.
When l say the French people are a volatile
people, do not say GuizOt is a harlequin.
When 1 speak of the Democratic party 1
speak of historical facts, not impeaching the
motives or actions of individuals. The Dem
ocratic party for the last generation had
been the mere slave of slavery. To serve
slavery the Democratic party robbed the
mails, trampled on the right of free speech,
and upon the right of petition; and when
the Democratic party in the South began to
hint at secession and mutter rebellion, the
great body of the Democratic party espous-
ed the doctrine of State sovereignty. What
ever was done in the South by the real
leaders of the party had the full and hearty
support of the party throughout the coun-
try. And so it was when Lincoln was elected
and the rebellion was begun. We find the
last Democratic President wringing his
hands in impotent despair while the tears
ran from his eyes, and whimpering, 1.-THE
Union had no right to dissolve; but, o dear !
it had no right to help itself" The last
Democratic Secretary of War sent material
to any but loyal men. The last Democratic
Secretary of the Navy left our coast without
protection, and the last Democratic Secre-
tary of the Treasury knocked the bottom out
before he fed. During the four terrible,
cruel years of the war-which was only a
natural consequence and natural growth of
the teachings of the Democratic party-dur-
ing the four years OF the war, by every means
known to men, that party resisted the prose-
cution of the war. l am raking in the ashes:
do not forget it. 1t resisted every measure
that was brought forward to save the
Government, liberty and civilization upon
this continent. 1t had no part in the glory
of emancipation. Then came the struggle
of reconstruction. Struggle-why? Because
of the position of the Democracy. Every
measure that was proposed in the interest of
reconstruction, that was essential to carry
out the principles of liberty and justice, was
sturdily resisted by that party; and while
that question was pending, the party hurried
to its convention and declared that every
thing that lad been done was unconstltu-
tional, and sought to overturn all the war
had accomplished. 1 am still raking in the
ashes of tie past.
But the people of the United States, the
loyal majority, organized as the Republican
party, have not only succeeded IN putting
which conquered the war, but have so ad-
ministered the Government that the name
of the United States was never SO respected
and honored, the world over, as it is now.
This being so, the Democratic party sees it
is so, and hurries to it's Convention at Balti-
more with the most suspicious haste, folds
its arms, smooths its brow, muffies its
tongue, and whispers as blandly as it can,
"Well, we see that you've got the better of
US; we cannot exactly help ourselves;